Fall 2003

Sustainable Product Design

For the first time the semester included product designers who were asked to develop a chair design for Ecosa. This chair is ultimately intended to be marketed as a part of a sustainable furniture line. The challenge is to develop a materials palette that can be proven to be sustainable through empirical methods. This includes researching toxicity, energy consumption and finishes in the manufacturing and distribution process. The concept of minimizing materials was also central to the brief. Packaging was also required to be minimized which resulted in a design that can be packed into a small space yet be quick and easy to assemble. A prototype was also required which will continue to modified as testing of the product continues. A life cycle cost assessment is currently being done by Keara Schwartz who worked on the chair design.

The padding material for the cushions is manufactured from the waste materials from the production of Jeans (Courtesy: Bonded Logic, Inc.)

The sling and fabrics are all sustainably produced and are non-toxic. (Courtesy: Carnegie Fabrics, Inc.).

To reduce shipping costs the chair breaks down and can be reassembled in two minutes with four screws. Additional modification and testing will reduce the time and the number of screws.

Sanders Residence

Designed for a client on an extremely remote site where water is a critical issue this project provided a challenge. Four designs were completed and demonstrated a number of strategies for making this house more sustainable than a similar standard project. This design also initiated a discussion among the group as to what sustainability means in terms of a remote location and the need for technology to be devised to provide the same “comforts” to be found in an existing urbanized setting. The client was very open to new ideas and participated in the learning process throughout the project. This project illustrated the many different approaches to achieving a result that uses fewer resources.

An initial 2-day survey was undertaken to locate a site on the property and to confirm that the survey maps we were given were accurate.

Team A design. Meeting the many needs required by the client made this a large house. However calculations show that by using roof water catchments and solar hot water heating, photovoltaic panels, passive solar heating, and cooling the resource use of this building can be minimized.

Team B used the site details to collect additional water and placed photovoltaic panels along paths as a design feature. Heating and cooling were achieved passively.

Team C used rammed earth utilizing materials from the local area. The use of a courtyard and a breezeway gave passive cooling in the hot summer months. A very simple but sophisticated layout providing ample south facing fenestration for solar gain.

This view diagram is one of many investigations of the building in relationship to the site.

Team Zach, a late entry in the house design, uses the south solar access and southeast view shed as the organizing angles for the building. This met both the clients need for passive solar heating and a focus on the mountain views to the East.

Lincoln Street Student Housing

Designed for a developer in Prescott this project may become the housing for Ecosa students. One of the criteria is that the complex could be sold as apartments or condominiums should the local demand for student housing diminish. The client requested that the building be as sustainable as possible within economic guidelines making the challenge what can be done at market prices. Energy studies using energy-10 were undertaken which showed a considerable reduction in both heating and cooling using passive strategies. Another aim is to bring a sense of shared community spaces to the neighborhood.

A survey and analysis of the neighborhood was completed for this project to determine both its character and the scale. It is an area in transition from small single-family homes to multi family units. The challenge is to insert a project into the area and not overwhelm its sense of scale.

Site Organization was explored to maximize street frontage community space while maintaining privacy for the residents.

The final design incorporated a private central area with a more public street entry area. Sustainable strategies employed include solar hot water and a full analysis of energy using energy-10. This indicated that a 5 degree temperature change for heating and cooling to maintain occupant comfort. The building footprint and design were kept simple as the client budget was critical.

Client and team for the Prescott student apartments. From left to right Phil Brown (client) Sofia Sole, Karen Sonstrom, Austin Dingwall, Sara Desmond and Jose Marion-Landis.

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NAU-Ecological Monitoring Center

Ecological Monitoring Center

This project was designed for the Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Foundation under the auspices of Northern Arizona University (NAU). The goal of this project is to be designed to be as sustainable as feasibly possible with a final goal of being able to remove the complex leaving no trace. The building is located on a remote site in Northern Arizona and must generate its own power collect its own water and treat its own wastes. The energy systems were designed in conjunction with engineering students at NAU. The goal is to use as many materials as possible from the immediate area in the construction of the project.

The 25-acre site for this project was donated by Babbitt Ranches to the EMA foundation. Students spent 3 days surveying the site for energy access, flora and fauna and its history. The visit also included a meeting with EMA and a survey of vernacular architecture in the Northern Arizona region.

A 200-page initial site and project document was prepared to analyze the information provided by NAU. The document also included additional research conducted by our students this research documented the history, biology, geology, wind and solar resources of the site.

Site model was prepared showing buildings location. The location and the organizing principle of the site design was echoing the old historic logging railroad spur on the site.

The complex is designed to be self-sustaining in energy, water and is intended to be capable of dismantling and removal with almost no site impact. All materials are from the local area and the walls are constructed from small diameter logs obtained in the thinning of the local forest .

Ecosa Team with Northern Arizona University Clients – from left to right: Dr. Tom Rogers (NAU), Casey Oberle, Brittany Barsky, Kristi Ennis, Karen English (NAU) and Megan Clark.

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Ecosa Housing

The Ecosa Institute has purchased land in Prescott with a view to building new facilities for our growing program. This project explores the fit with the neighborhood and how the placement of the building can encourage pedestrian traffic with greenways to a local creek. The project calls for the exploration of using the site for student housing as this is the most critical need for the program. There are a number of constraints on the site, particularly parking, and this was a factor in the form of the building. As an institute promoting the concept of sustainability we required that the design meet the highest standards of sustainable practice. There is also an existing house on the site and sustainable ways of using or removing it were requested.

The Ecosa Institute has purchased a lot located in the same area as the Phil Brown project. The team was asked to prepare a concept plan for an Ecosa "campus" incorporated into the neighborhood that would enhance both its current residential character and improve its environmental quality.

A neighborhood model was constructed to get a sense of the texture of the area and the small-scale grain of the existing buildings.

Sketch massing models were used to determine the overall form of the structure. Breaking the mass of the building and being aware of the pedestrian experience of the building were issues of concern.

The final concept design enclosed the existing house on the site as a means of respecting the single family residential nature of the area.

This view of the final model illustrates the texture of the building facing a proposed greenway through the neighborhood. The roof is designed for rainwater catchment and the required parking areas are permeable surfaces. Solar hot water and photovoltaic cells are incorporated into the design.

South elevation of the housing complex creates a “streetscape” to provide interest for pedestrians. The center element is a study area that will be an experiment in creating a green habitat/surface for wildlife.

The Ecosa student housing team from left to right Zachary Block, Tiffany Broyles, Carlos Guerra and Bryce Hamels.

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