Class Day 9

Becca Self
Education Director
Seedleaf

Works with the idea of food systems and being sustainable with them.  The three legged stool of sustainable when dealing with agriculture: environmental, economic, and community.  Beer and cigarette companies supply signs to markets that they display, while the healthier food choices don't.  There is an obesity-hunger paradox, which relies on convenience to keep going. Poor people can't afford any healthy food, so they buy fattening food.  In downtown Lexington, we have an area called "food desert".  This means they have no access to large retail grocery stores.  

Seedleaf started in 2007, and decided to start playing around the idea of growing food in these bad areas.  They grow food, and also gardeners.  Teach people how to grow, cook, and compost.  

There is no perfect system!!!

One of the systems they are hoping to establish better is the idea of aquaponics.  It uses the connection between fish and plants.  The fish water gets dirty, and the plants drink the water and filter the harmful items out and them the clean water goes back to the fish tank.  It's a never ending cycle.


*Important date:  Have blog into book form to send off to blurb.

Class Day 7

University of Kentucky Professor
Biosystems Engineering
Controlled Environment Systems
Donald Colliver, Ph.D., P.E.
* Helped with building of Solar Decathlon House*


dcolliver@uky.edu

The walkways for pedestrians are important around campus.  Have to watch out for rust because it can ruin a pedestrian bridge.  At the University of Kentucky they cover the walkways or heat them to not cause any rust to form.  Rust means death for the pedestrian bridge.  He started by talking about the interaction of environment and buildings.  Buildings are important because they contribute to 9.5% to US GDP through construction and renovation projects.  Buildings energy use is important because they use 70% of US electricity, and 55% of US natural gas.  Buildings are the fastest growing consumer, than transportation and industrial.  They use coal, renewable, natural gas, petroleum, and electricity (which is the main one used, and has increased 53% over the years.  2/5 of CO2 in US is related to buildings.  

Water is a very important thing all over the world.  45% of water usage if by buildings.  Majority of the energy within buildings is used in the HVAC.  The electronics are sucking up electricity.  100 watts of electricity in 30 minutes makes 1/2 lb of CO2 from the coal plant where the electricity in Kentucky comes from.  Lighting is a very complex analysis process, and is a large component in buildings.  Building energy flows can be very complex.


McKinsey Global Institute

Comfort is an important factor for people when it comes to using energy, like with AC...


High performance buildings are helping to reduce energy usage.  Net-Zero energy buildings produce as much energy as they use.  Net-Zero includes: Site Energy, Source Energy, Emissions, and Energy Cost.  Each one has a different meaning when people attach it to a building.


LEED is one of the common branding along with energy saving buildings.  Putting LEED brand on a building is roughly $40 or $50,000!  Energy Star also emerges, and states that they are 30% more energy efficient than regular models.  


ASHEA  -  Advanced Energy Design Guide


It's interesting to see how Engineers think about sustainability compared to Architects.  It's radically different!  Engineers get all technical with various components, while Architects think graphically.  We take a more artist approach to our line of thinking.  Which I feel makes it more relatable to people outside Architecture.

Class Day 4

Special Guest: Josh Auroyo

Graduated from University of Kentucky

Architect for HBEER 1 Prototype

Monticello, KY

Talking with Josh before class he told me about the floor system they are using.  The thing they are looking to use is hardwood flooring because it allows for some air flow.  Air flow is needed due to the humidity levels because the building's envelope is sealed rather tight to allow not much energy out.  So humidity can be hidden beneath the floor system; air flow is needed.

The concept behind the HBEER (Houseboat to Energy Efficient Residences) project in general is the idea to create a structure that operates on just $1 a day.  Sadly, this prototype isn't the cheapest to build, ship, and set, which doesn't help.  Site is a huge factor with cost and also with planning.  The project cost $115,000, which was $15,000 over budget, but that doesn't even account for site conditions and land prices.

Calculations play a huge role in the development of this structure.  It's takes time...A variety of programs can also be used to test the best place to set certain aspects.

The materials used have to be researched.  80% to 90% was the goal to have materials from Kentucky.  So the idea of staying rather local is major.  Materials from Kentucky include: Fischer Sips, Castell Woodworking (casework), Monticello Hardwoods (flooring), Pella (impervia windows), and GE (appliances).  Also, certain parts of the prototype have to be brought in from outside Kentucky.

Class Day 3

 

Special Guest: Barry Prater

Central Kentucky Fiber Resources

847 Angliana Avenue

Lexington, KY 40508

859-225-8100

Central Kentucky Fiber Resources is divided into different divisions, and they are pulp, paper, graphics, packaging, and recycling.  The company was established in 2002, and has 15 employees.  The concept of W-A-L-K is important. W (water) A (and) L (land) K (kritters).  Items can be reduced (use email to save paper), reuse (reuse containers), and recycle.  "Pre"-cycling is the practice of planning for the proper process of preventing pollution by identifying and implementing the best method for returning products and packaging to reusable fiber - prior to purchase.  In 2001, the items in the United States that was thrown away into landfills was 56%, while in Japan it was only 7%.  It was be interesting to see now what the percent would be in Japan, since they got devastated by an earthquake and tsunami.  Recycling consists of categorize, collect, and combine.  Things that are unapproved materials include various grades of mixed paper, contaminated OCC (carbon black), bi-floor (foil and cardboard), and plastics #1-7s (that are not sorted).  Companies that Central Kentucky Fiber Resources include Buffalo Trace Distillery, Goodwill, and Wayne County.  In 2009, Fayette County disposed of 316,558.60 tons of waste.  For a ton that's disposed of, it costs on average $28.34 to do it.