[Ted Talk] The route to a sustainable future by Alex Steffen

resource: https://www.ted.com/talks/alex_steffen_sees_a_sustainable_future

I do agree that people need to live smaller, closer and work harder to provide food, water and shelter for the greater good. Great examples from developing world but democracy is a very poor example of sustainability. But we should be careful and acknowledge the gap between theory and practice. Also I am not highly convinced by the argument that high density leads to higher sustainability. If every person in the world had 1 acre and worked from home then couldn't we all be self sufficient? The uglier solution is to limit population increases. All the resources needed to resolve the major problems on the planet have been available for years, but the will to change political and economic priorities of society have not. As a result, increasing global wealth has been accompanied by increasing global poverty. And even though leaders may have good intentions, their efforts to implement change are constrained by the existing system.  I believe that technology and design are a part of the solution, but the even larger part of the solution is social changes, because social change can happen more rapidly

China Unveils Plans to Build an 8,000-Mile High-Speed Underwater Railway Line to America Read more: China Unveils Plans to Build an 8,000-Mile High-Speed Underwater Railway Line to America | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building

resource: http://inhabitat.com/china-unveils-wacky-idea-to-build-an-8000-mile-high-speed-underwater-railway-line-to-america/

China plans to build an 8,000+ mile railroad (sounds plausible) connecting China, Russia, Canada, and the U.S. that includes a 125 mile undersea tunnel spanning the Bering Strait! The plan was announced in China’s state-run newspaper, the Beijing Times, and apparently Russia is already on-board with the plan. While it would be nice to travel from China to America in two days without setting foot in a single airport, engineers around the globe are skeptical.

I personally find this idea interesting and seeing the potential of new transportation system. I think it would be much better then shipping for passengers. While ships or boats are always useful, I don’t believe it is possible to create a ship that’ll move fast enough to get thousands of passengers across the sea in just 2 days time. Not to mention, the economic and environmental tolls ships have. Granted this project would cost way more money then trying to come up with faster ships, this project’s costs would primarily be on the labour side of things which ultimately means that it would actually benefit our economy rather then hurt it and if they designed the system properly then the affects on the environment wouldn’t really be that bad.

Capture the Rain / H3AR

This is interesting proposal awarded a special mention for 2010 eVolo skyscraper competition. This project comprised of a system of gutters to catch as much rainfall as possible.  The water captured and processed by the building may be used for flushing toilets, feeding washing machines, watering plants, cleaning floors and other domestic applications. Initially, in designing the tower, the students focused on shaping and modelling the surface of the roof to optimize the rainwater collected.  Yet upon working with the roof system, the students developed the skin treatment to make the building transform into a cohesive rain collecting machine.
I think is a very good design concept. I certainly believe such can be a residential building and the water catchment is a very good alternative for water consumption. I just hope the façade concept will capture rain water as the design shows.
Still a great concept and i like the form. However, storing the water in a basin at the bottom of the tower will require a lot of additional energy to pump it back to up for use on higher floors. Retaining it closer to the top (as it looks like may be the case for the water in the catchment on the roof) will allow for gravity to do the work. 

Why LEED Doesn’t Work in Rural Africa and What Will

resource: http://www.archdaily.com/375906/why-leed-doesnt-work-in-rural-africa-and-what-will/

Recently my friend back in Korea who took bachelor degrees of Architectural studies in UNSW together has contacted me. While we were catching up he mentioned he is taking this course to receive LEED certification and tells me it is a big trend all around the world. Hmm..is it? While I had this doubt in my mind I found an interesting article about LEED does not work in some areas and why.

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and has become the most recognized standard for “green” building in over 30 countries worldwide. LEED is a point system that grades buildings throughout design, construction and performance. However, many more of the points are simply irrelevant or financially irresponsible. In some cases, adherence to these credits can actually be detrimental to project success and community prosperity. When considering rural development in Africa, the needs and standards of construction must shift not simply to a new geographical and cultural context, but to one of development needs and capabilities. Energy standards must first recognize the importance of electricity itself a major step forward. What Africans want is to develop. Therefore they need energy that can be produced on an industrial scale. Like clean coal burning, oil production and electricity. I suggest that we should start first by allowing them to achieve this instead of imposing them our environmental propaganda. 

(image showing existing kitchen rennovated with new roof and fuel efficient wood burning stove; Courtesy of Charles Newman of Afritekt)

[Ted Talk] We can recycle plastic by Mike Biddle

resource: https://www.ted.com/talks/mike_biddle

Although I concede that he is taking correct steps towards proper recycling, by sorting by type and grade, and palletizing the material which allows greater latitude for production, he fails to mention the biggest problem with recycling plastic: needing virgin plastic. When plastic is recycled it has become exposed to both macro and micro stresses, for example being stretched or exposed to UV rays. This breaks down some of the molecular bonds within the plastic, and even re-melting and re-forming the material does not allow it to retain all of the characteristics that it once held. You may think that this is not that big of a deal, a plastic bag that's not a s strong only means you double-bag it right? Consider all of the things in your life that you would not like to fail: the PVC pipe that connects to your facet, fittings in your car... The truth is the plastics end up becoming objects with less inherent value, because other additives must be included into the recycled objects in order to make them stronger...

Solar Roadways Unveils Super Strong Solar Panels for Roads in Prototypical Parking Lot Read more: Solar Roadways Unveils Super Strong Solar Panels for Roads in Prototype Parking Lot | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building

resource: http://inhabitat.com/solar-roadways-smart-parking-lot-harvests-energy-captures-stormwater-and-melts-snow/

Eight years ago, Scott and Julie Brusaw had a vision of replacing the asphalt on American roadways and parking lots with energy-producing solar panels that are strong enough to withstand vehicular traffic. After a lot of experimentation and funding struggles, the couple and their company Solar Roadways just unveiled their first parking lot made of hexagonal panel. Not only does the parking lot harvest energy, it also incorporates overhead utilities and repositions underground utilities for more efficient use. Power and data cables line a cable corridor alongside the parking lot, which provides easy access to power and data companies.

I think this is great initiative considering some people tend to observe solar panel on roof is aesthetically uncomfortable.The solar film has already been developed for awhile but not sure about its life span. As for the polymers, there's numerous high impact and long lasting ones. Here the trick would be to create a textured surface to prevent slippage for tires during rain, ice and snow.

Why Green Architecture Hardly Ever Deserves the Name

resource: http://www.archdaily.com/396263/why-green-architecture-hardly-ever-deserves-the-name/

Something surprising has happened with many so-called “sustainable” buildings. When actually measured in post-occupancy assessments, they’ve proven far less sustainable than their proponents have claimed. In some cases they’ve actually performed worse than much older buildings, with no such claims. Widespread use of expansive curtain-wall glass assemblies and large, “deep-plan” designs that put most usable space far from exterior walls, forcing greater reliance on artificial light and ventilation systems.

One problem with many sustainability approaches is that they don’t question the underlying building type.For example, adding more efficient active energy systems tends to reduce the amount of energy used, and therefore lowers its overall cost. But, in turn, that lower cost tends to make tenants less careful with their energy use — a phenomenon known as “Jevons’ Paradox.” Increasing efficiency lowers cost, and increases demand — in turn increasing the rate of consumption, and wiping out the initial savings. The lesson is that we can’t deal with energy consumption in isolation. We have to look at the concept of energy more broadly, including embodied energy and other factors.

I think this demonstrates that “green” components need to be planned from the start and not considered add-ons to get points, and that includes a good look at the building form.  And also much of the current green trending is just that. It is too much of a short term satisfaction to have lasting effects.