The Green House New Directions In Sustainable Architecture
- 3. Princeton Architectural Press The National Building Museum New York Washington, D.C. the g ho Alanna Stang and Christopher Hawthorne
- 4. reen use New Directions in Sustainable Architecture
- 5. Copyright 4
- 6. For András, Rachel, and Willa; and for architects, writers, and environmentalists to come Dedication 5
- 7. contents 18 City 9 FOREWORD 20 P.A.R.A.S.I.T.E. Project 26 156 Reade Street 10 INTRODUCTION Camera-Ready Green Design 30 Colorado Court 34 Viikki 38 1310 East Union Street 42 Sea Train House 48 The Solaire 52 Suburb 90 Mountainside 54 Solar Tube 92 House with Shades 62 Charlotte Residence 96 SolarHaus III 68 Villa Sari 100 Great (Bamboo) Wall 74 Little Tesseract 106 R128 80 Mill Valley Straw-Bale House 84 Naked House Contents 6
- 8. 112 Waterside 140 Desert 114 Howard House 142 Tucson Mountain House 120 Swart Residence 148 Giles Loft/Studio 126 Lake Washington House 154 Loloma 5 Lofts 130 Walla Womba Guest House 134 McKinley House 160 Tropics 180 Anywhere 162 Casuarina Beach House 182 Glide House 168 Taylor House 174 Casa de Carmen 188 FEATURED ARCHITECTS 190 RESOURCES Contents 7
- 9. acknowledgments Acknowledgments 8
- 10. foreword Foreword 9
- 11. camera-ready green design ONE AFTERNOON SEVERAL MONTHS AGO, we found ourselves waiting in the quiet, impossibly picturesque Swiss town of Domat/Ems to meet an architect named Dietrich Schwarz. Though still in his thir- ties, Schwarz has already earned a reputation as one of Switzerland’s leading practitioners of the environmentally friendly approach to architecture known as sustainable, or “green,” design. Using a com- bination of new, high-tech materials—some of his own invention— and old-fashioned architectural wisdom, he creates houses and other buildings that are snugly energy-efficient and sit lightly on the land. Introduction 10
- 12. Camera-Ready Green Design 11
- 13. Standards and Practices Introduction 12
- 14. A Very Short History Camera-Ready Green Design 13
- 15. A Movement’s Priorities Introduction 14
- 16. Camera-Ready Green Design 15
- 17. The Damage Done Introduction 16
- 18. Camera-Ready Green Design 17
- 19. city Cities have been around for more than six thousand years, drawing successive waves of new residents with their blend of commerce, culture, energy, and opportunity. The first city to surpass a population of one million was Baghdad, thirteen centuries ago. London topped five million in 1825; New York exceeded ten million a hundred years later. The metropolitan area around Tokyo surpassed twenty million in 1965 and is now closing in on thirty. City 18
- 20. City Urban 19
- 21. City 20
- 22. P.A.R.A.S.I.T.E. project Rotterdam, the Netherlands Korteknie Stuhlmacher Architecten Rien Korteknie and 2001 Mechthild Stuhlmacher P.A.R.A.S.I.T.E. Project 21
- 23. City 22
- 24. Urban 23
- 25. City 24
- 26. P.A.R.A.S.I.T.E. Project 25
- 27. City 30
- 28. Colorado Court Santa Monica, California Pugh + Scarpa Architecture Angela Brooks 2002 Colorado Court 31
- 29. City 32
- 30. Colorado Court 33
- 31. City 34
- 32. Viikki Helsinki, Finland Various architects Ongoing Viikki 35
- 33. City 36
- 34. Viikki 37
- 35. City 38
- 36. 1310 East Union Street Seattle, Washington The Miller/Hull Partnership David Miller 2001 1310 East Union Street 39
- 37. City 40
- 38. 1310 East Union Street 41
- 39. City 42
- 40. sea train house Los Angeles, California Office of Mobile Design Jennifer Siegal 2003 Sea Train House 43
- 41. City 44
- 42. Green Features ADA P T IVE RE -USE N AT UR A L L I GH T R E C L A I ME D WO O D NAT U R AL M ICR O CLIM AT E OF M AT ERIAL S With a glass curtain-wall The massive Douglas fir The lush front garden, which The house’s structural facade and strategically crossbeams, which support includes a stream fed by elements are old sea-going placed exposures on the the cantilevered roof, were recycled water, generates storage containers, some side and rear elevations, reclaimed from a nearby cool breezes and fresh air, of which had been on site the house uses nothing but construction site. both of which are lacking in before the project began. natural light during the day. Sea Train’s asphalt-covered neighborhood. Sea Train House 45
- 43. City 46
- 44. Sea Train House 47
- 45. City 48
- 46. The Solaire New York, New York Cesar Pelli & Associates Architects Rafael Pelli 2002 The Solaire 49
- 47. City 50
- 48. The Solaire 51
- 49. suburb Suburbs are everywhere, everywhere cities are found. Conceived as a kind of utopia that would allow city workers to live in pastoral surroundings, the suburb, with its voracious appetite for open space and low- rise, low-density development, has turned out to be one of mankind’s more harmful intrusions on the environment. 52
- 50. Suburb 53
- 52. SOLAR TUBE Vienna, Austria Driendl Architects Georg Driendl 2001 Solar Tube 55
- 53. Suburb 56
- 55. Green Features IS OLATION GLASS CO N CRET E C O R E C H I MNE Y E F F E C T L O C A L MATER IALS Dual-ply windows containing A massive base of reinforced In the warm months of Driendl used locally quarried a thin metallic layer that concrete serves as both summer, the retractable granite as floor covering for attracts winter’s short rays structural anchor and glass roof provides a both the first and second while deflecting summer’s passive solar collector, convenient escape hatch for levels and maple wood long ones help regulate absorbing heat during rising hot air as well an easy grown in a neighboring interior temperatures. the day and then slowly ingress for cool breezes. forest for the custom releasing it at night. cabinetry and furniture. Suburb 58
- 56. Solar Tube 59
- 57. Suburb 60
- 58. Solar Tube 61
- 60. Charlotte residence Charlotte, North Carolina William McDonough + Partners Allison Ewing and William McDonough 2002 Charlotte Residence 63
- 61. Suburb 64
- 62. Charlotte Residence 65
- 63. Suburb 66
- 64. Charlotte Residence 67
- 65. suburb Suburbs are everywhere, everywhere cities are found. Conceived as a kind of utopia that would allow city workers to live in pastoral surroundings, the suburb, with its voracious appetite for open space and low- rise, low-density development, has turned out to be one of mankind’s more harmful intrusions on the environment. 52
- 66. Suburb 53
- 67. 68
- 68. villa sari Pori, Finland ARRAK Arkkitehdit R Hannu Kiiskilä 2000 Villa Sari 69
- 69. Suburb 70
- 70. Villa Sari 71
- 71. Suburb 72
- 72. Villa Sari 73
- 74. Little tesseract Rhinebeck, New York Y Steven Holl Architects Steven Holl 2004 Little Tesseract 75
- 76. Little Tesseract 77
- 77. 50 25 10 0 bedroom studio cooling pond dining room Suburb 78
- 80. Mill valley straw-bale house Marin County, California Arkin Tilt Architects David Arkin and Anni Tilt 2001 Mill Valley Straw-Bale House 81
- 81. Suburb 82
- 82. Mill Valley Straw-Bale House 83
- 84. Naked house Kawagoe, Japan Shigeru Ban Architects Shigeru Ban 2001 Naked House 85
- 85. Suburb 86
- 86. Naked House 87
- 87. Suburb 88
- 88. Naked House 89
- 89. MOUNTAINSIDE More than ten billion acres of the Earth’s surface are covered in forest, and most of that land falls in sparsely populated mountainous regions. These stunning landscapes, among the last to resist industrializa- tion, urbanization, and suburban sprawl, are essential to the survival of the planet. They promote water and soil conser- vation, provide flood control, synthesize huge amounts of oxygen, help protect against climate change, and promote long-term biodiversity. 90
- 90. Mountainside 91
- 91. Mountainside 92
- 92. House with shades Jebenhausen, Germany Achenbach Architekten + Designer Joachim and Gabriele Achenbach 2000 House with Shades 93
- 94. House with Shades 95
- 95. Mountainside 96
- 96. solarhaus iii Ebnat-Kappel, Switzerland Schwarz Architektur Dietrich Schwarz 2000 SolarHaus III 97
- 97. Mountainside 98
- 98. SolarHaus III 99
- 99. Mountainside 100
- 100. Great (bamboo) wall Commune by the Great Wall, Shuiguan-Badaling, China Kengo Kuma & Associates Kengo Kuma 2002 Great (Bamboo) Wall 101
- 101. Mountainside 102
- 102. Great (Bamboo) Wall 103
- 103. Mountainside 104
- 104. Great (Bamboo) Wall 105
- 105. Mountainside 106
- 106. R128 Stuttgart, Germany Werner Sobek Ingenieure Werner Sobek 2002 R128 107
- 107. Mountainside 108
- 108. Green Features S OLA R PA NELS The electrical energy needed to run the mechanical ventilation system is supplied by solar receptors embedded in the roof. S P LIT- S YST EM A IR C OND ITION IN G Each floor has a separate temperature control, which allows the system to cool or heat only the space being used. R E CYC LA B LE M ATERI ALS From the wood panel flooring and glass walls to the bolted steel skeleton, every component of the house was chosen for its capacity to be recycled. TR IP LE GLAZIN G With three layers of glass containing a film of metal- coated plastic foil in the air space between the outer and central panes, as well as inert gas between each layer, the windows have an extremely low heat transmission value. NATUR AL LIGH T Floor-to-ceiling windows eliminate the need for artificial light during the day.
- 109. Mountainside 110
- 110. R128 111
- 111. Waterside While few of us make a living from the sea or a river these days, more and more people are moving to the water’s edge. Communities small and large are disman- tling ports, repurposing docks, and greening embankments for the benefit of their citizens and businesses. The recent evolution of cities like Barcelona, London, and New York has been closely tied to the renaissance of their once-decrepit waterfronts, with the rehabilitation or addition of residential units there among the most prominent improvements. 112
- 112. Waterside 113
- 113. Waterside 114
- 114. howard house West Pennant, Nova Scotia, Canada Brian MacKay-Lyons Architects Brian MacKay-Lyons 1999 Howard House 115
- 115. Waterside 116
- 116. Howard House 117
- 117. Waterside 118
- 118. Howard House 119
- 120. Swart RESIDENCE Melbourne, Australia Cocks Carmichael Peter Carmichael 2004 Swart Residence 121
- 121. Waterside 122
- 122. Swart Residence 123
- 123. Waterside 124
- 124. Green Features C E N T R A L AIR S HA FT PH O T O VO LTA IC CELLS R A I NWAT E R C O L L E C T I O N AU T O MAT E D C L I MAT E Cutting through all three The solar collectors on the Rain is collected from the C O NT R O L S levels at the center of the roof, which supply most of roofs of the main house and An integrated system house, the airshaft is a site- the house’s electric power, are the garage and distributed to controls lights, blinds, air- specific feature that improves connected to the power grid the garden by an automated conditioning, and security, the internal air quality by with a 0.2KV inverter so that irrigation system. and can be programmed drawing fresh air from the excess electrical energy can to respond to light and exterior above the traffic line. be returned to the electrical temperature conditions supply authority. as well as patterns of occupancy. Swart Residence 125
- 125. Waterside While few of us make a living from the sea or a river these days, more and more people are moving to the water’s edge. Communities small and large are disman- tling ports, repurposing docks, and greening embankments for the benefit of their citizens and businesses. The recent evolution of cities like Barcelona, London, and New York has been closely tied to the renaissance of their once-decrepit waterfronts, with the rehabilitation or addition of residential units there among the most prominent improvements. 112
- 126. Waterside 113
- 127. 126
- 128. Lake Washington HOUSE Mercer Island, Washington Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects Jim Olson 2004 Lake Washington House 127
- 129. 128
- 130. Lake Washington House 129
- 132. walla womba guest house Bruny Island, Tasmania, Australia 1+2 Architecture Cath Hall, Mike Verdouw, Fred Ward V 2003 Walla Womba Guest House 131
- 134. spa 3 1 s ov b s t c 1 2 rh c w dw w f r f sh r 3 2 4 3 3 3 b t bh m w rh rh c w w f t c w w f b b 0 1 3 6m sh r 1 outdoor living 2 living 3 sleeping 4 entry Walla Womba Guest House 133
- 136. McKinley HOUSE V Venice, California David Hertz Architects/Syndesis David Hertz and Stacy Fong 2004 McKinley House 135
- 138. McKinley House 137
- 140. McKinley House 139
- 141. desert With its often unbearable temperatures and scarce amounts of natural water, the desert is one of the harshest environments on Earth. But it is also a place of refuge and solace—a sanctuary for people seeking rejuvenation, spiritual uplift, and relief from the crush of big cities. Recently, however, especially in the United States, large tracts of desert land have been metastasizing into suburbs, with homogenous subdivisions connected by six-lane highways. Desert 140
- 142. Desert 141
- 143. Desert 142
- 144. tucson mountain house Tucson, Arizona Rick Joy Architects Rick Joy 2001 Tucson Mountain House 143
- 145. Desert 144
- 146. Tucson Mountain House 145
- 147. Desert 146
- 148. Tucson Mountain House 147
- 149. Desert 148
- 150. Giles Loft/Studio San Antonio, Texas Lake/Flato Architects Ted Flato, Bob Harris, Heather DeGrella 2001 Giles Loft/Studio 149
- 151. Desert 150
- 152. Giles Loft/Studio 151
- 153. Desert 152
- 154. Green Features HIG H- EFFICI EN CY FRIT T ER E D GL A SS PL A ST E R WA L L S SAW-T O O T H R O O F AIR - C ON DI T I O N IN G Covered with small ceramic With a high sand content, The north-facing glass Because the peaked roof dots that act like light- the plaster walls act as panels flood the house with allows hot air to rise, transmitting blinds, the thermal collectors, aborbing light. Even on gray days, less air conditioning is windows and skylights much of the heat so that the artificial light is rarely needed and then, only on reduce heat gain and air temperature stays cool. necessary. the hottest days. glare while keeping the space bright. 153
- 155. Desert 154
- 156. LoLoma 5 Lofts Scottsdale, Arizona Will Bruder Architects Will Bruder 2004 LoLoma 5 Lofts 155
- 157. Desert 156
- 158. LoLoma 5 Lofts 157
- 159. Desert 158
- 160. LoLoma 5 Lofts 159
- 161. tropics Between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn lies a region where there are just two sea- sons and temperatures are persistently high. The oppressive heat and humidity give way to periods of epic rainfall and pun- ishing storms—typhoons, cyclones, tornadoes—that can cause indiscriminate damage whenever and wherever they strike. 160
- 162. Tropics 161
- 163. Tropics 162
- 164. Casuarina Beach house Kingscliff, New South Wales, Australia Lahz Nimmo Architects Annabel Lahz and Andrew Nimmo 2001 Casuarina Beach House 163
- 165. Tropics 164
- 166. Casuarina Beach House 165
- 167. Tropics 166
- 168. Green Features R E C L A IM ED W OOD N O -T ECH VEN T IN G F O U NDAT I O N-L E SS O N- SI T E WAT E R C L A D DING Despite the tropical ST R U C T U R E PU R I F I C AT I O N All exterior timber cladding conditions, the house Elevated on treated steel A series of cisterns converts and battens are of blue contains no mechanized struts (not shown), the rain into drinking water and gum, a hardwood native to air-conditioning aside from house hovers over the treats waste water for use the area that the architects ceiling fans. Slatted panels landscape instead of being in irrigation and flushing so salvaged from an old railway above doorways allow for set into the earth. This that neither storm water nor bridge. The hoop-pine cross ventilation at night. arrangement not only sewage ever leaves the site. plywood ceiling panels were minimizes the environmental sourced from plantation impact, it also allows cool timbers. air to circulate up from underneath. Casuarina Beach House 167
- 170. taylor house Scotland Cay, Bahamas Frank Harmon and Associates Frank Harmon 2001 Taylor House 169
- 171. Tropics 170
- 172. Tropics 171
- 173. Tropics 172
- 174. Taylor House 173
- 175. Tropics 174
- 176. casa de carmen Baja California Sur, Mexico Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects Marsha Maytum and Roberto Sheinberg 2001 Casa de Carmen 175
- 177. Tropics 176
- 178. Casa de Carmen 177
- 180. Casa de Carmen 179
- 181. anywhere One of the most significant developments in residential architecture over the last several years, particularly in the United States and Europe, has been the effort to rehabilitate the reputation of prefabricated, or modular, housing. Using powerful design software that allows them to combine the cost savings of factory-built homes with the aesthetic benefits of customized design, a number of young firms are creating modular houses that offer sophisti- cated architecture at a remarkably low price. 180
- 182. Anywhere 181
- 183. GLIDE HOUSE Anywhere Michelle Kaufmann Designs Michelle Kaufmann 2004 Anywhere 182
- 184. Project name 183
- 185. Anywhere 184
- 186. Glide House 185
- 187. Anywhere 186
- 188. Glide House 187
- 189. FEATURED ARCHITECTS Resources 188
- 190. Featured Architects 189
- 191. resources Resources 190
- 192. Photography credits P.A.R.A.S.I.T.E. 156 Reade Street Colorado Court Viikki 130 East Union Street Sea Train House The Solaire Solar Tube Charlotte Residence Villa Sari Little Tesseract Mill Valley Straw-Bale House Naked House House with Shades SolarHaus III Great (Bamboo) Wall R128 Howard House Swart Residence Lake Washington House Walla Womba Guest House McKinley House Tucson Mountain House Giles Loft/Studio LoLoma 5 Lofts Casaurina Beach House Taylor House Casa de Carmen Photography Credits 191
- 193. This book is printed on Zander Mega, which is made from 40 percent reclaimed pulp. The typefaces used in this book are Thesis Serif, Clarendon, and Rosewood. Colophon 192