Environmental Learning Center | Ocean City, NJ Ashley Rauenzahn

Transcription

Environmental Learning Center | Ocean City, NJ
Ashley Rauenzahn
Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
For the Degree of Master of Architecture at
The Savannah College of Art and Design
© May 2013, Ashley Rauenzahn
The author hereby grants SCAD permission to reproduce and
to distribute publicly paper and electronic thesis copies of
document in whole or in part in any medium now known or
hereafter created.
__________________________________________________/____/____
Ashley Rauenzahn
Author
__________________________________________________/____/____
Professor Arpad Ronaszegi
Committee Chair
__________________________________________________/____/____
Professor Thomas Hoffman
Committee Member
__________________________________________________/____/____
Professor Steven J. Wagner
Topic Consultant, Professor of Environmental Sciences
A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the Architecture Department
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the
Degree of Master of Architecture
Savannah College of Art and Design
By
Ashley Rauenzahn
Savannah, GA
May 2013
Dedication
This thesis is dedicated to my parents, David and Nancy
Rauenzahn, for their unconditional support in everything I do.
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my committee members for their
incredible knowledge and support. Professor Ronaszegi, thank
you for always believing in my project and pushing me to
take it further. Professor Hoffman, thank you for your technical
support and helping to make the structure work. Professor
Wagner, thank you for your creative applications relating my
ideas back to the environment and always being ready to
edit my work.
In addition to the committee members, I’d like to
acknowledge the following people. Whether it was
recommending resources, encouraging ideas, providing files,
or taking pictures, without their time and support, this thesis
would not be complete.
Arthur Chew
John Jacques
Erin Christian
Mario Masso
Jeremy Noonan
Looknok Sriwanjarern
Dan Brown
Blanca Pena
Catherine Stelling
Erika Petersen
Doug Jewell
Zhehui Joanna Wang
Matt Purdue
Evan Leinbach
Table of Contents
1
List of Illustrations
10
Abstract
19
1: Sustainability & Symbiosis
41
2: Climate & Case Studies
66
Concept Diagram
69
3: Site Analysis
103
4: Program
123
5: Quantitative Program
137
6: Schematic Site & Building Design
187
7: Design Development
221
8: Design Defense
227
Bibliography
List of Illustrations
Pg.
Figure 1.1 22 Venhaus, Heather. Designing the Sustainable Site: Integrated
Design Strategies for Small-scale Sites and Residential
Landscapes. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2012
Figure 1.2 24
www.weather.com (accessed October 29, 2012).
Figure 1.3 27
Jansson, A. M. Investing in Natural Capital: The Ecological
Economics Approach to Sustainability. Washington, D.C.:
Island, 1994.
Figure 1.4 27
Russo, Michael V. Environmental Management: Readings and
Cases. Los Angeles: SAGE, 2008.
Figure 1.5
30
http://worldbeneaththewaves.com/wp/?p=291
Figure 1.6
31
By Author
Figure 1.7
31
http://noaacred.blogspot.com/2011/04/creature-featuremosaic-boxer-crab.html
Figure 1.8
32
Figure 2.1 43
By Author
http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/sltrends (accessed October
20, 2012).
Figure 2.2 46
OC Relief Facebook Album: Hurricane Sandy (accessed
October 30, 2012).
Figure 2.3 47
Photographed by Dustin Rauenzahn
Figure 2.4
OC Relief Facebook Album: Hurricane Sandy (accessed
47
October 30, 2012).
Figure 2.5
47
ocnjthrutheyears.blogspot.com (accessed October 30, 2012).
Figure 2.6
47
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stories (accessed October 27, 2012).
1
Figure 2.7
Pg.
48 http://www.weather.com/news/weather-hurricanes/
before-after-images-sandy-20121102?pageno=8 (accessed
November 11, 2012).
Figure 2.8
49
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before-after-images-sandy-20121102?pageno=8 (accessed
November 11, 2012).
Figure 2.9
50
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Figure 2.10 51
http://blog.scarboroughinn.com/2012/07/wetlands-likekidneys-for-our-community.html (accessed November 6, 2012).
Figure 2.11 54
Gang, Jeanne. Reveal. New York: Princeton Architectural
Press, 2011.
Figure 2.12 55
Press, 2011.
Figure 2.13 55
Press, 2011.
Figure 2.14 58
http://www.psands.com/blog/portfolio/acua-windturbines
(accessed November 2, 2012)
Figure 2.15 59
Reed, Alan. “GWWO Architects Project Portfolio.” http://
archinect.com/firms/project/15387532/dupont-environmentaleducation-center/56824930 (accessed October 14, 2012).
Figure 2.16 60
Figure 2.17 60
2
Pg.
Figure 2.18 62 Bordallo y Carrasco Architectos. “Multifunctional Centre.”
http://www.bordalloycarrasco.com/ingles/main (accessed
October 21, 2012).
Figure 2.19 61
Bordallo y Carrasco Architectos. “Multifunctional Centre.”
October 21, 2012).
Figure 3.1
71
By Author
Figure 3.2
72
http://blog.sigmaphoto.com/2012/chasing-birds-with-thesigma-120-400mm-f4-by-jack-howard/
Figure 3.3
73
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/04/will-biomimicryoffer-a-way-forward-post-sandy/
Figure 3.4
73
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/04/will-biomimicryoffer-a-way-forward-post-sandy/
Figure 3.5
74
http://www.loc.gov/item/93683882
77
By Author
Figure 3.10 78
By Author
Figure 3.6 Figure 3.9
Figure 3.11 Figure 3.12 79
By Author
Figure 3.13 80
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Figure 3.14 81
By Author
By Author
By Author
3
Pg.
Figure 3.20 87 By Author
Figure 3.21 88
By Author
Figure 3.22 88
http://0.tqn.com/d/manhattan/1/0/5/Z/highline5.jpg
Figure 3.23 89
http://landarchs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/High-
Figure 3.24 89
Line-4.jpg
Figure 3.25 89
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4CUhtK5rwhI/UBGlV7uq3AI/http://
www.teladoiofirenze.it/design-2/le-cascine-2013-lavori-incorso-per-vivere-il-parco/
Figure 3.26 90
By Author
Figure 3.27 91
By Author
By Author
Figure 3.31 93
http://hint.fm/wind/gallery/
Figure 3.32 93
By Author
By Author
By Author
By Author
106 http://www.smithgroup.com/?id=637
Figure 4.6
108 http://www.lpainc.com/design/project/150/Environmental_
Nature_Center
4
Figure 4.7
Pg.
108 http://www.jetsongreen.com/2008/08/platinum-nature.html
Figure 4.8
108 http://www.lpainc.com/design/project/150/Environmental_
Nature_Center
Figure 4.9
108 http://www.jetsongreen.com/2008/08/platinum-nature.html
Figure 4.10 110 http://www.lhbcorp.com/commercial/
Figure 4.11 110 http://data.cascademeadow.org/Integrated-BuildingDesign/Building-Form.html
Figure 4.12 110 http://data.cascademeadow.org/Building-Systems/index.
html
Figure 4.13 110 http://data.cascademeadow.org/Material-Choices/
Figure 4.15 114 http://tevaenergy.com/why-thermal/
Figure 4.16 114 http://www.energy-saving-info.com/solar-energy/
homemade-solar-power/
Figure 4.17 114 http://www.geni.org/globalenergy/library/technical-articles/
generation/solar/renewableenergyworld.com/concentratorpv-harvesting-more-spending-less/index.shtml
Figure 4.18 114 http://www.treehugger.com/renewable-energy/worldatmslargest-concentrating-solar-pv-project-announced-bysolfocus.html
Figure 4.19 114 http://www.solarthermalmagazine.com/2012/07/26/deltainstalls-1-25-mw-solar-concentrated-photovoltaic-cpvsystems-sistema-solare-italy/
Figure 4.20 114 http://cannondesignblog.com/?p=13907
Figure 4.21 114 http://cannondesignblog.com/?p=13907
Figure 4.22 117 http://www.flickr.com/photos/inajeep/4718841621/
Figure 4.23 117 http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/p/m/222eaa/
5
Pg.
Figure 4.24 117 http://www.flickr.com/photos/apuch/6109551811/
Figure 5.1
125 By Author
127 By Author
Figure 5.8
128 By Author
Figure 5.9
129 By Author
Figure 5.12 132 http://www.wild-net.org/Sheffield/FolderMenu/content22.
aspx?id=304
Figure 5.13 132 http://www.unp.me/f8/unique-bridges-and-interestingdetail-56276/
Figure 5.14 132 http://gondolaproject.com/tag/cup-projects/page/3/
Figure 5.15 132 http://www.halongcruise.com/2012/10/kayaking-in-halongbay-things-to-know.html
Figure 5.16 132 http://querreyquest.blogspot.com/2010/06/6222010-delawarecity-to-ocean-city-nj.html
Figure 5.18 Figure 5.20 132 By Author
140142
6
Pg.
Figure 6.1 - 140Figure 6.5
142 http://www.architizer.com/en_us/projects/view/pedestrianbridge-in-austin/46788/
Figure 6.6
144 http://mirorivera.com/pedestrian-bridge.html
Figure 6.7 Figure 6.10 144 http://mirorivera.com/pedestrian-bridge.html
Figure 6.11 Figure 6.15 146 http://www.architizer.com/en_us/projects/view/lake-vicobirdwatching-towers/36379/#.UT9WYhycdyI
Figure 6.16 Figure 6.19 148 http://inhabitat.com/water-building-resort-will-convert-airinto-purified-water/
Figure 6.20 Figure 6.24 150 http://www.archdaily.com/298183/boats-house-at-millstatterlake-mhm-architects/
Figure 6.27 154 http://njospreyproject.blogspot.com/2010_08_01_archive.
html
Figure 6.28 Figure 6.29 154 http://njospreyproject.blogspot.com/2012/10/its-been-while.
html
Figure 6.30 154 http://www.conservewildlifenj.org/blog/tag/2010/page/7/
7
Pg.
Figure 7.01 Figure 7.05 190 http://www.archdaily.com/170321/observation-tower-arhis/
Figure 7.06 Figure 7.08 192 http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.
php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=17302
Figure 7.09 Figure 7.13 194 http://www.archdaily.com/43605/faroe-islands-educationcentre-big/
8
Pg.
Figure 7.14 Figure 7.17 196 http://www.archdaily.com/352352/sichang-road-teahousemiao-design-studio/
Figure 8.1
223 By Author
224 By Author
Figure 8.5
225 By Author
9
Abstract
Ashley Rauenzahn
May 2013
The intent of this thesis is to design an environmental
learning center driven by climatic changes, local symbiotic
ecosystems, and the need to link education with the users.
10
The following chapters begin by discussing the need for
sustainable practices, what makes relationships sustainable,
and how sustainability can be implemented in site design. It
continues by zooming into Ocean City and how the town’s
specific climate and coastline is changing. It also looks at
the different ecosystems that exist in the wetlands of Ocean
City, and how the flora and fauna that flourishes there
can be looked to for sustainable strategies to implement
in the building. A number of case studies and buildings
that utilize methods that could influence the design of the
environmental learning center are presented as examples.
The following chapters work together to illustrate what
will make this building coexist successfully with the natural
environment that is already there.
This thesis reinforces the need for an environmental learning
center in Ocean City, New Jersey, as well as the need
for specific methods that will help to prolong the life of a
building when faced with coastal natural disasters including
hurricanes and flooding. These methods will be able to be
applied to other buildings in Ocean City, as well as in other
towns along the coast.
11
12
Thesis Proposal
13
THESIS STATEMENT
The intent of this thesis is to design an environmental learning center that will
respond to the climatic conditions and local ecologies in Ocean City, New
Jersey. The building will also educate the public on sustainability issues, on how
the new technology works, and how they can be more ‘green’ at home.
This will be a place that will teach visitors about the environment, climate, and
organisms of the coastline. Not only will visitors learn more about the nature
in the area, they will also learn ways to conserve the environment. The site is
in Ocean City, New Jersey and the building is to be used by the city’s year
round residents (15,000 people) and summer visitors (the population of the
town increases to 150,000 people). This sudden increase in population and use
could influence design. The design of the building will also be driven by climatic
conditions and encouraging the public’s interaction with the site and coastline.
SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
Islands like Ocean City face destruction because of rising sea levels, severe
storms and hurricanes, erosion, and strong winds. There is a constant battle
between human intervention to improve coastal conditions and nature to take
its course. The coast presents an interesting edge condition where thoughtful
design has the opportunity to connect the water, marsh, and land to improve
the condition of the site and building for nature and humans. This design will be
significant in that special attention will be given to the living organisms inhabiting
the surrounding wetlands. Studying these organisms in their natural habitat could
lead to design strategies influencing users’ interactions with the building.
14
Visitors should learn as much from the building as they do from what is inside the
building. This building also has the ability to unify the town and make greater
connections to neighboring towns using the bay. The town already has strong
activity on the ocean side and in a downtown retail area, but lacks activity on
the bay. The climate, endangered coastal condition, and lack of sustainable
buildings in the area proves that there is a need for such a building. Thorough
research and analysis of Ocean City and thoughtful, innovative design of this
center has the opportunity to provide a framework for other coastal towns to
implement similar buildings or design methods.
METHODS OF INQUIRY
The two topics that will be researched and analyzed for this thesis are types of
sustainability used to improve site conditions and specific ecosystems in Ocean
City’s climate. The study of sustainability includes ways building technology can
respond to and use water, wind, and sunlight in its design. It will also investigate
different types of symbiosis found in nature and relate those relationships to
human life. The second topic will be more specific by analyzing the local
ecosystems in this particular climate, as well as researching coastal building
design techniques. Studying coastlines in temperate climates and researching
15
local materials will have a strong influence on the design of
the building.
Projects that utilize and visibly showcase sustainable
technologies should also be considered for a better
understanding on how these tools work and how to bring
them to the public. Studying the town and region at different
scales, researching the history of the changing coastline, and
understanding the year round versus seasonal populations
will help to understand the site, surrounding environment,
and what affects the site. Studying and visiting environmental
learning centers will help to influence the design of the
building. Researching buildings located on the coast that
bridge water and land will also be beneficial.
EXPECTED OUTCOME
Through the research of coastal sustainability, local
ecosystems, and symbiotic relationships, an environmental
learning center will be designed within a thoughtfully planned
site to strengthen the connection between land and water
and to educate the public about the local environment.
While this building will be site specific, the methods realized
will provide a framework for sustainable buildings along the
coast in similar climates.
16
CASE STUDIES
Queens Botanical Garden
The Visitor and Administration Center is a new addition to the
gardens which celebrates the connection between people
and plants. It was the first LEED Platinum certified building
in New York City. It utilizes sustainable elements like solar
panels, a geothermal power system, grey water and storm
water management systems, and the use of recycled and
renewable materials.
A Florida Waterfront Proposal
This specific conceptual proposal brings back the nature
and character of Florida towns by extending development
out onto the water. It aims at converting Highway US 1
from a high speed road to more of an avenue with access
to waterfront development, which puts more focus on
recreation.
Bachechi Environmental Education Building
This building is part of an energy efficiency pilot project in
Albuquerque, NM and intends to be ‘on-display’ where
possible, with systems and material components noted
and explained. The building is connected to gardens and
a few other buildings focusing on sustainable efforts in the
landscape as well.
17
1
18
Sustainability & Symbiosis
19
20
INTRODUCTION
The Earth’s human population is increasing dramatically,
resources are depleting, and more land is needed.
Understanding innovative sustainable techniques which
include developed site design, integrated building
technologies, and symbiotic characteristics will help to set
humans on the right path of protecting the environment,
replenishing natural resources, and living healthier lives.
This paper will present research and analysis that will influence
the design of an environmental learning center on the coast
of southern New Jersey. In order to become educated about
ways to conserve and improve the planet, certain topics must
be addressed by discussing why sustainability is necessary,
identifying sustainable relationships that exist in nature, and
demonstrating what makes a site and building sustainable.
21
A NEED FOR SUSTAINABILITY
Heather Venhaus’s book Designing the Sustainable Site “seeks
to elevate the discussion of sustainability beyond ‘doing
less bad’ – attempting to merely slow down environmental
degradation – to create regenerative sites that restore
ecosystem function and rebuild the Earth’s natural capital.”1
The building industry has made great strides in reducing
energy, water use, greenhouse gas emissions, and solid
waste. This reduction had become an accepted method by
humans and is what comes to mind to most when hearing
the word ‘sustainability’. While these methods are better
than not doing anything to reduce waste, it is not enough
to guarantee a sustainable future for humans. Aside from
causing less damage, “we must also reverse the degradation
of the Earth’s natural resources by creating regenerative and
Figure 1.1 - Global
Population Growth
22
resilient systems that sustain and increase the provision of
ecosystem services.”2
Venhaus writes that “over 7 billion people now inhabit the
Earth, placing unprecedented pressure on the planet’s
soils, waters, forests, and other natural capital.”3 During
the twentieth century alone, global population increased
over three times from 1.6 to 6 billion. In the United States,
80 percent of the population resides in urban areas. Cities
are feeling the pressure to expand to accommodate the
sudden increase, and in the U.S., 1.5 million acres of farmland,
forest, and other rural land have been converted to urban
development every year.4 Studies show global population to
reach 8 billion in the next twelve years.
This surge in population growth greatly influences the
demands on the Earth’s resources, and according to World
Wildlife Fund’s 2010 study, humans “will soon need the
capacity of two Earths to absorb CO2 waste and keep up
with natural resource consumption.”5 Carefully planned
sites and developed landscapes can work on reversing this
startling trend. Results will not be instant, but dramatically
changing the ways in which sites are developed and
maintained will ensure a sustainable future for the growing
population and provide for the next generation. Venhaus
argues that “all sites – whether densely urban, suburban, or
rural – can support the natural systems and processes that
23
Figure 1.2 - Flooding in
Brooklyn, NY.
sustain and fulfill our lives.”6 Careful attention to existing
ecosystems, including the protection and restoration of them,
must become standard practice for all land development.
The Earth is being damaged by a number of factors including
flooding, water shortage, air and water pollution, and habitat
loss. To begin to strategize against these detriments, we
must first understand what causes them to occur. Flooding
happens when floodplains, the lowlands bordering inland
and coastal waters, are developed and altered. They
act as an extension of those waters and move high water
downstream. Impervious surfaces, like asphalt roads, parking
lots, and excess concrete pavement, also cause flooding and
stormwater runoff. This interruption to the natural water cycle
“degrades the quality and reduces the quantity of water
resources by limiting groundwater recharge and transporting
pollutants.”7 These changes are especially apparent in
coastal communities which are dependent on and directly
affected by the change in bordering water levels. Rising
24
sea levels influence the existing land of islands by eroding
them over time, but there are other factors as well. Journalist
Cornelia Dean writes “Among other factors at play are
the movement of the tectonic plates that form the earth’s
surface, sand supply, and the actions of waves, winds, and
currents.”8 More thorough analysis will be discussed in the
second paper.
Similarly, pollution in the air changes the chemical makeup
of the atmosphere, which in turn affects the wellbeing of
humans and ecosystems. The primary driver of air pollution
is the combustion of fossil fuels. For example, “in the United
States, equipment such as lawnmowers, string trimmers, and
leaf blowers contribute about 16 percent of hydrocarbon
emissions and 21 percent of carbon monoxide emissions from
mobile sources.”9 In most instances, the demand for cooling
energy in buildings also contributes to poor air quality.
Finally, habitat loss occurs when the environment of a certain
species is altered so much so that populations of the species
are no longer able to live there. This is affected by the
construction and maintenance of the spaces where we live,
pollution, climate change, and the spread of invasive species
of plants and animals. Understanding the causes of these
damages creates the need for sustainable, practical design
that can start to replenish the natural resources humans are
losing.
25
The improvement of environmentally damaged sites
protects native ecosystems and restores the natural systems
they provide. Promoting redevelopment within existing
communities also helps to save natural and financial
resources that would otherwise be needed to construct and
maintain new buildings. The site and building designed for
these types of natural detriments must be able to handle,
withstand, and possibly even flourish in these conditions. By
understanding the issues that face developing sites, one
can design a more environmentally-friendly project from the
beginning of the design process.
SUSTAINABLE RELATIONSHIPS
Over the past few decades, the word ‘sustainability’ has
increased in popularity and its meaning has changed. In
the book Investing in Natural Capital, Ann Marie Jansson
comments on the subject by saying, “As one of today’s
buzzwords, ‘sustainability,’ means for most people
sustainability of the economic activities regardless of
how large they may grow.”10 The human population has
increased the need for sustainable practices, even though
they do not fully understand what the subject encompasses.
Sustainable practices should be defined as processes that
provide for humans and also give back to the environment
26
without damaging it.
Figure 1.3 shows a simple form of an ecosystem that provides
for humans’ most basic needs. The sun, rain, soil, and minerals
produce trees, animals, and vegetation for humans to use for
Figure 1.3- Ecosystem
basic shelter and survival as well as their pleasure. By returning Example
to their basic principles and needs, humans can act in ways
that will not harm the environment. In the book Psychology
of Sustainable Development, the authors propose “that
sustainability requires avoidance of excessive materialism
and of technological and managerial approaches to
environmental problems,” saying instead, “what is needed
is partnership with natural ecological processes, reduced
attempts to manage nature, and respect for all species
and their right to survival and an adequate quality of life.”11
Figure 1.4 - Ecological
Footprints
They go on to say, “humans must find ways to reduce their
demands without feeling deprived and that this can be
done by focusing on satisfaction of primary needs rather
than secondary, material needs created by advertising
and marketing.”12 Humans’ expendable and unnecessary
practices are only increasing over time which is negatively
affecting the communities they live in and lifestyles they lead.
Humans’ use and dependence on energy has increased
with the development of new technology and modern day
conveniences. There are consequences to the overuse of
energy, and in the future, the supply of these resources will
27
be depleted. Schmuck and Schultz write, “Primarily this is
because of their overuse of the world’s raw materials and
energy supplies, and their resultant heavy excretion of
waste products and pollution.”13 Humans and their wealth
are dependent on fossil fuels. We have become highly
reliant on conventional oil, especially for transportation.
This dependency will have to change in the future and we
will have to implement different ways to produce and use
energy.
According to the Architecture 2030 Challenge, “every
year, nearly half (48.7%) of all energy produced in the U.S. is
consumed by the Building Sector – about the same amount
of energy consumed by both transportation (28.1%) and
industry (23.2%) combined. Of the electricity we consume,
over three-quarters (75.7%) goes to operate the buildings
we live and work in every day.”14 Architecture 2030 is a nonprofit organization established by architect Edward Mazria
in 2002 in response to the climate change crisis. Their goal
is to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of the Building
Sector that are causing climate change by altering the way
buildings and developments are planned, designed and
constructed. The organization goes on to say that there
are three strategies to reduce energy- by implementing
appropriate planning and passive design strategies,
improved material and product selection, and on-site and
community-scale renewable energy technologies. Each of
28
these strategies will have to be carefully thought about when
designing the environmental learning center. It is important
to realize that energy can be thought about and saved
from the beginning of the planning process when designing
buildings. It should, in fact, begin in the very early stages of
site development, and continue through the construction
and performance of the building. The energy used in the daily
functions of a site is known as the site’s operating energy. This
includes the energy needed to heat and cool the building
and power lights, irrigation systems, and maintenance
equipment. Not only should designers think of ways to reduce
energy costs and consumption of the building once it is built
and being used, but strategies to reduce energy in the design
and construction of the building should be implemented as
well.
The book Environmental Management: Readings and Cases
includes an article ‘Beyond Greening’ written by Stuart Hart.
Hart discusses modern day issues with the boom of this idea
of sustainability, but admits that sometimes those who think
they are improving the planet, are not doing as much good
as originally thought. He writes, “Companies have accepted
their responsibility to do no harm in the environment,”15 but
can they improve, replenish the environment? Hart continues,
“Many companies are ‘going green’ as they realize that they
can reduce pollution and increase profits simultaneously.”16
People need to realize that sustainability goes past pollution
29
control and reducing energy consumption. Perhaps in order
to understand what types of sustainability are possible for
humans to improve their quality of life and ways to replenish
natural resources instead of just reducing use, we need to
look to organisms coexisting with each other and nature.
The book Investing in Natural Capital goes into detail
explaining how organisms in their natural habitats survive
using natural elements: “In a natural ecosystem, each species
performs work like fixing solar energy, filtering water for food
particles, or decomposing fallen leaves to get fuel for its own
metabolism. But each species is also dependent on the rest
of the ecosystem for its maintenance…The human species is
not exempt from this general rule even if an abundant supply
of fossil energy has made it believe so for some time.”17
Symbiotic relationships can be broken down into four
categories: mutualism, commensalism, parasitism, and
neutralism. Out of the four, only mutualism and commensalism
Figure 1.5-1.7 - (L to R) A
fish seeks protection and
nutrients in coral; Symbiotic relationship outcomes; A crab and sea
anemone in a mutualistic
relationship
30
would be beneficial relationships to implement to have no
harm on the environment while at least something is profiting.
In a mutualistic relationship, both species involved are
benefiting. A simple example found in nature is how the boxer
crab carries small anemones in its claws. When approached
by a predator, the crab shows the stinging anemones in
defense. The boxer crab is protected from its predators,
and the anemones benefit by consuming particles of food
from the crab. In a commensalistic relationship, one species
benefits while the other is not affected. In the sea, crabs,
shrimp, and other fish take shelter in sea anemones to seek
protection from predators.
Marine science expert Dave Abbott describes symbiosis as
organisms “living beside, on, or even inside another organism;
every potential use is made of the resources available in
a sustainable fashion. No matter whether it is a parasitic,
mutualistic, or a commensalistic relationship, it is an illustration
of nature’s ability to co-achieve efficiency and equilibrium…
something humans would be wise to emulate.”18 By analyzing
and mimicking the way organisms survive and flourish in their
natural habitats, humans can learn how to function in a
healthier, more resourceful way.
Within the problem of reaching sustainability exists many
social dilemmas that must first be addressed. In the
Psychology of Sustainable Development, a social dilemma is
defined as “a situation in which an individual or group must
make a decision between options, one of which is better
for them but worse for other people, and another of which
is better for society but worse for the individual or group.
They must decide whether or not to profit at the expense
of others or of themselves at some future time.”19 Humans
must consciously make the decision to take steps to a more
resourceful future. Simple changes in humans’ environmental
behaviors can lead them to more sustainable practices.
Figure 1.8 - The
three pillars of site
sustainability.
32
CHARACTERISTICS OF A SUSTAINABLE SITE
Sustainable development recognizes the dependencies
that exist between the environment, human health, and
the economy. All three are considered when measuring the
success of sustainability. These can be translated into the
three pillars of sustainability: planet, profit, and people.
An ecosystem is defined as a natural community of
interacting organisms and their physical environment.
Ecosystems also offer resources and processes that sustain
and fulfill human life. The benefits realized from such
ecosystems are known as ecosystem services. These are
necessary to humans’ well-being and are characteristics of
sustainable sites, which “seek to improve the quality of life
of site users and the surrounding communities by creating
regenerative systems that protect and restore ecosystem
services.”20 A few examples of ecosystem services include
regulating temperature and precipitation, cleansing the
air and water, providing habitat, controlling erosion, and
providing recreation, among others.
A site’s climate consists of several microclimates, which are
small, specific areas that vary from the regional climate.
Temperature, humidity, and wind speed change throughout
a site due to plant structure, topography, and site materials
among other factors. In simple terms, when it is hot outside,
33
people seek cool, shaded areas. On colder days, people
look for warm areas in the sun, blocked from the wind.
These are microclimates. Thoughtful site design will “create
microclimates that reduce the energy consumption of
buildings, mitigate the urban heat island, and improve the
comfort of site users.”21 Designers must perform a careful site
analysis so that the site benefits from as many natural aspects
as it can. This includes studying and using the sun, wind,
topography, vegetation, and building materials. Site design
can be enhanced by building orientation, shade techniques,
plant selection, green roofs, green walls, and water reuse.
In addition to careful site design, the materials chosen to
use on the site and in the building are important. Reclaimed
materials are materials saved from waste that are redirected
for reuse. They can be used again in whole form or taken
apart and adapted for new use with minimum processing,
making reuse “one of the most effective strategies for
offsetting the initial environmental and human health impacts
that result from the manufacture of materials or products.”22
Using reclaimed materials also saves energy that would be
used in transport, refinishing, and installation. In the view of
design and education, “the reuse of on-site materials can
also enrich the visitor experience by providing insight into
the previous use and history of the site, as well as generate
designs with unique meaning and detail.”23 Similarly, recycled
materials are those that are collected reprocessed, and used
34
again to make a new product, which also eliminates cost
and excess harm on the environment. Local or indigenous
materials should also be used whenever possible to cut down
on transportation costs in site design.
35
36
CONCLUSION
Understanding the causes of damages destructive to the
Earth right now will help us to design sites and buildings
better. It should influence the decisions humans make to
keep limited resources in mind. By looking to symbiotic
relationships that happen every day in nature, humans can
learn to coexist in a world that is not so dependent on fossil
fuels and wasteful energy. This will lead to longer, healthier
lives. Understanding why sustainability is needed, identifying
sustainable relationships, and demonstrating what makes a
site and building sustainable can lead designers to create
greener buildings that actually give back to the environment.
Innovations in technology, new ways to produce and use
energy, and strategies to coexist with and improve the
surrounding natural environment will influence the design of
the environmental learning center in southern New Jersey.
These ideas and techniques will also impact other coastal
communities as they work as a framework for future design.
37
Endnotes
38
1.
Venhaus, Heather, Designing the Sustainable Site: Integrated Design Strategies for Small-scale Sites and Residential Landscapes (Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2012) xiii.
2.
Ibid., 3.
3.
Ibid., xiii.
4.
Farmland Trust 2009
5.
Venhaus, Designing the Sustainable Site, 2.
6.
Ibid., xiii.
7.
Ibid., 122.
8.
Dean, Cornelia. Against the Tide: The Battle for America’s Beaches. New York: Columbia UP, 1999.
9.
10.
Jansson, A. M, Investing in Natural Capital: The
Ecological Economics Approach to Sustainability
(Washington, D.C.: Island, 1994) 75.
11.
Schmuck, Peter and P. Wesley, Schultz, Psychology of
Sustainable Development (Boston: Kluwer Academic,
2002) 307.
12.
Ibid., 307.
13.
Ibid., 307.
14.
Architecture 2030, “Problem: Energy,” Architecture
2030, http://architecture2030.org/the_problem/
problem_ energy (accessed September 30, 2012).
15.
Russo, Michael V, Environmental Management:
Readings and Cases (Los Angeles: SAGE, 2008) 3.
16.
Ibid., 3.
17.
Jansson, Investing in Natural Capital, 75.
18.
Abbott, Dave. “Symbiosis.” National Science Database
Library (N.p., May 2000. Web. 26 Sept. 2012)
19.
Schmuck, Psychology of Sustainable Development, 310.
20.
21.
Ibid., 87.
22.
Ibid., 80.
23.
Ibid., 81.
39
2
40
Climate & Case Studies
41
INTRODUCTION
Approximately 23% of the world’s population lives within
60 miles of a coast.1 The success of most coastal cities and
towns are dependent on the tourism market and the people
who live in these areas. These towns are so appealing to
move to and live in because of the economic opportunities
they offer and the diverse plants, fish, and wildlife that exist
there. Zooming into the state of New Jersey, according to
Ocean County’s Department of Planning, coastal towns’
population growth and development has surged “with the
population of New Jersey’s coastal counties growing from
3,345,010 in 1950 to 5,281,247 in 2000.”2 As discussed in the
previous paper, this surge in population growth is increasing,
which leads to demands of the Earth’s resources to also
increase.
This paper will relate the issues of designing for a changing
climate back to a specific area: Ocean City, New Jersey.
Analyzing and discussing specific site conditions will help to
develop design methods that will benefit this geographic
location. Several precedents will also be introduced and
discussed. The aim is to discover and identify certain methods
and technologies that can successfully be utilized in the
environmental learning center.
42
CLIMATE & COASTLINE
Over the past 100 years, sea levels rose approximately eight
inches worldwide. Zooming into the coast of New Jersey,
the sea level has risen an additional four to eight inches,
equaling 12 to 16 total inches. It is projected that the mean
sea level will rise up to five inches in the next eight years. The
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has
predicted that in the next 100 years, sea levels will rise 23
inches. However, the last assessment was completed in 2007
and does not take into account the Greenland and Antarctic
ice sheets. The Greenland ice sheet loses over 300 gigatons
(billion tons) of ice a year, and the East Antarctic ice sheet is
losing over 150 gigatons per year.3 Including the calculations
of the melting ice sheets increases projected sea levels to
20-71 inches within the next century. The IPCC claims that
New Jersey should plan for 29 inches of sea level rise by the
end of the century. Specifically, in Ocean City, sea levels are
estimated to rise 16 inches in 100 years. This data is important
Figure 2.1 - Mean Sea Level for Cape May, NJ
43
to process and understand because it shows that there is a
need to change the way buildings are being constructed so
that they will not be affected by these rising sea levels.
A number of studies have been completed discussing the
vulnerability of coastal areas to sea level rise. Princeton
University’s Future Sea Level Rise and the New Jersey Coast
assessment defines vulnerability as “the degree to which a
natural or social system is at risk to damages or losses due to
natural phenomenon.”4 Vulnerability can be thought of in a
number of ways when relating to change- as a function of
exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. In the following
discussion, the term vulnerability signifies that the coast
would not be able to adapt to any increase in sea level. It is
important to understand this issue so that it can be ensured
that conditions never get as severe as described.
A coastal hazards database was created to track and assess
the vulnerability of the east coast of the United States to sea
level rise. The database identified seven variables related
to coastal area vulnerability: elevation, coastal rock type,
geomorphology, relative sea level rise, erosion and accretion,
tidal ranges, and wave heights.5 An overall coastal
vulnerability index was created from these variables and their
possible risk. Based on the index, the report claims “much
of coastal New Jersey, especially the barrier beaches and
coastal wetlands on the Atlantic coast were characterized
44
as at ‘high risk’ to the impacts of sea level rise.”6 This area
includes Ocean City. This pinpoints Ocean City as an area
where special attention should be given so that it can be
protected. Sea levels are rising now, not in the future. Existing
buildings need to be modified and new construction needs
to be thoughtfully designed so that it will withstand future
harsher conditions.
The rise of sea levels is partly due to the increased
temperature of the oceans. This higher temperature has also
caused more intense hurricanes since 1975. New Jersey faces
nor’easters (a large scale storm traveling to the northeast
from the south with winds from the northeast) and tropical
storms which are caused by high winds pushing on the
ocean’s surface. These storms lead to flooding, inundation,
and erosion. In the past 100 years, 18 significant hurricanes
have passed through and impacted New Jersey’s coast.
Each storm’s path and intensity varies, leaves a physical
mark on the towns, and has an emotional impression on
the residents. Research compiled by the IPCC predicts
more intense hurricanes will occur in the future. Projected
frequency and intensity increases of the tropical storms will
lead to higher and more frequent flooding. The IPCC claims
that “flooding that qualifies as a 100-year flood today will
happen on average once every 65 to 80 years by the 2020s,
once every 35 to 55 years by the 2050s, and once every 15 to
35 years by the 2080s.”7
45
This increase in intensity can be seen in the recent Hurricane
Sandy. The hurricane hit land in Ocean City Monday night,
exactly when meteorologists predicted it would. However, the
first high tide of the day occurred early Monday morning, and
the bay met the ocean in many parts of the island. At least
three feet of water flooded streets, alleys, yards, and homes.
The town was already under a mandatory evacuation,
but that did not stop any destruction to the existing built
environment of the town. New technologies in constructing
buildings should be implemented now so that buildings can
withstand such storms, because research predicts hurricanes
and nor’easters are only going to get more intense and
frequent.
Case study research completed by Princeton University of
Cape May, New Jersey offers insight into measurements
of the changing coastline. Cape May is located 30 miles
south of Ocean City, so the findings can be thought to be
Figure 2.2 - The road
leading into Ocean City,
NJ on the north end
after being damaged by
Hurricane Sandy.
46
Figures 2.3-2.6 Pictures from Ocean
City, NJ during and
after Hurricane Sandy.
47
Figure 2.7 - Satellite
image of Ocean City,
NJ, before Hurricane
Sandy.
similar between the two towns. An inundation model was
created and mapped out to find areas of the town that
would become permanently inundated when rising sea
levels reached certain points. It was estimated that 20% of
the area mapped would become inundated with a .61 m
sea level rise, while 45% would be inundated with a 1.22 m
rise.8 Cape May’s coastline has been found to have receded
around 500 m since 1879, equaling an approximate “shoreline
48
Figure 2.8 - Satellite
image of Ocean
City, NJ, during/after
Hurricane Sandy.
displacement rate of around 4m/year.”9 This data only
supplements the facts that southern New Jersey’s coastline is
constantly changing. The land of coastal towns such as Cape
May and Ocean City is dependent on the bordering waters,
and it is crucial that the right steps are taken to ensure the
longevity of such coastal towns.
49
ECOSYSTEMS
The rising sea levels and increased flooding has an effect on
natural systems that exist on the coast causing ecological
impacts. It is predicted that 22% of the world’s wetlands will
disappear due to sea level rise alone. Human impacts could
increase that statistic to 70% loss of wetlands.10 Wetlands are
used for flood and erosion control. They also act as water
cleaners and are home to innumerable species of organisms.
Wetlands of any area play a part in an increase to tourism
and the economy in that they are used for hunting, fishing,
hiking, boating, and bird watching, just to name a few
activities. It is imperative that Ocean City keeps its wetlands
as healthy, sustainable environments for its ecosystems. This is
the area where humans interact with the existing ecosystems,
and the environmental learning center should be designed to
foster this relationship.
The coast of New Jersey includes bays, estuaries, wetlands,
Figure 2.9 -A gull flying
over marshes in Ocean
City, NJ.
50
beaches, dunes, and forests, which make up a number
of diverse ecosystems supporting diverse plants, fish, and
wildlife species. It is reported that at least 24 endangered
and threatened wildlife species inhabit New Jersey’s coastal
ecosystems.11 The southern parts of the New Jersey coast,
including where Ocean City is located, are a “globally
significant resting and feeding stopover for millions of
shorebirds along the Atlantic bird migration flyway.”12 Every
May and June, the region sees over a million birds on their
path north from where they spent the winter, some coming
from as far south as South America. The world’s largest
population of horseshoe crabs, which breed and lay eggs
on the beaches, exists in the same areas. The birds that are
migrating will feed on these eggs.
Not only is it important to understand what types of
animals live in the area for the proposed learning center,
but vegetation should also be researched. Spartina is the
common type of marsh grass found in Ocean City. This can
Figures 2.10 Wetlands in the
Wildlife Refuge in
Ocean City, NJ.
51
be replanted to replenish the area and site as needed.
Spartina acts as the primary provider of the ecosystem,
stabilizes the soil, and helps to prevent erosion. Its roots
grow dense enough to support weight, so humans can walk
through in most areas. This idea of anchoring beneath the
surface could be used in the design of the environmental
learning center.
Another interesting concept concerning ecosystems is the
idea of coral reefs growing on submerged objects. Coral
reefs are home to various diverse species of fish and other
marine species. The reefs also act as a buffer, protecting
buildings and other inland areas from storm damage and
harsh wave action. These immersed objects could be
purposely submerged to initiate the growth of such reefs, or
could simply be parts of the building that reach underwater,
like pilings. Solid materials can also be deposited and
submerged to establish new oyster beds. Oysters are filter
feeders that improve water quality and will mitigate run-off.
52
Oysters are also used in some areas to monitor water levels
and test water quality.
The flora and fauna of the wetlands in Ocean City can
inspire design ideas. The plants and animals of the region can
also be looked at for their innovative ways of survival. Can
certain strategies that the living organisms use be applied
to a building? When threatened by natural disasters, most
animals are able to leave an area or take cover. Plants,
on the other hand, possess unique properties that could
influence a building’s design. For example, in coastal towns,
the trees and marsh grasses take on a particular shape
formed by the wind and other elements. They are formed
by nature to withstand the forces of nature. Properties
like flexibility, or being able to stretch and bend, could be
beneficial in the building’s design to endure forceful climate
changes. Flexibility will also be crucial in regards to the sea
level rise. Possible solutions are to create a building that will
rise with the changing sea level, sit higher than projected
53
CASE STUDIES
sea levels, or move away from the threatening waters when
needed.
A successful building to view when thinking about how
to design with nature and existing ecosystems is the Ford
Calumet Environmental Center in Chicago, Illinois. Studio
Gang Architects, led by Jeanne Gang, designed the center
to “educate the public about the industrial, cultural, and
ecological heritage of the Calumet area, and will provide
an operational base for research activities, volunteer
stewardship, environmental remediation, and ecological
rehabilitation.”13 The studio’s design process and thinking
focused on the realization that the site for this building was
part of a high number of birds’ migratory paths and how to
incorporate birds’ behaviors with the building. Another aspect
of their design was the use of reclaimed materials from the
Calumet region in Chicago.
The team researched that 97 million birds die in the United
States each year from colliding into glass windows.14 They
even went as far as collecting the dead birds to document
Figure 2.11 - Diagrams
from Studio Gang preventing bird collisions.
54
their species and record the number. This is just one example
of the rigorous research the firm does in any architectural
project. To reduce the number of birds that fly into the
building on their flight north, the south-facing porch is
enclosed with a basket-like mesh of salvaged steel. This
creates an outdoor classroom for visitors as well as a screen
for observing wildlife.
Studio Gang used the way birds create nests to inspire
the construction
and aesthetic of the
environmental center.
Special attention was also
given to the materials the
building was constructed
out of including the use of
“salvaged steel from the
Calumet industrial region
and other remnant,
recyclable materials
Figure 2.12-2.13- Photo
and rendering of Studio
Gang’s Ford Calumet
Environmental Center.
55
such as slag, glass bottles, bar stock, and rebar.”15 Material
choice was important for this project, as well as using them
in new ways, and they are highlighted and demonstrated
to visitors to enhance the learning aspect of the building.
Studio Gang Architects utilize a rigorous design process to
produce innovative buildings and projects. Their methods of
using local, reclaimed materials, as well as always keeping
the existing environment in mind are extremely relevant to the
project in Ocean City.
METHODS
A building’s use of energy can be improved using passive
and active systems. Passive solar systems collect, store,
and redistribute solar energy without the use of mechanics
like fans and pumps. They utilize integrated systems in the
building design where basic elements, like windows and
walls, function to be as efficient as possible in energy use.
For example, walls and floors can hold and radiate heat.
Two basic elements, “a collector consisting of south-facing
glazing and an energy-storage element that usually consists
of thermal mass, such as rock or water,”16 make up passive
solar heating systems. Building orientation is crucial to take
advantage of the sun angles and heat from a particular site.
Ventilation plays a critical part in successful passive systems as
well.
56
An example of active systems that can easily be
incorporated in this building’s design is the use of
photovoltaic (PV) panels, which produce high-grade energy
of electricity. It has been said that “if all roofs and most south
walls were covered with PV, most towns and small cities
would produce all the electricity they needed.”17 Technology
such as PV panels should be incorporated into the building in
57
CASE STUDIES
the very early stages of design to ensure as much energy as
possible will be produced and used correctly.
Wind power and tidal power should also be explored for
the environmental learning center. The Jersey-Atlantic Wind
Farm in Atlantic City is the first coastal wind farm in the
United States. Five wind turbines, each 380 feet tall, provide
50% of the Atlantic County Utilities Authority Wastewater
Treatment Plant’s electricity needs, while providing their
remaining energy to the main power grid for resale as
premium renewable electricity. Atlantic City’s Green Initiative
estimates “that the energy produced by the wind farm will
save the energy equivalent of 23,613 barrels of crude oil.”18
This type of technology would be beneficial to the bay area
of Ocean City, however it is not likely the space required for
such a system exists. It is important to understand the existing
networks nearby and realize the potential for connecting to
and utilizing parts of such a system.
Figure 2.14 - Wind
turbines at the JerseyAtlantic Wind Farm in
Atlantic City, NJ.
58
Tidal power or tidal energy is a form of hydropower where
energy from the change in tides is converted into power,
usually electricity. Historically, tidal energy was used when
incoming and outgoing tides caused a water wheel to
produce mechanical power. Newer technologies include
the use of barges or dams, tidal fences, and tidal turbines to
harness the tidal power. Ocean City usually only experiences
a tidal change of three to five feet, so again, it is unlikely that
the environmental learning center will be able to sustain itself
from tidal energy. It could be helpful to utilize this type of
energy at a larger scale when thinking about future growth.
The Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge in Wilmington,
Delaware is home to the DuPont Environmental Education
Center, which was built by the Riverfront Development
Corporation of Delaware “to restore marshlands along the
Christina River while creating economic vitality, enhancing
the environment, and promoting public access.”19 The
building was designed to act as a symbiotic connection
Figure 2.15 - The Russell
W. Peterson Urban
Wildlife Refuge in
Wilmington, DE.
59
CASE STUDIES
Figure 2.16-2.17- The
Russell W. Peterson
Urban Wildlife Refuge
in Wilmington, DE.
with the urban environment and the natural marshland and
to respond to the tidal river and wetlands. The area utilizes
a quarter mile long bridge where visitors can take in views
of the marsh without directly contacting it or interfering with
the existing natural systems. The site consists of permeable
surfaces to help with water control and utilizes recycled and
other eco-friendly materials. Additionally, solar passive design
and sun screens decrease overheating within the building.
Executive director of the Riverfront Development Corporation
of Delaware (RDC), Michael S. Purzycki stated in regards to
the center that they were able to “restore this marsh after
centuries of abuse and return it to its natural state as a viable
habitat for more than 200 species of plants and animals.”20
The DuPont Environmental Education Center will be an
important precedent to look to for programmatic elements as
well as its fluid connection with the surrounding environment.
Another relevant case study to the idea of a building
coexisting in a natural environment is Bordallo y Carrasco
60
Arquitectos’ ‘Multifunctional Center’ and ‘Development of
the Natural Environment.’ They are two different projects in
Figure 2.19 Multifunctional
Center by Bordallo y
Carrasco Arquitectos.
Yecla, Spain that complement each other effectively. The
‘Development of the Natural Environment’ consists of an
infrastructure to spend time in the natural space including
areas for sports, walking, and social activities in an existing
urban context. The ‘Multifunctional Center’ is a building
designed to preserve the natural character of the area by
creating a symbiotic relationship where humans inhabit the
forest without destruction and the environment is able to
be used in new ways. The building and overall masterplan
was designed and built to respect all existing natural
elements. Pathways were built around existing trees, and
the Multifunctional Center acts as an anchor to the network.
The construction of the pathways and the building do not
transform the existing park at all.
The building footprint was minimized and took the place of
existing paths whenever possible. The facades of the building
61
CASE STUDIES
are made up of a natural lattice of wooden logs which
creates sun and shade while also blending in with the existing
environment of pine trees. The classrooms are located behind
the southern facade so that they are able to be heated and
cooled naturally. The architects “calculated the percentage
of shade to be generated on the south-eastern facade at
sunrise and the northeastern one at sunset, with the purpose
of minimizing the building’s energy needs.”21 The firm used
active and passive systems together in the project. The
strategies they used to preserve the natural environment and
create a space where nature, a building, and humans coexist
without harm to one another are methods that will translate
to the environmental learning center in Ocean City.
Figure 2.18 - Model
showing Development of
the Natural Environment
by Bordallo y Carrasco
Arquitectos.
62
CONCLUSION
Understanding the specific details in the changing climate
and how it has a direct effect on Ocean City helps to define
what is necessary when it comes to designing a new building.
Case studies and precedents offer inspiration and proof of
successful applications in keeping environmental factors in
mind. The building and the existing environment, including all
ecosystems in the wetlands, should coexist as if nothing new
is being introduced. Plants, animals, the built environment,
and humans should all be able to survive without threatening
each other, but rather improving the quality of life for one
another.
63
Endnotes
64
1.
Matthew J.P. Cooper and Michael D. Beevers,
Future Sea Level Rise and the New Jersey Coast (Princeton University, 2005), 2.
2.
Ibid.
3.
Sustainable Jersey Climate Change Adaptation Task
Force. New Jersey Climate Change Trends and Projections Summary. http://www.sustainablejersey.
com/editor/doc/pgrants82.pdf (accessed October 28,
2012), 6.
4.
Cooper, Future Sea Level Rise, 6.
5.
Ibid., 6.
6.
Ibid., 6.
7.
Ibid., 2.
8.
Ibid., 21.
9.
Ibid., 21.
10.
Ibid., 16.
11.
Ibid., 16.
12. Ibid., 16.
13.
Jeanne Gang, Reveal, New York: Princeton
Architectural Press, 2011, 31.
14.
Ibid.
15.
Studio Gang Architects, “Ford Calumet Environmental
Center,” http://www.studiogang.net/work/2003/
fordcalumetenvironmentalcenter (accessed November
1, 2012).
16.
Norbert Lechner, Heating, Cooling, Lighting, (Hoboken:
John Wiley & Sons, 2009), 152.
17.
Ibid., 192.
18.
The Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority, “Green Initiative,” http://www.atlanticcitynj.com/
meeting_planners/green_initiative.aspx (accessed
November 3, 2012).
19.
Alan Reed, “GWWO Architects Project Portfolio,”
http://archinect.com/firms/project/15387532/dupont-
environmental-education-center/56824930 (accessed
October 14, 2012).
20.
Bridgette Meinhold, “The DuPont Environmental
Center,” http://inhabitat.com/the-dupont-
environmental-center-stands-guard-over-wilmingtons-
wildlife-refuge (accessed October 14, 2012.)
21.
Bordallo y Carrasco Architectos, “Multifunctional
Centre,” http://www.bordalloycarrasco.com/ingles
(accessed October 21, 2012).
65
Concept Diagram
SUSTAINABLE RELATIONSHIPS
SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
COEXISTENCE
SOLAR ENERGY
INTEGRATED SYSTEMS
WIND ENERGY
SITE DESIGN
MUTUALISM
TIDAL ENERGY
MATERIAL REUSE
COMMENSALISM
WATER COLLECTION
SYMBIOSIS
SITE PLANNING
CONSERVATION
66
FLOODING
USER INTERACTION
BEACHES
RISING SEA LEVELS
NATIVE PLANTS & ANIMALS
BARRIER REEFS
STRONG WIND
WATER - MARSH - LAND
PROTECTION
COASTAL RELATIONSHIPS
COASTAL HABITATS
HURRICANES
COASTAL CONDITIONS
ANCHORING
SPARTINA MARSH GRASS
ECOSYSTEMS
NATURE-DRIVEN
ONE WITH NATURE
CORAL REEFS
PROVIDES FOR ECOSYSTEM
HOME TO DIVERSE SPECIES
SAFE FROM NATURE
STABILIZES SOIL
PROTECTION FROM STORM DAMAGE
IMPROVES NATURE
DENSE ROOT SYSTEM
BUFFER
LIGHTING
MOVES WITH WIND & WATER
FORMED BY NATURE
TO SURVIVE NATURE
COASTAL PLANTS
USE OF GLASS
ACTIVATES COMMUNITY
STOP FOR REPLENISHMENT
EXHIBITS ENVIRONMENT
BIRD MIGRATION
COASTAL FLIGHT
TEACHES USERS
USER-BASED
67
3
68
Site Analysis
69
DESIGN CONCEPT
All of the research to this point leads to a design concept that
centers around biomimicry, coexistence, and teaching. The
building (or parts of the building) should reflect the ‘formed
by nature to survive nature’ idea. The building and site design
should utilize qualities of coexistence which include mutualism
and hopefully commensalism. The building and site should
teach as much as it does.
70
Figure 3.1 - Design
Concept Diagram
71
Figures 3.2-4 Conceptual Case
Studies
2. Gulls and oysters on
pilings
3. Project Haiti, HOK
4. Skygrove, HWKN
In order for the building to successfully coexist with the
environment, we should look to examples found in nature.
American ground squirrels and prairie dogs build circular
dikes that prevent rainwater from flooding their burrows
underground. This idea could be applied to circular plantings
of trees, shrubs, and other landscaping to funnel and slow
storm water, lessoning pressure on city sewers. Plants found
in peatlands withstand high water levels from snow melt
and heavy rains by clumping together into stilt-like rafts. Red
mangrove trees crowd together to withstand strong waves on
the coast and absorb wave energy in their roots which helps
to protect the shoreline.
In Haiti, HOK uses the highly adaptable Caribbean kapok
tree for inspiration in their orphanage design. Because of
Haiti’s rainy season and humid climate, the kapok tree is
smart to look at since it stores water internally and sheds
its leaves under drought conditions to conserve energy.
The orphanage, called Project Haiti, will likewise respond
72
directly to the weather and maximize available resources.
Additionally, the structure of the balconies mimic the kapok
tree’s branches with different size limbs on alternating floors
for increased support.
Usually architects would design a building to protect it from
water. Biomimicry inspires us to follow nature’s lead instead
of going against it. Nature slows, sinks, and stores water. In
Project Haiti, the slowing, sinking, and storing begin on the
roof. Plants receive water, slowing the flow, before water is
filtered and funneled down to lower gardens for irrigation.
Similarly, rooftop PV panels absorb solar energy to power the
building and surrounding streetlights.
Mangrove trees actually inspired the design of Skygrove, a
vertical office park. Similarly to how mangrove trees’ gnarled
roots lift their trunks above water, HWKN’s conceptual
Skygrove building would split into root-like sections that lift the
rest of the building safely about rising water levels.
73
OCEAN CITY AS AN ISLAND
Ocean City, New Jersey is an island that was originally
used by Lenni-Lenape Indians of the Algonquin nation as
summer camping grounds. The first written reference of the
island came in the 17th century when Dutch explorer David
Pietersson DeVries described it as “flat sand beaches with
low hills between Cape May and Egg Harbor.” Later in
the century, Ocean City was referred to as Peck’s Beach,
and it was used for grazing cattle and harvesting herbs.
Peck’s Beach started to become the seaside resort that is
known today in the late 19th century, when a group of four
Methodist ministers bought the land. Ezra B. Lake, S. Wesley
Lake, James E. Lake, and William H. Burrell are known as the
men who founded Ocean City, then known as ‘A Christian
Resort.’
By 1880, the men had created the Ocean City Association
and staked off streets and lots. Each of the founders named
Figures 3.5 - Historical
map of Ocean City,
New Jersey, circa 1903
74
one of the four principal longitudinal streets; from east to
west, Wesley Avenue, Central Avenue, Asbury Avenue, and
West Avenue. These are still the names of the streets in the
town today, although a few more have been added. Wilder
echoes the description of the infrastructure of the town by
saying, “On the whole, however, Ocean City appears to be a
city of real homes—more so than Atlantic City. It is laid out in
right angles,--streets running east and west (numbering in all
fifty-nine), and four avenues running north and south.”
Wilder eloquently wrote, “being on an island, both the
front door and back door of Ocean City open out on a
waterscape,-- the Atlantic Ocean on the east, and Great
Egg Harbor on the west.” Because of this seclusion, roads
had to be built to access the small island, and railways
created hassle free connections to surrounding towns. In 1898
a new boardwalk was built in place of the existing one and
was considered one of the finest on the Eastern coast. Hotels
and cottages started popping up, and by 1905 Ocean City
had truly become a summer resort.
Ocean City, New Jersey has been known as ‘America’s
...both the front
door and back
door of Ocean
City open out on
a waterscape,-the Atlantic
Ocean on the
east, and Great
Egg Harbor on
the west.
-Walter Wilder,
Seaside Scenes and
Thoughts; Some
Extracts From a
Diary, 15
Greatest Family Resort’ since 1920. This is due to the fact that
there has always been a strong group of people who have
seen the potential for the island and community. The people
and the rich history of Ocean City weave together to create
a culturally, historically, and architecturally appealing place.
75
Ocean City is located within a chain of barrier islands off
the coast of southern New Jersey. Barrier islands are coastal
landforms, usually narrow strips of land formed parallel to the
mainland coast. 13% of the world’s coastlines have barrier
islands offshore, which suggests that they can be formed and
maintained in a range of environments. The land is formed
naturally by ocean currents and storms, and once formed,
plays an important role in mitigating ocean swells and other
People have a
fundamental
yearning for
great bodies of
water. But the
very movement
of the people
toward the
water can also
destroy the
water.
-Christopher
Alexander, A
Pattern Language,
136
storms. The formation of barrier islands simultaneously forms
lagoons, estuaries, and marshlands, which sustain plants and
animals distinct to the area.
Human intervention to these barrier islands, including
developing the land, building homes, and constructing roads
and bridges, threatens the islands’ ability to properly function.
These changes to the natural land can increase the speed
of erosion or prevent the island from growing as it naturally
would. Barrier islands are meant to shift in size and shape.
Manmade interventions, like pumping the beaches with sand
or adding seawalls and jetties, actually does more harm than
good in the long run.
Today, Ocean City has a year round population of 10,000
residents, which booms to hundreds of thousands of people in
the summer. At this point in the town’s development, it would
be impossible to suggest residents give up their land and
home for the island to continue to develop naturally.
76
Figures 3.6-9 Geographic Orientation
6. Northeast
7. New Jersey
8. Southern Islands
9. Ocean City
77
78
Figures 3.10-12 - Ocean
City, New Jersey model
But we can build
in ways which
maintain contact
with water, in
ponds and pools,
in reservoirs, and
in brooks and
streams. We can
even build details
that connect
people with the
collection and runoff of rain water.
-Christopher
Alexander, A Pattern
Language, 324
79
Figures 3.13-14 - Ocean
City, New Jersey
13. Existing Access to
Ocean City
14. Conservation vs.
Natural Areas
SITE CONCEPT
Zooming into the island of Ocean City, direct access through
bridges from the mainland is already in place. The lighter
green color in Figure 3.14 shows the protected conservation
areas, which include a state park and wildlife refuge on the
island. This protection is lacking on the northern end of the
island. The darker green color shows wetland areas that are
80
home to many plants and animals similar to the protected
areas. This was one reason for the site selection.
Another reason is the orange strip shown in Figure 3.14.
Ocean City is mostly zoned for residential development, but
through the years it has consistently kept one strip of land
specifically for public, community use: the block between 5th
and 6th Streets, towards the northern end of the island, from
the ocean to the bay. The site chosen for the Environmental
Learning Center is within this public strip of land, on the
western edge that borders the Great Egg Harbor Bay. This is
an important site in Ocean City because it has the ability to
connect the existing community buildings and lots with the
islands that exist in the bay.
Zooming into this strip, this site provides an opportunity for the
community areas and the natural areas to overlap, as seen in
Figure 3.15.
82
Figure 3.15 - Community
strip and natural islands,
Ocean City, New Jersey
Figures 3.16-3.17 Conceptual site model,
community strip in
Ocean City, New Jersey
83
Figures 3.18-19
- Community
strip, Ocean
City, New
Jersey
18. Existing
community lots
19. Proposed
community strip
84
Figure 3.18 shows the existing buildings and
parks in the community zoned strip in the
town. One idea that could complement the
design is to turn this strip into a greenway
where some of the roads become
pedestrian only and natural again. Figure
3.19 shows this idea as well as the proposal
for the environmental learning center to
extend out into the bay, connecting the site
to the natural islands in the water.
85
86
Figure 3.20 Walkability of
community strip,
Ocean City,
New Jersey
87
Figure 3.21 - Concept
diagram
Figure 3.22 - Concept
diagram: edge
condition
88
BUILDING CONCEPT
As discussed before, there is a discourse between what
happens when land meets water on these islands. Naturally,
water shapes the land, and the land moves with the water.
This also applies to the organisms existing there: they survive
by moving with the elements, and goes back to mutualistic
relationships. On the other hand, manmade developments,
like sea walls and bulkheads, create a distinct, solid line
between the land and water for protection from the water
and natural elements. The proposed environmental learning
Figures 3.23-25 - High
Line, New York City, NY
center and its site will challenge this idea and find the
balance between natural forces and structured restrictions.
The diagram shown in Figure 3.21 explores the idea of
breaking down the barrier that currently exists between land
and water and also placing the building in the water as an
extension of the land.
There must be some balance between land and water and
how they naturally exist. Maybe the land begins to weave
together with the water or uses vegetation as a buffer,
similarly to the High Line in New York City. ‘Natural’ areas
(areas with a vegetation) seem to merge into the walkable
hard surfaces on the pedestrian greenway.
89
Figure 3.26 - Water
levels in Ocean City, NJ
90
Figure 3.27 - Tide levels
in Ocean City, NJ
Figure 3.27 shows technical data concerning the tide levels
and flooding of Ocean City. It is interesting to see how much
the flooding level categories have changed in just the past
25 years. The diagram also shows the water levels from past
storms, leading to the decision that this building should be/
should be able to be raised to be protected from rising water.
There is approximately a 5’ difference between low and high
tides daily.
91
Figures 3.28-30 Climatic Data for Ocean
City, NJ
Knowing the average temperatures for Ocean City is
important because it will influence design. This is a tourist
driven island, and the island is used the most by people
during the warm months of the summer, while most animals
that migrate return in the spring. Average rainfall totals are
necessary when implementing rain collection on site. It is
important to know that wind speeds are sometimes over 10
miles per hour, with higher speeds during storms, like Hurricane
Sandy. The maps in Figure 3.31 show the direction and
intensity of the winds during Sandy with the eye very close to
south Jersey. Finally, Figure 3.32 shows existing shadows on the
site throughout the day in the summer and winter. The water
to the northwest is minimally affected by shade from the built
environment.
92
Figure 3.31-3.32 Climatic information
31. Wind direction and
intensity of the US during
Hurricane Sandy
32. Shadow study of site
93
Figure 3.33Existing circulation
of site
Figure 3.34 Existing dimensions
of site
The county’s largest city by area, Ocean City is actually only
ten square miles, with four of these square miles being water.
The streets of the town are in a grid formation except for the
very north tip, where the streets take on a more ‘suburban’
feel. The town is completely walkable. A network of bike
paths exists and connects to the proposed site. The site also
has a boat launch ramp that ties into the existing Jersey Island
Blueway, which is a system of paths for kayaks and canoes
throughout all of Cape May County.
The closest island that will link to the site is about 850 feet
away. The site physically on the land in Ocean City that will
link the environmental learning center back to the town is
70,000 square feet.
95
The existing building on the site is the Bayside Center. This
is an education facility owned and operated by the city,
dedicated to the environmental and cultural aspects of
Ocean City’s bayfront. Currently, the building operates
very limited hours, is underused, and has not been properly
maintained throughout the years. The Bayside Center was
originally built as a house in 1916. It was purchased in 1958 by
the Wheaton family and used as a summer property. In 1995,
96
the County purchased the property through the New Jersey
Open Space and Farmland Preservation Program, and some
Figures 3.35-3.36 Existing site photographs
improvements were made, including a new bulkhead and an
increased elevation for flood proofing. Currently, the center
includes an Ocean City Lifesaving exhibit, a historic buildings
exhibit, and a third floor which offers views of the bay and
wetlands. The city uses the building for special events in
the summer as well, like the annual Night in Venice Boat
97
Parade. The area on the site surrounding the building houses
sailboats and kayaks used for lessons in the summer and offers
spaces for picnicking and fishing. These spaces are currently
underutilized. The new design should encourage increased
use of the space. These existing functions will also influence
determining the necessary, specific program for the site and
project.
98
Figure 3.39 shows the most commonly seen organisms in the
bay. It is imperative this building should not intrude on their
habitat, it should work to protect them, maybe even help to
Figure 3.37 - Existing
site from bay
marsh island
replenish them.
99
100
Figure 3.39 - Most
commonly seen
organisms in Ocean
City, NJ marshlands
101
4
102
Program
103
104
Looking at environmental learning center case studies,
qualitative attributes can be seen including natural light,
operable doors and windows, and sustainable components.
It is also helpful to see they’re at three different scales in three
different parts of the country.
105
CASE STUDIES
USE | FUNCTION
The Philip Merrill
Environmental Center
CONCEPTUAL ASPECTS
SIZE | VOLUME
32,000
SF
Annapolis, MD
Figures 4.1-4.5 Qualitative attributes of
environmental learning
center case studies
The Philip Merrill Environmental Center is a 32,000 square-foot
Newport Beach
Environmental
Nature Center
Newport Beach, CA
building created to house the Chesapeake Bay Foundation
9,000
SF
(CBF), a 35-year-old organization dedicated to resource
restoration and protection and environmental advocacy
and education.1 The building connects CBF to the bay and
is designed to minimize its effect on the bay. Placing the
building on piers allowed for under-building parking, which
Cascade Meadow
Wetlands & Env.
Science Center
Rochester, MN
kept the building footprint small. Parking is relatively small
16,000
SF
area designed to meet occupancy and covered by a
permeable surface.
The CBF uses the center as a teaching tool, giving public
tours of the building and opening it up to use by outside
groups, which directly aligns with the proposed function of
the environmental learning center in Ocean City. As visitors
enter the Merrill Center from the north they can see highperformance features, such as solar water heaters, operable
and clerestory windows, and rainwater cisterns. The building’s
south wall, mostly glass, faces the bay. The shed roof is
106
QUAL
particularly efficient because it allows for easy collection of
rainwater and encourages an open interior design.
The building uses operable windows for natural ventilation.
Sensors keep track of outdoor temperatures and humidity
and automatically shut down air conditioning and open
motor-operated windows. Sensors also switch on indicator
signs throughout the building when conditions favor open
windows. Composting toilets reduce water use in the building,
which is less than 90% of a typical office building this size.2
A rainwater catchment system captures water, reducing
the need to draw from wells. Drought-tolerant native plants
minimize irrigation, and mowing meadow and grasslands only
once a year reduces fuel use and pollution on site.
On the interior, unfinished pressed wood fiberboard and the
lack of finishes and fixtures reduces resource use and indoor
air pollutants. Natural renewable materials such as cork
flooring, bamboo flooring, and natural linoleum were used on
107
CASE STUDIES
Newport Beach
Environmental
Nature Center
Newport Beach, CA
9,000
SF
Figures 4.6-4.9 Qualitative attributes of
center case studies
Cascade Meadow
Wetlands & Env.
Science Center
Rochester, MN
the interiors. Solar hot water heating provides all the domestic
16,000
SF source
hot water for the building. The building uses a ground
heat pump system for heating and cooling. Forty-eight wells,
each 300 feet deep, use the earth’s constant temperature as
a heat sink in the summer and a heat source in the winter.3
The mission statement of Newport Beach’s Environmental
Nature Center is “to provide quality education through
hands-on experience with nature.”4 The center is a 9000
square foot facility. With optimal east-west site orientation
and 14 native plant communities, this building is meant to be
a West Coast beacon of green design. The ENC produces
more energy than it utilizes with a 42 kilowatt photovoltaic
array. The use of natural ventilation has eliminated the need
for air conditioning. A white-colored roof and light-colored
concrete decrease the impact of heat island effect.
Bike racks, special parking spots for low emission vehicles and
on-site showers encourage greener transportation. Native,
108
drought-tolerant landscaping has eliminated the need for
an irrigation system. The building has waterless urinals, dualflush toilets and low-flow fixtures saving an estimated 15,000
gallons of potable water a year. The building’s water-efficient
features reduce water use by 46% as compared to similar
buildings. Recycled and recyclable materials have been
used extensively. The building insulation is composed of 85%
recycled denim blue jeans and 15% cotton fibers that are
rapidly renewable resources.5 The outside of the building is
made of wood and plastic scraps that would normally end
up in a landfill.
The Cascade Meadow Wetlands and Environmental Science
Center is an excellent case study to look to for its innovative
energy production and use, dedication to conservation,
and the fact that it teaches the public as much as it does.
Their mission is “to establish Cascade Meadow Wetlands &
Environmental Science Center as a regional resource for
environmental education with an initial focus on energy,
109
CASE STUDIES
Cascade Meadow
Wetlands & Env.
Science Center
16,000
SF
Rochester, MN
Figures 4.10-13 Qualitative attributes of
center case studies
water, and wetlands.”6
Their education initiatives revolve around water and energy.
These include informing their visitors about topics such as
water conservation, wetlands, storm water management,
watershed, and energy conservation. Additionally, they utilize
a number of different energy production methods. Electricity
is obtained through three PV arrays. Station 1 utilizes thin
film solar cell technology mounted on a rack that tracks the
sun as it moves. Station 2 also tracks the sun, but uses more
common polycrystalline solar cell technology, while station
3 includes polycrystalline solar cells, mounted on racks,
adjusted based on season.7
Wind is used in both the horizontal and vertical axis. Their
horizontal wind turbine is mounted on a 100’ pole to better
access the more consistent winds high above the ground. This
produces 15,000-18,000 kWh of electricity per year (equaling
electricity used by roughly 2 Minnesota homes per year). The
110
vertical axis turbine is mounted on a 23’ pole and has a more
compact design. This produces 750 kWh / year (equaling 1
month of electricity for a typical Minnesota home).8
Solar thermal energy meets domestic hot water needs (sinks,
showers) using two 4’x8’ flat plate collectors. Geothermal
technology is used through a high efficiency heat pump
system that provides in-floor heating and cooling for the
building. The pump transfers heat to and from the lake at
Cascade Meadow, whose temperatures are consistent
throughout the year
The science center is a compact 16,000 square-foot building.
Landscapes “work with” the building and include pervious
pavements, green roofs, bio cells, and native plants. Through
all of this design, the center works to restore wetlands and is
part of a three year process to restore 90 acres of wetlands
and prairie complete with extensive trail system.9
111
USE | FUNCTION
The Philip Merrill
Environmental Center
Annapolis, MD
Newport Beach
Environmental
Nature Center
Newport Beach, CA
Cascade Meadow
Wetlands & Env.
Science Center
Rochester, MN
112
CONCEPTUAL ASPECTS
SIZE | VOLUME
32,000
SF
9,000
SF
16,000
SF
QUALITATIVE
COMPONENTS
N
S
W
Figure 4.14 Programmatic elements
from case studies
113
Figures 4.15-4.21- PV
technology case studies
114
Getting into some of the sustainable components, it is
important to remember they do not have to be traditional PV
panels. Since they are being thought of as part of the building
in the design process, there is opportunity for using newer
115
Wetlands Institute Program Hierarchy
Proposed Program Hierarchy
Proposed Program Hierarchy
Flora | Fauna Exhibit
Salt Marsh Trail
Flora | Fauna Exhibit
Station
Aquarium & Touch Tank
Classroom | Meeting Room
Classroom | Meeting Room
Horseshoe Crab Exhibition & Terrapin Station
Entrance | Information
Book & Gift Shop
Observation Deck
Observation Deck
Entrance | Information
Marsh View Lecture Hall
Observation Tower
Observation Tower
Boat | Gear Storage
Boat | Gear Storage
Admission
Restrooms
Restrooms
Restrooms
Staff | Research
Staff Only | Research Area
Gardens
Observation Tower
Staff | Research
Screen Deck
Gardens
OBSERVATION TOWER
Gardens
STAFF | RESEARCH
CLASSROOM | MEE
STAFF | RESEARCH
CLASSROOM | MEETING ROOM
INFORMATION
E N T R A N C E INTERACTIVE
116
GARDENS
ENV. EXHIBIT
BOAT | GEAR STORAGE
INFORMATION
E N T R A N C E INTERACTIVE
GARDENS
ENV
TRAIL TO ISLANDS
BOAT | GEAR STORAGE
OBSERVATION DECK
technology like smaller parts that move with the sun.
The Wetlands Institute, located in Stone Harbor, thirty
Figures 4.22-4.24 Wetlands Institute, Stone
Harbor, New Jersey
minutes south of Ocean City, is an environmental center
whose mission statement is “to promote appreciation,
understanding and stewardship of wetlands and coastal
ecosystems through our programs in research, education
and conservation.” These ideas align with the vision for the
Environmental Learning Center in Ocean City. The Wetlands
Institute’s design is lacking technologically, and its program
is questionable (its largest area is the gift shop), it does have
a larger site and research facilities. It makes sense for the
proposed site in Ocean City to tie into this existing network
and act as an extension to the programs and exhibits located
farther down the coast, while still sustaining its own identity to
its own town and linking more towns farther north.
Figures 4.25 Conceptual program
diagram
117
118
Figure 4.26 - Program
list
119
Endnotes
120
1.
The Philip Merrill Environmental Center, Chesapeake Bay Foundation: Highlighting High Performance. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a DOE national laboratory, (Annapolis: 2002).
2.
Ibid.
3.
Ibid.
4.
“enc: Environmental Nature Center,”
http://www.enc.org (accessed January 16, 2013).
5.
Ibid.
6.
“Cascade Meadow Wetlands & Environmental Science
Center,” http://www.cascademeadow.org (accessed
January 16, 2013).
7.
Ibid.
8.
Ibid.
9.
Ibid.
121
5
122
Quantitative Program
Development
123
Minimum square footages were used to start to see
relationships between the proposed spaces. Originally the
building could have started to sit on the site, like in Figure 5.2.
More diagrams were created to show the programmatic
elements stretch across the water to connect the two
pieces of land. Finally, Figures 5.6-5.7 show iterations with
the program combined into a single building that somehow
connects the land to the neighboring islands.
124
Figure 5.1 - Quantitative
program list
125
126
Figure 5.2-5.7 Quantitative program
layout diagrams
127
Overlaying the program diagram (with minimum square
footages) on the actual site shows the relationship to the
existing buildings and natural islands. It also begins to show
the scale of parts of the building in relation to the amount of
water.
128
Figure 5.8-5.9 Quantitative program
layout diagrams on site
129
Water is an integral part in this design. It is important to think
how the tide moves vertically and horizontally. The movement
of the water in both directions could show parts of the
building or site at only certain times of day. Figure 5.11 shows
the idea of breaking down the existing barrier to create a
more natural condition.
130
Figure 5.10-5.11 - Tide
movement diagrams
131
Another crucial aspect to this design is how to get across the
water, to both the proposed building and the marshlands.
Possibilities include bridging over, taking a boat across, or
tunneling under. Tunneling under is probably not the most
appealing condition, so between the former options, a
132
pedestrian bridge, an aerial gondola, or a type of ferry would Figure 5.12-5.20 work. Again, in all of these diagrams, special attention is
paid to the existing built edge condition. Parts of the site in
the town could be transformed into something similar to the
existing boat launch, pictured in Figure 5.17.
Movement across site
diagrams
12-16. Possible ways to
cross the water
17. Existing boat launch
ramp on site
18-20. Diagrams
showing proposed
movement & edge
condition
133
134
135
6
136
Schematic Site & Building
Design
137
138
Let us accept the proposition that nature is process,
that it is interacting,
that it responds to laws,
representing values and opportunities for human
use with certain limitations and even prohibitions to
certain of these.
-Ian McHarg, Design with Nature, 7
139
Figure 6.1 - Conceptual
model & diagram
model on site
140
Conceptual models were built to show these conceptual
ideas. This first one is made up of three parts showing different
densities, possibly representing program. It starts to talk about
solid and void relationships and indoor and outdoor spaces.
Putting it on the site, it begins to simply show an idea of a
building and how it can connect the areas of the site.
141
142
Figure 6.3-6.5 Conceptual models &
ideas on site
The next model was made to show separate spaces
connected by strips. It could start to become the facade of
a building as in Figure 6.3, or simply show pathways to various
parts of the building or site as in Figure 6.4.
The third model simply illustrates that the building should
be raised. It is interesting to see what could happen when
vegetation and organisms start to grow and inhabit different
parts of the building.
At this point in the design process, it is important to continue
to look to existing case studies and precedents to inspire and
influence the design thinking.
143
CASE STUDIES
Pedestrian Bridge - Austin, TX,
Miró Rivera Architects
Located on a densely vegetated site in Lake Austin, the
Pedestrian Bridge connects the client’s main house on the
property with a newly constructed guest house, also designed
by Miró Rivera Architects.
The design of the bridge was inspired by the reeds and other
native vegetation found in that area. The bridge is a light and
maintenance-free structure that is well-integrated within its
wetland setting.
sketch by Miró Rivera
architects for the
pedestrian bridge
144
The bridge is composed of three elements:
Superstructure | The arch structure spans 100 feet with a main span of 80 feet. It is composed of five nested five-inch diameter pipes that diverge gracefully between the spring-point of the main span and the abutment at the beginning of the bridge.
Decking and Railing | The pipes support 1/2” diameter bars which become both decking and guardrail via Figure 6.7-10 - Pictures
of the Pedestrian Bridge
in Austin, Texas
a simple field bend from horizontal to vertical. The irregular length and close spacing of the bars recall the native reeds of the site, and the thin profile of the superstructure is made thinner when viewed through the visual veil of the reeds. The handrail consists of a rope secured with steel wire rings to a 1x1 horizontal tube welded to the vertical bars.
Abutment | Native stone slabs are layered vertically to create the ramps at the abutments. Deep raked joints recreate the rhythm of the steel bars of the deck and railings. To further incorporate the bridge with its natural setting, the steel is left unfinished to weather, just like the rope handrail and the stone ramps.1’
When thinking about how to connect the proposed
environmental learning center to the existing marsh islands,
a pedestrian bridge is a possibility. This case study’s design is
inspired by the environment and blends in with the existing
surroundings well.
145
CASE STUDIES
Lake Vico Birdwatching Towers Caprarola, Italy
These wooden birdwatching look-out towers in Caprarola,
Italy were built for the client Riserva Naturale Lago di Vico.
They use a simple design to give visitors a higher view so they
can observe the surrounding area and look for birds and
other wildlife. An interesting point in the design of these towers
is how the views are framed by the wood. Certain pieces of
wood are left out at heights which align with children’s and
adults’ eye levels. The towers also include information about
the birds living in the area, so that visitors can easily identify
the organisms and learn a little bit about them.
This structure accomplishes two things that the observation
tower in the program of Ocean City’s environmental learning
center aims to accomplish. It raises visitors up so that they
have a new, different, better view of the area, and it
incorporates education devices, informing visitors about the
wildlife in the area.
Figure 6.11-15 - Photos
of the Lake Vico
Birdwatching Tower,
with information of the
organisms in the area.
CASE STUDIES
Water Building Resort - Concept by Orlando Urrutia
The Water Building Resort raises awareness about
water-related issues by using integrated renewable
energy and minimizing its overall environmental
footprint.
On one side, a lattice structure directs humid air
inwards, where TeexMicron, a high-tech mechanism,
exploits daily evaporation and night condensation
values to obtain drinking water. This air is also used to
generate electricity.
The south facade of the building is clad in photovoltaic
cells, making it possible to capture abundant solar
energy while still allowing natural light to penetrate the
interior.
The building includes a resort complete with an
aquarium, restaurants, fitness areas, a hotel, and spa
services. It is also home to The Center of Technological
Investigation (Cidemco), which controls quality
of industrial products. It hosts both permanent
and itinerant exhibits, mostly concerning water,
the environment and renewable energy. A water
treatment facility on the bottom floor purifies salt water
and harvested rain water.2
While the raindrop form would not fit in the context or scale
of the site in Ocean City, New Jersey, this case study can be
looked to for its technological innovations and its concern
with water conservation. Since an early conceptual idea was
to design with water and wind erosion in mind, looking at the
curved shape of this case study could begin to influence the
form of Ocean City’s environmental learning center as well.
Figure 6.16-19 Renderings and
diagrams of the Water
Building Resort
CASE STUDIES
Boathouse at Millstätter Lake Seeboden, Austria, MHM Architects
The boathouse is divided into 2 parts: 1 built over the water
and 1 over ground. The original shoreline can be seen by
noticing the two different materials in the facades. The part
of the building over water is built using wood, while those built
on land are wrapped in expanded copper. Both selected
materials, the untreated Siberian larch as well as the natural
copper panels are subjected to a natural weathering
process which gives the building an annually changing in
its appearance, until the wood has turned completely grey
and the expanded metal panels are totally covered with the
green patina typical for copper. 3
One of the best design features of the building is hidden
in the wooden facades: on account of an authority ban
which prohibited an outside footbridge for docking on to
Figure 6.20-24 - Photos
of the Boathouse at
Millstätter Lake.
6.20 - Movable doors
collapsing to create an
outdoor platform for the
first floor and allow boats
to enter/exit
6.21 - Photo showing
material use
6.22 - View of boathouse
with the existing house in
the background
6.23 - Movable doors
6.24 - View from land
150
21
22
the boathouse at the west facade, a system of facadeintegrated folding elements was developed.4 These folding
elements form a horizontal, passable surface for the level
connected to the land. On the ground floor (sea level) of the
north facade they open to the entrance for the three boat
slips and also in the upper floor a platform over the lake.
20
23
24
Figure 6.25 Conceptual diagram
showing transparent
vs solid massings for
building.
Figure 6.26 - Early
site plan showing the
redesign of the existing
lot on land.
In addition to the previously stated conceptual ideas, solid
versus void was thought about. As seen in Figure 6.25, a
transparent component of the building that was set into the
water would allow visitors to see the water level changing
vertically as the tide came in and out. There should also be
a more solid component due to the programmatic qualities,
but this has the opportunity to be punctured and intersected
with more open areas.
When thinking about the design of the building, it is important
to begin to redesign the existing lot located on land in Ocean
City. The improvements made on this site can inform the
design of the environmental learning center, and vice versa.
The site starts to weave together with the bay, intertwining
land and water. The lot is also designed to be more park-like,
152
153
Figure 6.27-30 - Existing
osprey nest platforms
built in South Jersey
Figure 6.31 - Sketch of
proposed bird platforms
for site
154
providing more open spaces and smaller pavilions for visitors
to use.
People are not the only users who are thought of, however.
An idea to attract and cater to the birds in the area led to
the design of nesting platforms. These platforms are already
built and used in the area for ospreys specifically. The
wooden structure mimics the look of a tree with the platform
nestled between two ‘branches.’ An original thought was to
design the lower half of the towers for people to utilize, but
since birds like ospreys prefer their distance from humans,
more consideration will have to be given. Regardless, this
idea and an iteration of this design can be used on the marsh
islands to tie together the entire site.
155
Figure 6.32-34 Conceptual mass
model, iteration 1
156
A series of formal models were created on a site model to
understand the direction of the building form, the building
placement in the water, and the connection to the marsh
islands.
The first two models (Figures 6.32-36) show two iterations of
a simplified building mass with a faceted, twisting form. The
building’s placement was thought to be in the center of
the bay, requiring connections to the land as well as to the
wetlands. The latter of the two iterations begins to show cuts
or openings in the form, allowing light in and views to the
outside.
The third iteration (Figures 6.37-39) shows the building mass
raised on pilings with a twist in its form to allow more views on
both levels to the wetlands. This model was placed adjacent
to the marshy islands, requiring a longer, stronger connection
to land.
157
model, iteration 2
158
model, iteration 3
159
model, iteration 4
The next set of models show a stronger connection across
the water. The first simply shows the massing needed to
span between the two areas of land. Based on previous
conceptual models, this mass can be separated and
extended, moving up and down, or in and out of the water,
providing indoor and outdoor spaces.
160
model, iteration 5
The second model cuts away more of the mass leaving the
building to be more like a frame as the spaces step up and
down as they move across the water vertically. This set of
model keeps in mind the connection to the marsh, suggesting
a rectilinear form, possibly a pedestrian bridge.
161
model, iteration 6
162
model, iteration 6
The third model shows a better balance between solid and
void, even showing different floor levels that could coincide
with the tide levels. The building is anchored by vertical solids,
symbolizing a tower which would be used for circulation as
well as observation from the highest points.
163
model, iteration 7
164
A final, slightly larger massing model combines the first two
conceptual models (Figures 6.1 & 6.3) with the linear forms
just seen. This model shows separate masses connected
by horizontal elements, suggesting circulation. The spaces
within the massing of the building step up and down, but the
building is still horizontally linear. The mass eventually leads to
the ‘bridge’ which is anchored on either end by solid towers.
This is the massing model that is taken forward in schematic
design.
mass model, iteration 7
165
Figure 6.52 Conceptual massing of
spaces for building
Figure 6.53 Conceptual perspective
from massing
166
Modeling the physical model digitally, some of the volumes
and spaces were refined, and vertical supports were put in
place to support the pedestrian bridge. Since all forms have
been strong, solid, and rectilinear thus far, introducing cables
for a suspension bridge was avoided. At this point, columns
are set 100’ apart. You can quickly determine the depth of
the structural beam needed by dividing the span. To span
100’, a 7’ deep beam is needed. This can be achieved by
using a truss that is at least 7’ deep. In this case, the structural
truss could become the walls or sides of the bridge and other
pathways.
167
Figure 6.54 - Natural
and Community spaces
in Ocean City, NJ.
Again, the site of the environmental learning center was
chosen so that it could be the link between the community
buildings and lots in Ocean City and the natural elements
found in the bay. The proposed building and its form will act
as an extension to the existing community buildings in this
strip.
168
The figures on the following pages show schematic
community buildings in
Ocean City, NJ, plus the
proposed environmental
learning center
elevations of the building and how it fits into the context. A
programmatic section was created to show how the spaces
will be used and the different paths that exist through the
building.
The observation tower is still thought of to be more
transparent so that visitors in the base of the tower can see
the changing water level. Adjacent to this area are docks
and boat storage, where the entire floor (or separate docks)
can float and move with the tides. Water is a big part of the
design of this building, since it is crucial to Ocean City, so
these two elements will showcase that.
169
170
Figure 6.56 - Solid
versus void elevation
Figure 6.57 Programmatic elevation
Figure 6.58 Programmatic section
through building
171
172
Figure 6.59 Conceptual south
elevation
Figure 6.60 Developed east & north
elevations
173
174
The site plan was revisited to show the schematic design of
the building. The site creates a strong linear connection from
Figure 6.61 - Developed
site plan
the existing community strip.
A pedestrian bridge was chosen instead of an aerial gondola,
cable car, or tram system because one of the main concepts
is to encourage visitors to interact with the outdoors. This can
be better achieved by allowing them to walk outside, seeing,
feeling, smelling the environment. A pedestrian also provides
more opportunities to design and control their journey,
framing certain views and designing moments for rest and
observation throughout.
175
Figure 6.62 - Site plan
to plans sketch
176
The following images show more developed plans and
sections highlighting circulation through the building and
programmatic spaces. The sections start to show the
structural trusses in the horizontal elements.
177
1/64” = 1’-0”
1/64” = 1’-0”
178
1/128” = 1’-0”
1/64” = 1’-0”
1/64” = 1’-0”
Figure 6.63 Perspective from land
looking at environmental
center
180
181
Perspective images show the building mass on the site as well
as how the building would be experienced as a visitor. Figure
6.64 shows the first corridor in the building and how it provides
views to the outside as well as openings to look through
the other spaces inside. Figure 6.65 shows a view from the
pedestrian bridge, headed towards the marshes.
182
Figure 6.64 - View
down corridor in
building
Figure 6.65 - View on
pedestrian bridge
183
Endnotes
184
1.
“Pedestrian Bridge in Austin,” http://www.architizer.
com/en_us/projects/view/pedestrian-bridge-in-
austin/46788 (accessed February 18, 2013).
2.
Kain, Alexandra “Water Droplet Resort Will Convert Air into Purified Water,” http://inhabitat.com/water-
building-resort-will-convert-air-into-purified-water
(accessed February 18, 2013).
3.
“Boat’s House at Millstätter Lake / MHM architects,”
http://www.archdaily.com/298183/boats-house-at-
millstatter-lake-mhm-architects (accessed February 18,
2013).
4.
Ibid.
185
7
186
Design Development
187
188
INTRODUCTION
After the initial images showing the building design concept
and its schematic design, time was spent refining the design.
Special attention was given to the necessary egress and to
make sure conditions for ADA accessibility were met. The
structure for the building was properly sized and systems were
identified, including mechanical and sustainable systems as
well as developing a skin for the building and implementing
passive heating and cooling strategies. In the early stages of
this design development, it was helpful to look to more case
studies to inspire overall building design, including specific
components in the environmental learning center: the bridge
or pier design, observation towers, large-scale trusses, and
interaction with the water.
189
CASE STUDIES
Jurmala Observation Tower - Jumala, Latvia,
ARHIS Architects
Designed by Latvian firm ARHIS Architects, this tower provides
views of the city of Jurmala and the nearby sea. The tower is
120 feet high and made out of galvanized metal with treated
pine trusses. The structure is enclosed by an open-air cage.
The observation platform is located at 110 feet requiring
to climb 203 stairs. On their journey upward, there are 12
balconies (three on each side) for observation at differing
heights. Some of the balconies cantilever out over the
facade. It was important to avoid obstructing views, so
the metal framework is covered with narrow wooden strips
placed horizontally.
The overall concept of framing views and offering various
Figure 7.01-7.05 Photographs of the
Jurmala Observation
Tower
190
levels for visitors to observe relates back to the goals for the
environmental learning center in Ocean City.
191
CASE STUDIES
Lorong Halus Pedestrian Bridge - Singapore,
Singapore, Thryc
The design of the 550 feet long pedestrian bridge minimized
impact on nature by reducing the number of piles needed.
Fewer piles were made possible by increasing the bridge
span, which meant using a filigree truss structure composed
of five 100 foot long spans between piles. The pedestrian
bridge was meant to allow people to see the wetlands as a
haven for wildlife and to provide a green space for the public
to use. Even the red rustic color of the bridge compliments
nature.
Each of the structural steel compartments is divided into 11
steel sections, changing in size, and flipped where supported,
which begins to create a wave effect.
Figure 7.06-7.08 Photographs of the
Lorong Halus Pedestrian
Bridge
192
This unique design of a truss over long spans is applicable to
the design of the pier in this project.
193
CASE STUDIES
Faroe Islands Education Center - Marknagil,
Faroe Islands, BIG
Situated on a hillside outside of Torshavn, Faroe Islands, the
new Marknagil Education Center solves the design challenge
of combining three educational institutions into one building.
Designed by the architectural firm BIG, the 19,200 square
meter building will cater to over 1,200 students and 300
teachers by housing the Faroe Islands Gymnasium, Torshavns
Technical College, and Business College of Faroe Islands in a
single building, making it the largest educational building in
the country’s history.
This case study was chosen because of its use of the structural
truss becoming part of the spaces used by people. It also
includes cantilevered classrooms, which uses the truss to
frame views in a different direction.
Figure 7.09-7.13 Renderings of BIG’s
Faroe Islands Education
Center
194
195
CASE STUDIES
Sichang Road Teahouse - Kunshan, China, Miao
Design Studio
This building addresses the issue of Chinese urban residents
being isolated from nature. Its design is meant to “encourage
people to develop an intimacy with natural water so that
they will love nature more and demand a more holistic urban
environment.”1
The teahouse’s design explores how to allow users to truly be
close to and interact with the water. The river level continually
moves up and down, therefore a pool was created to draw
its water from the river. From the teahouse, this pool looks like
it is part of the river.
Within the building, visitors can open windows and touch the
water that is just below their elbows, a similar experience to
them being on a boat. A layer of wood trellises with vines
Figure 7.14-7.15 - Images
above
of the Sichang Road
Teahouse
196
the glass roof gives people the feeling of peeking into
the bright river from under dark shades.2
This building’s strong connection to the surrounding water
and the way it focuses on allowing the users to interact with
the water are design solutions that can be applied to the
environmental learning center.
Figure 7.16-7.17 - Areas
of the teahouse where
visitors view and interact
with the water.
197
Figure 7.18 - Site plan
SITE DESIGN
The revised site plan shows an updated building plan along
with callouts highlighting important aspects of the building
and site design. On-street parking already exists on all
blocks surrounding the site, however ADA parking would
be provided closer to the entrance to the center which is
the area on Bay Avenue between the site and the existing
198
baseball field that has been transformed into permeable
pavement. The sailboat and kayak storage that existed on
land at the Bayside Center have been moved to the new
building, allowing more open space on land. Small pavilions
provide areas for visitors to picnic and enjoy the outdoors.
The existing Bayside Center remains on site and is used for
historical exhibits and archives.
199
OBSERVATION DECK
FOR VIEWING THE MARSHLANDS
OBSERVATION SEATING
VIEW NESTING AREAS AND
INTERACTION WITH WATER
ELEVATIONS & MATERIALS
The south elevation of the building shows the context of the
environmental learning center as it connects the existing
buildings in Ocean City to the marshlands. Materials used in
the building are a steel structure (trusses, beams, columns)
with concrete floors, and walls made out of concrete and
glass. The floor of the pier is wood, mimicing the boardwalk
in Ocean City and because of its natural qualities. The pier
does not provide access to the marsh (visitors are still able
to access it by boat). This decision was made as to not
impose on the natural environment. Instead of constructing a
200
TX ACTIVE CONCRETE
PHOTOCATALYTIC REACTION THAT
DESTORYS COMPOUNDS IN AIR
PILKINGTON ACTIV GLASS
USES SUNLIGHT TO BREAK DOWN
ORGANIC DIRT; RAINWATER WASHES
PARTICLES AWAY
VEGETATED BIOFILTER
NATURALLY FILTERS
RAINWATER TO LAND
Figure 7.19 - South
elevation with callouts
boardwalk in the wetlands, a view from above is provided for
visitors.
Innovative materials add to the sustainability of the building
as well as the concept of bringing new technology to
the public. The concrete used in the building is TX Active
Photocatalytic cement which has the ability to clean the
air and sustain healthier living. Through photocatalytic
technology, concrete components with TX Aria react with
sunlight to fight pollution. Each exterior concrete surface
“reduces harmful atmospheric pollutants including nitrogen
oxides, sulfur oxides, VOCs, urban smog and other industrial
201
threats to health and quality of life.”3
Used for the windows and curtain walls in the building,
Pilkington Activ glass is a dual-action self-cleaning glass. The
special coating uses natural elements to help keep the glass
free from dirt, needing less cleaning and providing clearer
views to the outdoors. The Pilkington Activ coating reacts with
sunlight to break down organic dirt. Rainwater then “spreads
evenly over the surface of the glass, forming a thin film and
helping to wash away any dirt and reduce streaks.”4
Figure 7.20 - East
elevation
202
PLANS & SECTIONS
A developed, final iteration of plans, shown in Figure 7.21,
shows resolved egress and life safety issues including the
proper number of exits and fire stairs as well as corridors and
doors sized appropirately. In the sections in Figure 7.23, the
truss structure has been developed. In some places the truss
becomes two stories deep, strengthening the structure and
visually connecting the levels better.
203
Figure 7.21 - Plans
204
205
Figure 7.22 Sustainable components
diagram
206
SUSTAINABILITY DIAGRAM
One of the driving concepts in the design of this building has
been for it to be as sustainable as possible and to teach the
public about its energy saving methods. Figure 7.22 shows
these sustainable techniques. PV panels on the roof are used
for power. Their angle also allows there to be a clerestory to
let more sunlight into the building.
A non-occupiable green roof on the second level collects
rainwater, helps to cool the building, and would become
home to a variety of species (insects, vegetation, birds).
The idea is to keep this green roof as an area of vegetation
of little or no maintenance for visitors to see from the floor
above. Rainwater is collected from all roofs and collected
in cisterns below the first floor for reuse in the building and as
irrigation on the site. A vegetated biofilter is designed to run
alongside the entrance ramp to the building. This will be a
place for visitors to be reminded and surrounded by nature as
the enter and exit the building. It will also drain and filter water
from the roof and building.
Operable windows allow natural ventilation to be the primary
means of cooling the building year round. However, the
building also uses a geothermal energy to heat and cool the
building. The earth remains between 50° and 60° F throughout
the year, thus heating or cooling the closed loop system
207
which is underground. Using a heat pump, this will heat or
cool tubes in the concrete floor to produce radiant heating
or cooling as needed. Since some of the exhibit spaces are
double stories, it makes sense for the main source of heating
and cooling to be near the floor, where the users will be.
The skin of the building is made up of layers of intersecting
pieces of material. This idea was inspired by Studio Gang’s
Ford Calumet Environmental Center in Chicago, Illinois,
discussed in Chapter 2 and seen in Figure 2.13. In the Ford
Calumet Environmental Center, the nest-like layers of
materials formed an ‘in-between’ space for visitors to occupy
while allowing birds extra room before reaching the glass of
the building. The skin designed in this building is not as deep,
so it does not allow for an occupiable space, although it
does create a trellis-like skin which allows vegetation to
grow up it (from planters on the extended floor at its base).
It also acts as a sunshading device while still allowing light in.
Finally, the number of layers and the density of the openings
Figure 7.23 Longitudinal &
Latitudinal Sections
208
changes throughout the building facade. The skin is denser
and has less openings in the places where visitors are focusing
on the exhibits on the inside of the building. There are more
and bigger openings in the places where visitors would be
focusing their attention outside. The openings allow for and
frame the views to the outdoors.
Since very early in this design process, it was stated that the
building should do more than just be ‘sustainable’. It should
coexist with nature, and if possible, benefit the organisms in
the area. To accomplish this, everywhere the building touches
the water will be an environment for oysters to grow. Benefits
of oysters include cleaning the water and increasing diversity
of organisms (partly because the shells increase the surface
area of the originally flat surface, physically allowing more
room for organisms). Additionally, the building is catering to
the birds in the area. The top portions of the columns will be
wrapped in layers of intersecting materials for birds to use for
nesting. This wrapping is similar in design to the skin, however it
209
is deeper so that it can be inhabited.
The columns being utilized by organisms also offer an
opportunity for the pier to include moments for visitors to view
these habitats. Observational seating has been designed to
cut through the pier in certain places. Looking through glass,
visitors can see birds nesting and the building’s interaction
with the water.
COMPOSITE SECTION
The composite section, detail drawing, and 3D axon drawing
reiterates the building’s design features. It highlights how
light comes in through the screening elements and how
the building is designed with natural ventilation in mind. The
detail drawing shows typical connections between the steel
structural components, and the 3D diagram shows how the
layered facade connects to the curtain wall and truss system
in the building.
210
Figure 7.24 - Composite
Section
211
CONCLUSION
Ocean City’s environmental learning center was designed in
response to the climatic conditions and local ecologies. The
building acts as a link between the community buildings in
the town and the natural wetlands in the bay. Its educational
212
Figure 7.25 - Exterior
perspective
program influences the residents of Ocean City, summer
visitors, as well as neighboring towns along the coast. Design
strategies were taken from nature and merge with modern
structural elements and innovative sustainable technology to
create Ocean City’s Environmental Learning Center.
213
Figure 7.26-8 Perspectives
26. Water Conservation
Exhibit
27. Energy Exhibit
28. View of tower and
how it meets the water
214
215
Figure 7.29 - Perspective
on pier
216
Endnotes
218
1.
“Sichang Road Teahouse / Miao Design Studio,” http://
www.archdaily.com/352352/sichang-road-teahouse-
miao-design-studio/ (accessed March 31, 2013).
2. Ibid.
3. “TX Active: Photocatalytic Cements,” http://txactive.
us/tx_aria.html (accessed April 17, 2013).
4. “Pilkington: Product Benefits,” http://www.pilkington.
com/products/bp/bybenefit/selfcleaning/activ/how-it-
works/default.htm (accessed April 17, 2013).
219
8
220
Design Defense
221
222
Figure 8.1 - Final Boards
for Thesis Defense
223
Figure 8.2-5 - Final
Exhibition
2-3. Physical model on
site
4-5. Board and model in
gallery
224
Bibliography
226
Abbott, Dave. “Symbiosis.” National Science Database Library. N.p., May
2000. Web. September 26, 2012.
Architecture 2030. “Problem: Energy.” Architecture 2030, http://
architecture2030.org/the_ problem/problem_energy (accessed
September 30, 2012).
Alexander, Christopher, Sara Ishikawa, and Murray Silverstein. A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction. New York: Oxford UP, 1977.
The Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority. “Green Initiative.”
http://www.atlanticcitynj.com/meeting_planners/green_initiative.
aspx (accessed November 3, 2012).
“Boat’s House at Millstätter Lake / MHM architects,” http://www.archdaily.
com/298183/boats-house-at-millstatter-lake-mhm-architects
(accessed February 18, 2013).
Bordallo y Carrasco Architectos. “Multifunctional Centre.”
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227
Cooper, Matthew J.P., Michael D. Beevers, Michael Oppenheimer. Future
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“enc: Environmental Nature Center,” http://www.enc.org (accessed
January 16, 2013).
Gang, Jeanne. Reveal. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2011.
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Kain, Alexandra. “Water Droplet Resort Will Convert Air into Purified Water,” http://inhabitat.com/water-building-resort-will-convert-air-
into-purified-water (accessed February 18, 2013).
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April 17, 2013).
Reed, Alan. “GWWO Architects Project Portfolio.” http://archinect.
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229
Sustainable Jersey Climate Change Adaptation Task Force. “New
Jersey Climate Change Trends and Projections Summary.” http://
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October 28, 2012).
Studio Gang Architects. “Ford Calumet Environmental Center.” http://
www.studiogang.net/work/2003/fordcalumetenvironmentalcenter
(accessed November 1, 2012).
“TX Active: Photocatalytic Cements,” http://txactive.us/tx_aria.html (accessed April 17, 2013).
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230
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231

Environmental Learning Center | Ocean City, NJ Ashley Rauenzahn

Transcription

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