Sector
Public
Location
Ames IA
Year
Spring 2021
Design Team
Kaming Lam
Cameron Scott
Ayodele Iyanalu
Instructor
This is an Energy Research Facility
This project aims to build a sustainable research facility that operates on more than just a functional level. A facility that is able to prove to this community that not only does sustainable technology not interfere with their daily lives but actually enhances it.
In order to maxmize the energy efficency of our building, it's always important to analysis the site, the topography, surrounding structure and amenties and site condition, from there we can know how the building should be oriented, what form or design approach should be done and who this building can serve.
Initial Design
We wanted our building to have a lower footprint and environmental impact to our site and surrounding residents, we placed the building in a way that we would still get all our required programming spaces without taking out too many trees. Th Building is also oriented toward southeast so it can recieve majority of sunlight for our solar energy production.
IT
IS
ALL
ABOUT
THE DETAIL
Detail Drawings/Analysis
This building is all about the facade. It's made out of a doubl layered ETFE flim (Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene), not only it's lightweight and provides protection from radiation, it is also be able to expand to deflect radiation and contract to prevent sticky snow from blocking the solar production. We intergrated Solar panels between the ETFE layers to collect solar energy, the ETFE mullion also help guide rainwater or melted snow into our underground water storage system.
Detail Section
We spent a lot of time working on the details within our building because we wanted the project to be perfect. Everything from the how the ETFE membrane should be angled to capture maximum amount of sunlight to the nuts and bolts within the space frame. We ended up having a 13GB rhino file, dont be like us and use the block command in Rhino :)
Floor Plans
Understanding how circulation of the space and how people would navigate in the building that you design is important. Below shows the initial floor plan, a few changes were made after discussion with our instructor. It can only make it better!
Final Floor Plan
Model Making
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Renders
