TSC Global's hypar roof is located next to the light ril tracks, just south of downtown Denver

Evidence of new buildings featuring an innovative and cost-effective roof can now be seen in a growing number of African nations, including Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Sudan, as part of a Roofs for the World initiative.

This roof is called a Thin Shell Composite Hyperbolic Paraboloid, or TSC Hypar, thus the name, TSC Global, which proclaims  the building methodology using this roof has the potential for revolutionizing roofing and construction in the most impoverished and remote parts of the globe. TSC Global executive director, Brad Wells, says that compared to the corrugated steel roof structures seen everywhere in the developing world, TSC roof construction requires a minimum in cut lumber, demands no power machinery for construction, and leaves almost no carbon footprint. In addition, buildings featuring these roofs are significantly quieter in rain and windstorms, and can be earthquake resistant.

Denver-based TSC Global was created to build, promote and fully develop this construction method, with the belief that there is real potential to dramatically enhance the overall quality and affordability of structures used by millions if not billions of people worldwide. It is now focusing on a potential rebuilding program for Haiti.

Photos: Brad Wells, TSC Global

A TSC roof is constructed as follows: an acrylic cement composite is applied to an arched hyperbolic paraboloid shaped cloth that has been stretched across a four-sided pyramid framework using wood or bamboo. When the acrylic and cement composite cures, the product is a far superior roofing alternative to corrugated metal and other roofs, contends Wells.

Even with a final thickness of approximately one centimeter, a TSC Hypar roof is strong enough to hold heavy weights. Hypar structures have been built for decades but the most closely observed demo structure was built in 1996 by habitat pioneer, George Nez, who has worked on United Nations and USAID emergency relief projects. The TSC website reports Mr. Nez’s structure has endured Colorado winds, freezes and thaws of as much as three feet of. In warmer climates, these roofs should last many decades.

Importantly, a venting and circulation system has been added to the hypar roof in hot climates, allowing air and cooking exhaust to escape. The top vent and cap is an important and simple modification, says Mr. Nez. Adding a ceiling and sealing off the attic space will also enhance cooling.

A TSC roof, reinforced with embedded chicken wire mesh demonstrates resilience to failure or collapse, says the TSC website, adding that the lightweight roof can decrease chances of injury or worse in earthquake scenarios, even in the most severe earthquake. Recent work in overall building design by Colorado School of Mines structural engineering professor, Panos Kiousis, suggests that simple wall-embedded cross-braced panels secured to a ring beam, with adequate fastening of roofs to posts, should create an earthquake resistant building, still at low costs.

TSC structures can be constructed easily in the most remote settings with no transport of large building materials or equipment. Wells says his target populations include refugee and post-disaster projects, urban “shantytown” replacement, and general commercial and residential building construction. He adds that a further goal for his organization is to offer training and micro-finance networks.

Vertical garden on French building from Patrick Blanc Photo: Blanc

Credit for inventing the vertical wall goes to French botanist and inventor, Patrick Blanc,  shown in this building photo.  According to Blanc’s website, the vertical garden was conceived from watching natural environments – many in jungle locations – and watching how plants can grow without soil. The vertical wall can also functions as an air purification system.

Vertical garden options from Vertigarden

One up and coming vertical gardening company in America, PlantsOnWalls, based in San Francisco, is developing and marketing numerous vertical wall applications for interior and exterior walls, calling them living walls (lower photos). Another vertical gardening company of note is a UK-based VertiGarden, whose work is shown here.

PlantsOnWalls system for growing herbs vertically. Source: PlantsOnWalls

PlantsOnWalls states that its panels are made with 100% recycled water bottle PET plastic fiber felt that is non-toxic, UV stable and will last a lifetime. The felt pockets that are part of the wall system are mounted to a lightweight recyclable plastic board that provides support, while keeping the back dry.

Many observers might ask how a vertical garden can be watered. Simply water the top row of pockets that are part of the wall system, the company Website says. This patent pending design is intended to keep the interior moist while keeping the front dry. And in cases of overwatering, excess moisture not absorbed by the plants will drip from the bottom of the panel. Runoff can be collected in drip trays to be recirculated or drained away. A video of how this system works can be seen here.

Plants that can be grown in such a wall system include succulents, various ivies, herbs and low-light ferns. The company adds that most plants can be grown where it receives its proper light, water and nutrient requirements.

Photo of Chang's Hong Kong apartment Source: Marcel Lam

Architect Gary Chang has implemented some stunning solutions for small-space living in his Hong Kong apartment. To get a first-hand glimpse of Mr. Chang’s take on how spaciousness in a small space might look and feel, look at this You Tube video clip: story from Hong Kong.

This compact living space represents an inspiring case study for anybody considering the challenges of living in inner city areas with limited space. From the standpoints of density and functional practicality, this Chang design offers great potential. Consider that Chang’s apartment contains not just one room, but 24 rooms in one.

For instance, his living room wall can be slid back to reveal a storage and changing area, something Chang refers to as his spa. Behind the spa is a bathroom that receives natural light from the apartment’s single exterior window. When the bathroom is not in use, the space converts to a guest bedroom, using a pull-down Murphy bed. The entire place makes a showcase in modular functionality that, as shown here on this Reuter’s story will continually surprise visitors.

Virginia Gardner, writing for The New York Times Home & Garden, described Chang’s magic: “He grabbed a handle near the wall-mounted television, pulling a section of the wall itself toward the center of the room. Behind it, a small countertop with two burners, a sink and a spice rack appeared. Opposite the countertop, on the back of the now-displaced wall, he lowered a hinged worktop made of a lightweight laminate of honeycombed aluminum. Suddenly, he was standing in a kitchen.”

Of interest, Chang grew up in this apartment with his parents, three sisters, and a tenant. The unit contained three very small bedrooms, a kitchen, living room and dining area. Chang says he has renovated the apartment four times since buying it from his parents 20 years ago. Call it a work in progress – a fabulous one.

Taking the roofs-first approach, a kitchen is built in Rwanda. Source: George Nez

On one Denver, Colorado back lot a visitor will encounter an unorthodox-looking roof that just might help meet the housing needs of displaced people worldwide.

The roof, shaped like a hyperbolic paraboloid, was constructed on the ground and then lifted in place by African student builders who wanted to build similar structures in locales like Rwanda and Sudan.

Remarkably strong and weather resistant, this new age shelter contains few structural elements, can be constructed without electrical power, and costs very little money.

George Nez is the developer of this roof system, simply calling it a “hypar roof.” Those familiar with his work – especially those builders in Rwanda and Sudan – fondly refer to this structure as the “Nez roof.” The roof is built using latex-modified concrete that is painted over a mesh backing. A video interview with Mr. Nez can be seen here.

Nez, now in his mid-eighties, once served as planning director for the City of Denver before going to work for the United Nations & USAID to help with large-scale resettlements in Africa, Eastern Europe, and South America caused from emergencies like floods or earthquakes. It was there that he implemented the idea of building roofs-first, a practice that has became his life’s work.

A slurry of latex-modified concrete is applied to thos Romanian roof. Source: George Nez

“The principle of roofs-first is to be able to rapidly, and at the lowest cost, provide shelter so the families can move in and eventually fill in their wall. They don’t have time for a slow process of building up from foundations or traditional walls and wait until they can afford a roof? No. The roof-first process builds the roofs for them.”

The roof is built with latex modified concrete that is painted over a mesh backing. “Latex is the basic element in paint and provides a kind of resilience in concrete, which is incredible.” says Nez, adding that testing on the roofs have been tested by the National Park Service and by the Knott Laboratory in Denver and show from double the normal roof requirement up to four times with resilience to hot and cold.

Mesh on roof structure before concrete is applied. Source: George Nez

Nez holds a sample piece of the roof, approximately one centimeter in thickness. “This is all that’s needed, the thickness; that thickness is sufficient to park a truck on it.” It has a reinforcement core of fiberglass screen. That’s what was put across the open frame first then the cement was simply poured on there as thin slurry of latex modified concrete, sand, cement, and latex and water.

Nez is a graduate of M.I.T. as a master in city planning and holds a Ph.D. in Urban Services Administration from Columbia Pacific University. He also served as a professor of planning at Kansas State University.

Post from D Grifen
– Supporter of all things green and progressive

With some of the brightest young engineers coming straight out of  the University of Illinois, it’s no wonder why the city is involved with major green initiatives. This includes the development of land conservation efforts driven by the Chicago Department of Environment, and some significant advances in Green Space/architecture during the 21^st century.

Chicago’s demand for greener jobs is being answered by companies like the West Pullman Plant, the largest urban solar planet in the U.S. In a report filed by the Chicago Sun Times, Jim Amedeo, Lead Supervisor, states “Solar plants are only going to get smaller and more efficient, and solar energy will get cheaper to use.”

Residential areas are progressively doing their part to ensure a smarter, energy efficient planet by exploring solar alternatives. With the housing tax credit extension, homeowners are definitely more inclined to enhance their efficiency and find new ways to go green. Reports substantiated by NBCNC of Chicago find that American homes generated twice as much power from rooftop solar panels. This is especially true in Chicago; hopefully with the expansion of plants like West Pullman, we’ll see an increase in solar powered homes and renewable energy.

Leading the way in green civil design in large is Niranjan Shah, CEO of Globetrotters Engineering Corporation out of Chicago, IL. Globetrotters has been granted monies in excess of $13.7 million, all for city consulting and engineering contracts since March 1994. “For over three decades, the firm has provided a full range of professional architectural and engineering consulting services we have also been active in program management, construction and energy management; property and facilities operation and maintenance; and technology integration and development.” (GEC) In building, the firm abides by USGBC guidelines; further promoting sustainability.

The rest of our nation keep an eye on the initiatives being taken in Chicago. Miniscule Individual lifestyle changes, such as brushing your teeth with the water off, are a step in the right direction. With the implementation of land conservation and Green Space, Chicago, along with the rest of the nation will effectively see costs go down in the long-term. This will in turn lead to a relatively fast economic incline.

According to the MOA, it sought “…nine interns for Design and Build: Spring 2010 for the “Recycled Dwellings Project”. Interns will collaborate on a design proposal while working with our professional artist/architect in residence. After the proposal process, interns will build their dwelling in a public space to be on temporary display through fall of 2010.”

Each intern will be awarded a $1,000 stipend. Engineering, architecture, design, art and carpentry were among skill sets that were sought from interns.

Eichelberger builds a barn with baled scrap plastic

“The goal is that the kids will learn about recycling collection and construction,” says Eichelberger, adding that the exhibit might serve as a springboard for other innovative projects that employ sustainable solutions. Eichelberger has used recycled materials in building project before, constructing numerous buildings on his ranch using various trash materials.

Concurrent with the launch of the internship program, this April 10, the museum will open Element House.

Source: Museum of Outdoor Art

Element House: Architecture for a New Ecology:

Element House architecture for a new ecology

Sat Apr 10, 2010 Sat Aug 14, 2010
Location: Indoor Gallery
Opening Reception: April 10, 2010 5-9pm Lecture at 4:30

Sat Apr 10, 2010 Sat Aug 14, 2010
Location: Indoor Gallery
Opening Reception: April 10, 2010 5-9pm Lecture at 4:30

A discussion with the architects, Principals Michael Meredith and Hilary Sample of MOS Architects will be held on Saturday, April 10th beginning at 4:30 p.m.

Exhibition continues through August 14th, 2010.

“This exhibition will showcase the revolutionary design of a multi-component, modular green home prototype. MOS Architects have an extensive international portfolio including institutional buildings, urban strategies, research, books, installations including MoMA’s PS1 and other projects that have been included in national and international publications such as DWELL.

“The modular homes will be “off the grid”, or capable of operating independent of all traditional public utility services, and will be designed for pre-fabrication, utilizing strict LEED™ design criteria and limited to 1500 square feet or less. The “Element House” is derived from the Fibonacci sequence, which in itself is a describer of developmental patters in living organisms. This mathematical series was applied in order to explore the idea of recombinatory growth in building forms and the economics of spatial compartmentalization.

“The Museum of Outdoor Arts is located at 1000 Englewood Parkway (at Hampden and Santa Fe – only a few minutes from downtown Denver) and is accessible from the Englewood light rail stations.

“The Museum of Outdoor Arts is Free and Open to the Public Monday – Thursday 9 – 5 p.m. and Fridays from 9 – 4 p.m.”

]]> http://ourgreenstreetsblog.com/wordpress/2010/03/moa-launches-recycled-materials-internships-element-house-exibit/feed/ 2 http://ourgreenstreetsblog.com/wordpress/2009/10/try-out-the-buckminster-fuller-challenge/ http://ourgreenstreetsblog.com/wordpress/2009/10/try-out-the-buckminster-fuller-challenge/#comments Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:35:37 +0000 grmeyers http://ourgreenstreetsblog.com/wordpress/?p=632 It is nearing time to be excited about the human spirit of innovation and invention.

I recommend visiting the Buckminster Fuller Challenge 2010, and looking at some of the entries from previous challenges, particularly the winners from last year (2009).

Bucky with tensegrity mode

To cite BFI executive director, Elizabeth Thompson:

“There is a movement afoot–of highly motivated individuals all over the world seriously engaged in coming up with solutions to the mounting set of problems we face. These design pioneers and social innovators are not waiting for large scale institutions to deliver us to a sustainable future. They understand the critical role they play as the change agents for the future we all want to see. These are the people and projects we are excited to see submit an entry to the Challenge.

“We have an amazing line-up of the international systems thinkers and design pioneers serving on the jury. This year we plan to capture and publish some of the discussion leading to the selection of the winning solution as we feel it surfaces some of the most critical issues faced in trying to figure out which solutions are leverage points for turning the ship around.”

This is a solid location for folks to spend time, look, absorb, invent.

Solar Decathlon entry from Team Spain

High-Tech Homes That Save Money Without

Sacrificing Comfort To Highlight DOE Solar Decathlon

The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2009 combines the latest in home
design and energy performance with the innovative spirit of university students
from around the world. The 20 university-led teams from the United States,
Germany, Canada, and Spain put their high-tech homes to the test—seeing how the
high-efficiency, solar-powered homes they built meet the energy needs of a typical
family. This year, the competition is enhanced by net metering—meaning the
houses are tied to the grid and will actually generate power for the local utility.
Just a few reasons to watch the solar village on the National Mall in Washington,
D.C., Oct. 8–18, 2009, are to:
•     Experience the future of green buildings today
•     Witness the powerful training platform for approximately 2,000 student
decathletes—the engineers, architects, and designers of tomorrow
•     Discover the latest innovative-housing solutions to reduce our carbon
footprint
•     Meet the students and professors who have designed, built, and tested these
prototype zero-energy, zero-carbon homes “from scratch”
•     Expand your knowledge of off-the-shelf modular components (such as
structural insulated panels, remote and Internet energy monitoring devices,
weather instrumentation, radiant flooring, and rain catchment systems) that
save energy and save money
•     Tour energy-efficient, highly attractive sustainable homes intentionally
designed to entice and appeal
•     Draw from the bright ideas of the students, who are dedicated ambassadors
inspired to reduce our dependency on foreign oil, beyond the competition.
The Solar Decathlon competition houses are open to the public Oct. 8–18,
2009, except for Oct. 14, when they are closed for competition purposes. For
more information, visit www.solardecathlon.org.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10356295-54.html?tag=nl.e703

According to Patrick Gill, co-founder of NoCoEntre.net, Northern Colorado is a hotbed of businesses with solutions to this challenge.  For this month’s presentations we have selected three companies, ranging from heat regulation technology, to zero-energy homes, to real estate development projects.

S. Kroll + J. Andrews — Corvid Wall (Englewood)
M. Kostovny — Solar Village (Boulder)
T. Hoaglund — Vignette Studios (Fort Collins)

“We are very excited about the prospects for our meeting.  The presenters are thought leaders in the Green Built environment.  We expect to learn about the status of Green Building, the contribution of these leaders and we’ll work on issues they’ve identified,” said Gill.

This free event will be held in Fort Collins, starting at 5:45 pm on September 21, 2009. Refreshments are provided by the Larimer County Business and Enterprise Program. To learn more about the Northern Colorado Entrepreneurs Network, please visit the website.