Solar Thermal Energy Envelopes

The research project – in partnership with Lawrence Blough – aims at creating a Pratt research Center to advance the design of sustainable building envelopes.  Following the Bloomberg administration’s PlaNYC 2030 to substantially increase the energy performance of New York City’s buildings, our research will target innovative façade strategies that are highly energy efficient, generate onsite renewable energy, and produce a new vocabulary for sustainable construction.  Solar Thermal Energy (STE) envelopes will be the first of several emerging technologies investigated and prototyped by the program.  Our objectives will be accomplished by combining the School of Architecture’s knowledge base in digital design and fabrication with the advanced engineering expertise and resources of professional partners and industry.

Background

As Mayor Bloomberg launched PlaNYC 2030 to prepare New York City for one million more residents, combat climate change, and enhance the quality of life for all New Yorkers, a new generation of architects will be asked to design buildings that use energy and water more efficiently, contain fewer toxic materials, and combat urban overheating. Over the past five years, the NYC has promoted energy efficiency policies – including the Greener, Greater Buildings Plan (GGBP) – that will radically reshape the education of architects toward energy performance in buildings, reduction of emissions, and the efficient use of our limited resources. Interestingly, the most important environmental design opportunities in architecture are located within the envelope of buildings, especially larger commercial and residential buildings that are responsible for most of the GHG emission and power consumption. Building’s envelopes regulate the exchange of energy between exterior and interior space, maintain the desired differential in temperature, admit natural light, block excessive radiation, and can generate power from on-site renewable energy sources like sun and wind.  We believe that Pratt School of Architecture is well positioned to bring a new understanding of complex geometry and performance to bear on the way building envelopes are designed, manufactured and installed. The challenge is to identify opportunities within the building industry and to capitalize on the technological edge at the School to design innovative greener buildings.

Context

Curtain wall manufacturers in the USA such as Enclos have recently experienced a powerful resurgence, responding to competition from China with cutting edge engineering, vertical integration, and local installation capabilities. We believe that parametric design and smart geometry will play a critical role in transforming traditional manufacturers into full-service providers, increasingly able to bypass engineers and architects in catering directly to building owners.  Similarly, larger engineering firms, such as Arup and Buro Happold, are expanding into full design services, willing to enter in direct competition with architectural firms, which traditionally have been the primary source of commissions for engineers.  At a time when both engineering firms and manufacturing companies are aggressively repositioning themselves to become the primary provider of technology in the built environment, architects are perhaps best equipped to occupy the central role in mediating culture and technology, where invention, performance, aesthetics, and a deep knowledge of the human factor combine to create the next generation of buildings.

Over the last five years, Lawrence Blough has focused on digital fabrication and material research. He has designed and directed the production of several installations and prototypes exploring component logics in parallel with mass customization. He also coordinates the Comprehensive Design Sequence with an emphasis on building envelopes, and he has been instrumental in introducing engineers as design consultants in the studio. His design research combined with over fifteen years of teaching experience make him uniquely qualified to direct this proposal.  In addition, his twelve years as Principal of GRAFTWORKS enable him to effectively cross-pollinate between academia and technical practice.  Simone Giostra is a licensed architect in New York State and Europe and founding principle of Simone Giostra & Partners.  His practice is known for advancing the boundaries of building performance, particularly in the areas of energy technology and building envelopes.  Simone holds several US Patents including a new integrated system for a sun shading, solar powered media wall developed in partnership with Permasteelisa USA, a world leader in building cladding systems. In addition to his practice, he teaches in the Comprehensive Design and Advanced Studio sequences.  His experience with innovation in building envelope technologies including working with industry partners make Simone ideally suited for the proposal.

Long-term goals

The mission of the program is to identify opportunities to improve the thermal and energy efficiency of the NYC’s new and existing building stock, to promote efficient use of resources, and to encourage the production of energy from on-site renewable sources. Solar Thermal Energy (STE) envelopes will be the first of several emerging technologies investigated by the program with each project spanning a two year research and development period.  A large scale working prototype will be developed for each selected technology.  The long term ambition of this proposal is to establish new and meaningful relationships with institutions and industry partners in order to advance sustainable technologies in building’s envelopes, leading to an Architecture Center for Responsive Enclosures at Pratt within four to six years.

Project Plan

Solar Thermal Energy (STE) is a technology that is used to harness sunlight to produce heat.  This energy can be collected and stored for heating buildings, to produce domestic hot water and to cool buildings through thermally powered chillers.  Solar heating and cooling systems consume minimal electricity and are low in operating and maintenance costs.  Typically used on rooftops, technology such as evacuated tube collectors has evolved for vertical STE applications,  with advances in the systems making them efficient in varying weather conditions including overcast skies and freezing temperatures.  By integrating and extending current STE technologies for the predominantly vertical infrastructure of the city, new opportunities are presented for creating expressive and environmentally responsive building skins.  Using the latest digital tools pairing environmental analysis with geometric form finding, our research will investigate how unitized façade assemblies can capture, distribute and store thermal energy.  In the winter months, thermal energy will be used for radiant heating, domestic hot water, and insulation.  In the summer months, heat from the system will be used for dehumidification and to power absorption chillers for air conditioning.  Dynamic sun control systems will also be incorporated to reduce glare and cooling loads in the spring and summer seasons.  Two applications will be investigated to address PlaNYC:  one will be conceived as an over-clad system retrofitting older buildings; the other will be developed as a high performance curtain wall assembly for new construction.

Our proposal will integrate the research into the curriculum and teaching pedagogy of the UG Architecture program through seminars, sponsored studios and directed student work study.  With the NAAB requiring increased focus in the curriculum for sustainable design and technology, initiatives studying STE façade design would fulfill a need within the School of Architecture.  Leveraging the School of Architecture’s depth in digital design including advanced geometry and fabrication, courses that integrate sustainable technologies through innovative applications will position Pratt as a leader in the discipline.  Opportunities exist to incorporate this thinking in the third year Comprehensive Design sequence and will follow a collaborative model when engineers participate as part of the teaching team. Upper level research studios are also possible, where industry will sponsor STE façade applications.  By pairing the Advanced Studio with a required seminar, opportunities for in depth analysis of the technology including energy modeling and precedent analysis are studied in the seminar and then tested through design proposals in the studio.  This initiative leads to a comprehensive approach to the topic and brings attention to the work through publications and digital media that are typically part of the industry sponsored model.  Funding also will support large scale prototyping to test the material, geometric and environmental performance of the facade proposals.  This aspect is a critical component of the research and is an invaluable pedagogical tool that architecture curriculum could greatly benefit from.  The research will support three of the Strategic Plan 2012-2017 objectives: 1) Enriching the Academic Experience by “reorienting curricula to enhance professional education while supporting cultural innovation and collaboration; improving curricular integration and continuity by increasing cross-disciplinary offerings, and reforming general education; 2) Expanding Horizons by “adding Centers to extend Pratt’s reach; link faculty and students to research, internship, and service opportunities; capitalize on philanthropic opportunities and expand corporate-sponsored research studios in line with Pratt’s core academic strengths.” 3) Creating Dynamic Environments by “expanding Pratt’s technology environment to support local and global academics, research, operations, and administration.”

The first phase (nine months) would encompass the production of a booklet for fundraising that will include building precedents, analysis of STE technologies, and the design of integrated wall prototype presented through drawings, models and diagrams. The booklet will also contain data of preliminary environmental and energy modeling of the wall system demonstrating the performance of the prototype.  Two grant proposals – NYSERDA and NCARB – are due during the course of the first phase.  Time will also be dedicated to submit these applications concurrent with the design research – see “Plans For Continuation”.  Once funding outside Pratt is awarded, the second phase of the project (fifteen months) will include the development, manufacture and testing of a large scale operational prototype of the system.  During this time, the coursework related to the research and outlined above will be implemented.  The prototype will be showcased in exhibitions and/or fundraising events at Pratt and in museums or other prominent venues in New York.  The research will also be presented in peer review academic journals and conferences.  It is anticipated that after positive testing and reporting, the prototype would be ready to enter a commercialization phase and be eligible for additional grants and/or for transferring resulting IP to an industry partner.

We met with Lance Redford at Institutional Advancement on 11/19/12 and he confirmed our proposal has many opportunities for funding beyond the first phase of the award.  We indentified several state and federal sources related to energy and green technologies.  Our proposal also targets grant initiatives related to the momentum from PlaNYC 2030 – see “Plans for Continuation”.

Plans for Continuation

The program is conceived as an ongoing research and development initiative with an emphasis on investigating innovative and sustainable building envelope systems.  Every two years a new system will be developed and prototyped, leveraging the knowledge gained from the research and feedback from professional partners and industry. Ideally extending over a six year period, the research would produce up to three prototypes and create the foundation for a  Pratt Architecture “Center For Responsive Enclosures”.  Modeled on the Center for Science Architecture and Ecology (CASE) – a multi-institutional and professional research collaboration co-hosted by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP – the long term goal of our proposal is to form a design research center supported by partnerships with research institutions in New York City to provide expertise in material, environmental and building sciences.   Institutions like Polytechnic Institute of NYU and Stevens Institute of Technology are examples of possible partnerships which benefit the both the goals of our proposal and Pratt’s Strategic Plan.  This engineering knowledge paired with Pratt’s architecture and design strengths would extend and deepen the scope of the research, position Pratt to secure large government science and energy funding related to innovative next generation building systems, and ultimately bring products to market.

Within the first nine months, we intend to apply to the following for funding beyond the seed money provided by the Innovation Grant:  1) New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) Advanced Clean Power Technologies Program Opportunity Notice seeking proposals “to develop and demonstrate innovative renewable and other advanced clean power technologies, develop and demonstrate technologies that improve performance, or address and overcome specific barriers thwarting increased adoption of eligible technologies”. Category ‘B’ – Early-Stage Product Development awards a maximum of $200,000 per project with the proposal due on June 13, 2013.  This grant would enable the design, production and testing of a working large scale STE envelope prototype.  2) National Council of Architecture Registration Boards (NCARB) Award for the Integration of Practice and Education supporting “the efforts of architecture programs to create and implement effective new, for-credit curricular approaches that raise awareness about issues central to practice, and have a long-term, ongoing impact on architecture students and faculty and the program’s curriculum”.  This program awards up to $25,000 and is due October 2, 2013.  This grant would enable the implementation of new curricular initiates to bring non-faculty practitioners into Pratt to provide engineering, environmental and fabrication expertise in the studio and seminar classroom related to sustainable building envelope systems.  Additional grant opportunities as they become available include the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the New York State Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR).

Project Time Line

The program is structured on a bi-yearly commitment to design, manufacture and test a large scale prototype of a selected building technology or component.   After the first year, a second building technology will be investigated, following the same timeline outlined below, so as to guarantee continued activity of the Center’s personnel as well as a steady stream of grant applications.

If awarded, the Pratt Innovation Fund will support the first 9 months of the STE Envelopes proposal, including the following schedule:

o Deployment 2 weeks

o Case studies/precedents 6 weeks

o Design/Engineering 12 weeks

o Booklet preparation 8 weeks

o Physical modeling/prototyping 6 Weeks

o Archiving 2 weeks

If funded, the second phase of the project will include fabrication and installation of a large scale STE envelope prototype for testing and demonstration purposes, including the following schedule:

o Mobilization 2 weeks

o Design/Engineering 16 weeks

o Shop drawings 8 weeks

o Fabrication 14 weeks

o Installation 8 weeks

o Testing/Demonstration 12 weeks