Architecture and Energy
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SET 2004 - 3rd International Conference on Sustainable Energy Technologies. Nottingham, UK, 28-30 June 2004 Page 1 of 3 Architecture and energy F. Leal and J. L. Wolpert Faculty of Architecture, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México ABSTRACT: Architecture, before casting its sublime plastic and aesthetic shed adding to cultural fabric, provides shelter as a response to an aggressive surrounding, as interpreted by human beings. There is then a practical utility in its origin. It follows that a building should operate efficiently to fulfill this primary goal. Architecture is a public art that has its origin in the need for shelter; then it is only caustic for it to consider the environment and energy ratios in its interpretation and to promote a friendly dialogue there too. Keywords: Architecture, energy, comfort INTRODUCTION meteorological characteristics of any site on Earth are What is in Architecture a cultural and artistic the result of an entropic spenditure of some kind of manifestation is born of the duality: man’s need for energy i.e. solar, eolic, chemical or hydrological. protection and the sign of human congregation. Le Corbusier defined at some point Architecture as the ENERGY IN ARCHITECTURE wise game of volumes under light. Later and as a So energy is at the core of Architecture’s primordial result of his social views he dictated: A house is a raison d’etre. This explains why any project needs to machine for human operation. Both visions, although based upon a thorough analysis of the site. An contrasting, hide certain nostalgia of men for their architect must understand what energy and its work and immortality. In its semantic discourse, manifestations and possible transformations are to Architecture has encouraged a dialogue between determine how will the designed space interact men; from the Chauvert caves in the Ardeche Gorges efficiently with the environment. This is not to say that in the south of France to the Greater London cultural, traditional and aesthetic factors should be Authority Building in Southwark, London. The Thames negligible in Architecture; on the contrary, energy and the Rhone rivers, like the Tigris or the Yang Tse efficiency should enhance the intellectual processes Kiang in oriental cultures, are and have been symbols an architect undergoes when trying to express his or of human culture and congregation. We ask today her dialectic statements on the above for any project. what impulse lead Paleolithic men to paint their caves thirty-one centuries ago and what inspires them to Energy is the capacity any substance or body keep doing so. Wassily Kandinsky, who included processes that may result in the doing of work; being primitive painting interpretations in his plastic work a force excerted over a distance. Men have discourse, explains this drive as a consequence of found through civilizations ways to control nature by three levels of communication: the artisan, the kid one transforming energy resources into forms of energy always is and the public server. When we talk about that act in their favor. Heat, electricity and public art we must include Architecture. Public art mechanical, kinetic and chemical energies are some refers to the human natural need to live congregated. of these useful manifestations of energy that operate Every thing makes sense to man when he in a building. Science has studied over the century’s communicates with other men; even if it is to fight … energy sources almost readily found on Earth to as History has taught us. We are public animals. No power technology. This has led to irreversible wonder here in England bars are called public houses damage to the environment. Furthermore, human or “pubs”. development may be deterred due to the limited availability of non-renewable energy sources. In Mexican Architecture the dialogue between the Renewable energy is a sound, clean alternative to umbrage of interiority and the sanctity of the exterior conventional energy systems and using renewables is ubiquitous. I am talking of internal patios, fountains passively and actively could positively influence and wide and tall walls that impose textures to our Architecture. Solar, wind, biomass, geothermal and spirituality and dress our intimacy with colored masks. tidal energies are being considered by science to power new technologies as an alternative to the A building, as did a cave, closes in on itself to burning of fossil fuels; which contributes greatly to mediate between the raw ambient and human ozone depletion and global warming. Architects activities. Depending on the materials it is built with, it should be aware of these new technologies and filters temperature, humidity, light, wind, water, integrate them creatively into buildings and urban vegetation and landscape in a supposedly harmonic developments. Let us consider briefly air conditioning dosage and according to human comfort. The building services. SET2004 - 3rd Conference on Sustainable Energy Technologies. Nottingham, UK, 28-30 June 2004 Page 2 of 3 factors from global to local scales influences energy There has always been a need to condition indoors demand, production, supply and safe operation of temperature, air quality, humidity and climate to many energy systems. Renewable energy sources create an adequate atmosphere for any human are climate-sensitive. Global warming and climate activity held in an enclosed space. Heat gains from changes have been broadly analyzed at international solar irradiance and electric lightning cause summits including Rio in 1992 and Kyoto in 1997. unpleasant high room temperatures. Passive There, discussions on how to limit emissions while ventilation is an ideal alternative for cooling when still enabling development have pointed out the sufficient wind currents are present. However, the importance of alternative clean technologies. Another relief provided by natural airflow through an open environmental consideration when using renewable window is only effective for a depth of about 20 feet energy powered cooling technologies is the ozone inward from glazing. This method of passive depletion potential of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC´s). ventilation allows noise, dust and other pollutants to When exhausted to the atmosphere, these refrigerant enter the building freely. Furthermore, if windows are agents contribute to the destruction of the ozone open, then even moderate wind speeds cause layer, which prevents the ultraviolet sunrays to reach excessive draughts, becoming worst on the lower the surface of the Earth. Concern for this problem floors of buildings. Although there are different originated discussions among the International techniques to enhance passive ventilation, various Community on the reduction and eventual banning of humane activities require specific ambient control CFC´s production and the need to find chlorine-free unachievable with passive methods. Air conditioning working fluid alternatives that resulted in the 1987 is used when a cooling and dehumidification function Montreal Protocol. The use of safe and clean is intended. Progress and industrialization in the late refrigerants to run renewable energy systems is nineteenth century derived in refrigeration and cooling imperative for them to become a viable alternative to technologies that use heat to drive mechanical conventional power generation and refrigeration. engines which may provide a cooling effect. Conventional heat sources for this purpose are fossil CONCLUSIONS fuels. Also, refrigerants developed in the early Along with the free market, an energy crisis has been twentieth century for cooling applications have been globalized in the last decades. One should not ignore found to damage our environment. Some passive this element while interpreting recent developments in methods used before the nineteenth century to cool the war against terrorism and Iraq’s occupation. In buildings include: roof gardens, double bricklaying this uncertain world order the role of the Architect walls, insulated ceilings and sun shades of various must be questioned. types. These passive techniques can be appreciated in different cultures. The use of a wet cloth hanged in Are we artists, professionals, public servers or front of windows and doorways in Middle Eastern designers? Our social role should be redefined cultures with dry climate to cool the air temperature considering the practical usefulness of our creativity down by water evaporation is still common. There are to enhance the operation of any space or void where modern applications for passive ventilation that human activities flow. And I am not talking of liquid include the use of heat exchangers that allow fresh Architecture. Of course, this means we should leave and cool air into the building while driving the hot air the comfortable nutshell Architecture has been out. confined to for far too long; where architects are a luxury and competition on aesthetic grounds and CLIMATE CONTROL IN ARCHITECTURE theoretical discourses debates take place within a Conventional cooling systems using electrical power limited universe, observed and approved by those few generated from non-renewable energy sources need who benefit from the current economic world order. economically viable and environmentally sound Two thirds of the world’s population do not have alternatives since the present rate of fossil fuel access to this system and lack some of what we consumption is unsustainable and the harm caused to acknowledge to be basic living standards such as the