U UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI Date: May 14, 2009 I, Ryan Meyer , hereby submit this original work as part of the requirements for the degree of: Master of Architecture in The School of Architecture and Interior Design It is entitled: Integrating Architecture and Infrastructure: The Design of a Solar-Powered Hydrogen Refueling Station Student Signature: Ryan Meyer This work and its defense approved by: Committee Chair: Jerry Larson Tom Bible Approval of the electronic document: I have reviewed the Thesis/Dissertation in its final electronic format and certify that it is an accurate copy of the document reviewed and approved by the committee. Committee Chair signature: Jerry Larson, Tom Bible Integrating Architecture and Infrastructure: The Design of a Solar-Powered Hydrogen Refueling Station A thesis submitted to the: Graduate School of the University of Cincinnati In Partial Completion of the Requirements for the degree of: Master of Architecture In The School of Architecture and Interior Design Of The College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning 2009 by Ryan Meyer B.S. Arch. University of Cincinnati, 2007 Committee Chairs: Jerry Larson Tom Bible ABSTRACT In the United States today, as well as the world, the means of energy production has begun to shift. The fossil fuels that have powered homes and businesses through the last century are on their way out, and new technologies are bringing renewable forms of energy to the forefront. The question now is, how can the transition from coal and oil to sun and wind be made smoothly and effectively? One of the answers is found in the way we build. Integrating devices that harness renewable power into new building construction can increase clean energy production, and allow architecture to take advantage of the spatial qualities that arise at the intersection of the two. This thesis studies the boundary between infrastructure and architecture by thinking abstractly about the components of a solar concentrating device and those of a building. They each include two main parts: structural elements and surface elements. By designing a form that merges the architecture of a building with a solar concentrator, buildings can serve as both a shelter for human activity and a power plant for energizing the building systems. This idea is studied through the integration of a concentrating solar skin with the form of an interstate hydrogen refueling station. By using energy from a solar concentrating building skin to harvest the hydrogen from water, a completely renewable system is created that can function in a closed loop where there is no waste. The focus on energy infrastructure and the transportation network aim to address the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy from an architectural perspective. As new types of infrastructure are more closely tied to surrounding context, they begin to move from the background to play active roles in the experience of the built environment. iii Table of Contents Abstract ……………………………………………………………..ii Illustrations……………………………………………………...….iv Introduction……………………………………………………….…1 Section 1 – Infrastructure and Architecture………………...…...4 Section 2 – CSP and Architecture……………….……………..29 Appendix A ……………………………………………………… 38 Appendix B………………………………………………………..39 iv Illustration Credits Figure 1 - Image by author Figure 2 - http-//www.crazyjunkyard.com/astounding-japanese-highways-bridges-interchanges/ Figure 3 - http-//www.crazyjunkyard.com/astounding-japanese-highways-bridges-interchanges/ Figure 4 - http-//www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Catalonia/Barcelona/blog-111356.html Figure 5 - http-//www.ehu.es/bicos/images/Guggenheim-bilbao-jan05 Figure 6 - http-//image42.webshots.com/43/4/75/10/2849475100091984539ZWnjHV_fs Figure 7 - http-//www.growth-coach.com/wp-content/paris-Arch%20the%20Triumph Figure 8 - http-//www.nyc-architecture.com/BKN/TWA(8).jpg Figure 9 - http-//www.essential-architecture.com/LO/LO-008.htm.jpg Figure 10 - http-//www.pushpullbar.com/forums/general-chit-chat/8470-railway-station-case- studies.html Figure 11 - http-//chronicle.com/photos/2008/04/trainIIT400x267.jpg Figure 12 - http-//www.arcspace.com/architects/koolhaas/McCormick-Tribune/1.Koolhaas Figure 13 - http-//www.arcspace.com/architects/koolhaas/McCormick-Tribune/ Figure 14 - http-//archrecord.construction.com/projects/portfolio/archives/images/ 0610cincinnati_lg Figure 15 - http-//www.e-architect.co.uk/miami/jpgs/cor_penthouseatsunset_oppenheim_ 090307_ dbox Figure 16 - http-//www.sepal.org/gulick/graphics/gaudi-sagrada-familia_bg.jpg Figure 17 - http-//www.archinect.com/gallery/albums/userpics/Golfes Figure 18 - http://cmuarch2013.wordpress.com/2009/02/06/mos-lecture-notes/ Figure 19 - http-//farm4.static.flickr.com/3007/2747491486_a84aceabd1_o Figure 20 - http-//blog.lib.umn.edu/lies0070/architecture/art_reviews-1 Figure 21 - http-//www.rafsphoto.com/Milwaukee-Wisconsin-Art-Mus.jpg Figure 22 - http-//blogs.taz.de/wp-inst/wp-content/blogs.dir/44/files/2007/02/ 043%20 overcrowded%20train%20India.jpg Figure 23 - http://www.officeda.com/flash_files/architecture_portfolio_miami_2.swf Figure 24 - http://www.officeda.com/flash_files/architecture_portfolio_miami_2.swf Figure 25 - http-//www.itas.fzk.de/deu/tadn/tadn013/image37.jpg Figure 26 - Tiwari, G.N. Solar Energy: Fundamentals, Design, Modelling, and Applications. Pangborne: Alpha Science International Ltd. Figure 27 - Tiwari, G.N. Solar Energy: Fundamentals, Design, Modelling, and Applications. Pangborne: Alpha Science International Ltd. Figure 28 - http-//orbitingfrog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/four_solaire_odeillo.jpg Figure 29 - Image by Author Figure 30 - http-//www.smud.org/en/community-environment/evs/PublishingImages/ hydrogen- refueling-station.jpg Figure 31 - http://www.edmunds.com/media/advice/specialreports/fuel.cell.future/ honda. solarenergystation.500.jpg v Figure 1 diagram of intergrating architecture and infrastruc- ture in order to produce + 2H2O + Energy = solar energy H2O - 2 H2 + O2 H2 Introduction This thesis investigates the architectural potential of the integration of infrastructure with architecture, with a specific focus on energy production through solar concentration. Incorporating energy production into building design is one means through which architects can combine architecture with infrastructure. The impact that energy-generating architecture would have on the reduction of fossil fuel use is significant. By incorporating solar concentration into new building forms, energy generation though architecture could increase exponentially with the construction of new buildings. However, besides providing clean energy, the topic of investigation is how the integration of the two would also benefit the architecture itself. The main focus of this thesis is to define the architectonic opportunities for combining infrastructure with architecture. By using solar concentration as a form driver for a building, architects can use the building envelope to focus the suns rays on a collector. Therefore, the skin of the building serves a dual purpose. The first is to provide shelter for the users while the second is to use its tuned geometry to create power. In Introduction 1 addition to the material efficiencies gained by combining two functions into one, there is also land-use efficiency, in which one site serves two functions. As a limited resource, minimizing the amount of land that is developed on a site leaves space for nature to co- exist. Finally, unique and exciting design opportunities can emerge at the boundary of architecture and infrastructure. The dynamics at the intersection has the ability to enliven spaces and add to the richness of the built environment. Smart Development As world population and the number of people moving to cities continue to increase, efficient use of land is needed to provide a sustainable growth. According to the principles of sustainability, people must find a way to meet their own needs without hurting the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This statement pertains to many issues such as the way today’s cities use natural resources and how they treat those resources after they are done with them. Smart land development is crucial to creating cities that use resources efficiently. As current development pushes city boundaries outwards and away from urban centers, more resources and infrastructure are needed to move people and goods. It is an ever- growing cycle that exponentially increases the use of natural resources. A study by the US National Resource Conservation Service found that land is being developed 1.5 times faster than it had 10 years ago. This growth rate is occurring faster than the growth rate of the population1. Larger cities have led to longer distances between people and their destinations. These inefficiencies result in problems such as traffic jams and slow commute times. While people sit in traffic, more gas is consumed, increasing the exhaust released into the atmosphere. Expanding cities also begin to take over land that was previously used for agriculture. Therefore, as people increase, the amount of land available for food production is decreasing due to urban sprawl. In order to be sustainable, people must find a balance between urban development and natural land use. The balance between the natural world and human development can first be achieved by efficiently using the land that has already been developed. By identifying points in a system where resources are mismanaged, and eliminating the concept of waste, more efficient systems can be