During his lecture, the guy at E.H. Price mentioned that the new Manitoba Hydro building downtown in Winnipeg utilizes a displacement HVAC system. I couldn't find any articles on this in particular, but I did find this other article, which mentions the building's use of passive heating/ cooling. The structure uses three giant atria to condition outside air before distributing it throughout the building. 100% fresh air is maintained throughout the building. A double envelope system also allows workers to open and close operable windows on the facade of the building.[
Check it out: http://canada.archiseek.com/news/2005/000213.html
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
SC3
Check out this article on Smith Carter's office. As we learned about the under-floor HVAC system at E.H. Price, I remembered that Smith Carter's SC3 building uses such a system. The article describes this, as well as other sustainable systems incorporated in the building. It just makes so much sense, and I find it funny that good design is often so obvious(although I realize hindsight is 20/20).
http://www.building.ca/outsidethebox/project7.asp
http://www.building.ca/outsidethebox/project7.asp
I heart free food
Last Monday we took a trip down to the E.H. Price factory. E.H. Price designs and produces ventilation systems, and it was cool to see all the steps that go into making something as seemingly simple as a floor register.
After a FREE lunch (resulting in the blog entry title), we learned about the history of E.H. Price as well as the three major types of ventilation systems:
1) Overhead - this is the typical North American system - it forces air from the ceiling downward, mixing the air in the room and bringing the entire room to a constant desired temperature.
2) Displacement - I found this system to be SUPER cool. Previously, this system was used in Europe, and only lately has it made its way to North America. Displaced air systems make SO much sense that it is hard to understand why overhead systems are ever used. Displacement systems deliver cool air at the bottom of the room. As the air warms up, it rises and displaces the air above it. The used air is exhausted out through a vent in the ceiling. The great part about this system is that it only conditions the lower two-thirds of a room, which is all that humans occupy anyway. It also requires much less air speed (40-50 ft./min.) for distribution than other systems (which require 400-800 ft./min). A downfall of this system is that it can only be used for cooling.
3) Under-floor - like displacement, this system delivers air at a lower level. With this system, a raised floor is constructed to produce a plenum space under the room. This space acts as a giant duct, and air is forced from this plenum upwards into the space. Although they have a higher initial cost than overhead ventilation, under-floor systems are more efficient, and offer adjustability, as floor panels can be removed and shuffled as desired to move vents. This system can also be used for heating AND cooling, which offers an advantage over displacement systems.
Once we had learned (or attempted to learn) the major types of ventilation systems, we went on a tour of the production facility. We were guided first to the testing area. This space was comprised primarily of a testing room, which was equipped with heated mannequins(to simulate people), a variety of ventilation systems, and other testing equipment. By blowing drama smoke through the different HVAC systems, differences between the systems could be observed in the room.
In the testing area we learned about "thermal plume". This is the heat given off by humans and things like computers or other running equipment. This heat attracts the cooler air distributed from HVAC systems. Notice the plume given off by the mannequin in the picture below...
After this, we were given a tour of the factory floor. It was cool to see just how many different steps go into making the parts for a ventilation system. Having worked in a small heating/ cooling warehouse before, it was nice to see the production level at a larger scale.
The factory tour concluded our trip to E.H. Price. As much as we didn't want to leave, we were forced to settle with conversation about HVAC with each other on the drive home, followed by dreams about HVAC as we slept that night.
Maybe not. Even still, I found the trip to be quite interesting, and it was good to build on my knowledge of HVAC.
After a FREE lunch (resulting in the blog entry title), we learned about the history of E.H. Price as well as the three major types of ventilation systems:
1) Overhead - this is the typical North American system - it forces air from the ceiling downward, mixing the air in the room and bringing the entire room to a constant desired temperature.
2) Displacement - I found this system to be SUPER cool. Previously, this system was used in Europe, and only lately has it made its way to North America. Displaced air systems make SO much sense that it is hard to understand why overhead systems are ever used. Displacement systems deliver cool air at the bottom of the room. As the air warms up, it rises and displaces the air above it. The used air is exhausted out through a vent in the ceiling. The great part about this system is that it only conditions the lower two-thirds of a room, which is all that humans occupy anyway. It also requires much less air speed (40-50 ft./min.) for distribution than other systems (which require 400-800 ft./min). A downfall of this system is that it can only be used for cooling.
3) Under-floor - like displacement, this system delivers air at a lower level. With this system, a raised floor is constructed to produce a plenum space under the room. This space acts as a giant duct, and air is forced from this plenum upwards into the space. Although they have a higher initial cost than overhead ventilation, under-floor systems are more efficient, and offer adjustability, as floor panels can be removed and shuffled as desired to move vents. This system can also be used for heating AND cooling, which offers an advantage over displacement systems.
Once we had learned (or attempted to learn) the major types of ventilation systems, we went on a tour of the production facility. We were guided first to the testing area. This space was comprised primarily of a testing room, which was equipped with heated mannequins(to simulate people), a variety of ventilation systems, and other testing equipment. By blowing drama smoke through the different HVAC systems, differences between the systems could be observed in the room.
In the testing area we learned about "thermal plume". This is the heat given off by humans and things like computers or other running equipment. This heat attracts the cooler air distributed from HVAC systems. Notice the plume given off by the mannequin in the picture below...
After this, we were given a tour of the factory floor. It was cool to see just how many different steps go into making the parts for a ventilation system. Having worked in a small heating/ cooling warehouse before, it was nice to see the production level at a larger scale.
The factory tour concluded our trip to E.H. Price. As much as we didn't want to leave, we were forced to settle with conversation about HVAC with each other on the drive home, followed by dreams about HVAC as we slept that night.
Maybe not. Even still, I found the trip to be quite interesting, and it was good to build on my knowledge of HVAC.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
November 2 - Water & Waste/ Fire Safety
Water & waste
Virtually all of Manitoba's electricity is supplied by water power. Hydro power is economical and plentiful. According to Manitoba’s Power for Business, the advantages of this system are:
• the lowest published electricity rates in North America
• one of the most reliable power delivery systems in North America
• abundant existing generating capacity
• certainty of future power supplies
However, there are disadvantages to this system including:
• Suitable site characteristics required
In order to take full advantage of the electrical potential of small streams, a suitable site is needed. Factors to consider are: distance from the power source to the location where energy is required, stream size (including flow rate, output and drop), and a balance of system components — inverter, batteries, controller, transmission line and pipelines.
• Energy expansion not possible
The size and flow of small streams may restrict future site expansion as the power demand increases.
• Low-power in the summer months
In many locations stream size will fluctuate seasonally. During the summer months there will likely be less flow and therefore less power output. Advanced planning and research will be needed to ensure adequate energy requirements are met.
• Environmental impact
The ecological impact of small-scale hydro is minimal; however the low-level environmental effects must be taken into consideration before construction begins. Stream water will be diverted away from a portion of the stream, and proper caution must be exercised to ensure there will be no damaging impact on the local ecology or civil infrastructure. (source)
Water consumption has increased six times during the last century which is twice the rate of population growth. A great percentage of water consumption is used in industrial processes.
“The textile industry employs large quantities of water in fiber production and processing and in fabric finishing, especially dyeing. Interior designers have the power to avoid products whose manufacturing includes highly toxic technologies and to seek out ones with low environmental impact.” (Binggeli, p 90)
Since the total amount of water on earth and in the atmosphere is finite, the best strategy is to use the sources we have efficiently.
LEED’s approaches for using water efficiently include:
• Reduce the quantity of portable water used for landscape irrigation and building operations
• Reduce municipal water supply and treatment burden (control run-off)
• Reduce generation of wastewater and portable water demand
Green Buildings Store provides a range of water saving products to be used in buildings.
The AQUS Greywater Recycling System is a small scale greywater recycling system that uses treated water that is captured from the bathroom sink to flush the toilet – and accomplish greywater recycling in the process.
The system consists of two parts; 1) the Fill Control Unit and 2) the Vanity Tank. The Fill Control Unit effectively clips onto the back of the customer’s toilet and holds the fill valve up, in the off position, which allows the Vanity Tank located under the bathroom sink to fill the tank with treated and recycled sink water. The system does not shut off the fresh water supply or cross connect to it. It simply holds the fresh water “OFF” until it is needed to supplement the toilet fill.
Water systems in buildings:
1. water supply system: consisting of water main, service pipe, water meter, control and shut off valve
2. drain, waste & vent (DWV) system: a system that removes sewage and greywater from a building and vents the gases produced by said waste.
Fire safety design
Fire safety refers to precautions that are taken to prevent or reduce the likelihood of a fire that may result in death, injury, or property damage, alert those in a structure to the presence of a fire in the event one occurs, better enable those threatened by a fire to survive, or to reduce the damage caused by a fire. Fire safety measures include those that are planned during the construction of a building or implemented in structures that are already standing, and those that are taught to occupants of the building.
Key strategies:
• Detection: fire alarm systems including detectors, alarms and audible & visual signals.
• Suppression: sprinkler systems including wet pipe, dry pipe, deluge and other
• Compartmentalization/exiting: fire walls, fire separation, areas of refuge, fire stops and dampers, escape routes, means of egress
It’s up to us as interior designers to maintain a clear way to exits in terms of furnishing.
Virtually all of Manitoba's electricity is supplied by water power. Hydro power is economical and plentiful. According to Manitoba’s Power for Business, the advantages of this system are:
• the lowest published electricity rates in North America
• one of the most reliable power delivery systems in North America
• abundant existing generating capacity
• certainty of future power supplies
However, there are disadvantages to this system including:
• Suitable site characteristics required
In order to take full advantage of the electrical potential of small streams, a suitable site is needed. Factors to consider are: distance from the power source to the location where energy is required, stream size (including flow rate, output and drop), and a balance of system components — inverter, batteries, controller, transmission line and pipelines.
• Energy expansion not possible
The size and flow of small streams may restrict future site expansion as the power demand increases.
• Low-power in the summer months
In many locations stream size will fluctuate seasonally. During the summer months there will likely be less flow and therefore less power output. Advanced planning and research will be needed to ensure adequate energy requirements are met.
• Environmental impact
The ecological impact of small-scale hydro is minimal; however the low-level environmental effects must be taken into consideration before construction begins. Stream water will be diverted away from a portion of the stream, and proper caution must be exercised to ensure there will be no damaging impact on the local ecology or civil infrastructure. (source)
Water consumption has increased six times during the last century which is twice the rate of population growth. A great percentage of water consumption is used in industrial processes.
“The textile industry employs large quantities of water in fiber production and processing and in fabric finishing, especially dyeing. Interior designers have the power to avoid products whose manufacturing includes highly toxic technologies and to seek out ones with low environmental impact.” (Binggeli, p 90)
Since the total amount of water on earth and in the atmosphere is finite, the best strategy is to use the sources we have efficiently.
LEED’s approaches for using water efficiently include:
• Reduce the quantity of portable water used for landscape irrigation and building operations
• Reduce municipal water supply and treatment burden (control run-off)
• Reduce generation of wastewater and portable water demand
Green Buildings Store provides a range of water saving products to be used in buildings.
The AQUS Greywater Recycling System is a small scale greywater recycling system that uses treated water that is captured from the bathroom sink to flush the toilet – and accomplish greywater recycling in the process.
The system consists of two parts; 1) the Fill Control Unit and 2) the Vanity Tank. The Fill Control Unit effectively clips onto the back of the customer’s toilet and holds the fill valve up, in the off position, which allows the Vanity Tank located under the bathroom sink to fill the tank with treated and recycled sink water. The system does not shut off the fresh water supply or cross connect to it. It simply holds the fresh water “OFF” until it is needed to supplement the toilet fill.
Water systems in buildings:
1. water supply system: consisting of water main, service pipe, water meter, control and shut off valve
2. drain, waste & vent (DWV) system: a system that removes sewage and greywater from a building and vents the gases produced by said waste.
Fire safety design
Fire safety refers to precautions that are taken to prevent or reduce the likelihood of a fire that may result in death, injury, or property damage, alert those in a structure to the presence of a fire in the event one occurs, better enable those threatened by a fire to survive, or to reduce the damage caused by a fire. Fire safety measures include those that are planned during the construction of a building or implemented in structures that are already standing, and those that are taught to occupants of the building.
Key strategies:
• Detection: fire alarm systems including detectors, alarms and audible & visual signals.
• Suppression: sprinkler systems including wet pipe, dry pipe, deluge and other
• Compartmentalization/exiting: fire walls, fire separation, areas of refuge, fire stops and dampers, escape routes, means of egress
It’s up to us as interior designers to maintain a clear way to exits in terms of furnishing.
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