Blog_Final

Well Tomorrow is the big presentation day and the group really pulled through.  Through this process I feel I learned a lot about how a LEED consultant is involved through many aspects of the design process. Decisions at all levels of scale can have major repercussions on the environment. Decisions on building placement, systems, finishes and furniture can all have major effects on the environment throughout the life cycle of the building. 


Something that I had never done before, but found very useful was the code analysis. For our proposed building I calculated the space required per person for spaces of different function including: 

Kitchen: 300 sq ft (30.5 sq ft per person) = 9.8 persons

Public Corridors: 120 sq ft (12 sq ft per person) = 10 persons

First and Second Story: 1,631 sq ft (12 sq ft per person) = 135 persons

Other Stories: 645 sq ft (18 sq ft per person) = 35 persons

Outdoor Patio: 451 sq ft (12 sq ft per person) = 37

Total Occupancy: 226 persons

Restaurant Seating: 60 persons

I decided to research solar panels (photovoltaic cells) as a way of introducing an off grid energy source.  As a starting guide I looked up the US Department of Energy's information on average energy use for the average house. I found out that the average house used 8,900 Kwh per year which mean 8,900,000 watts per year! Most commercially available solar panels produce between 1 and 12 amps per panel, so the average output is likely to be 127 watts per panel. Calculating with 6 average daylight hours the average house would need 30-40 panels! Considering panels come in 3'x6' or 5'x5'  and our site was quite small, I decided it would be more effective to diversify the roof rather than cover the entire roof surface. 

Signage is another section of the project I found interesting. I think that spreading awareness of 'green' systems is important. Although through our education in the ED program we hear about the imortance of them all the time, students in other faculties may not. So Signage can play a role to educate users of the "Bloom" space. As a way to achieve LEED innovation credits, The signage will be used to educate building users about the sustainable features of the building. Our interior signage would include information on features including: commissioning controls, HVAC, rooftop design, and low flow fixtures.  

Cliff G

LEED