paul leech GAIA eco
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All buildings should be subject to post occupancy review and monitoring: few in fact are.
The tests applied to sustainable buildings are, in practice, higher and more exacting and accurate than to those desigened using(hitherto) conventional practice as they are frequently innovative and sometimes there is a budget for proper monitoring; there is an extensive literature on the subject.
It is true that it is much more successful, in perceived comfort terms, to leave control of the environment with the actual user.If a person knows that they can in fact open the window they may or may not actually do so, but they feel better and the ‘comfort band’ is wider. If for example ,light and ventilation are controlled ONLY by a BEMS (Building Energy Management System)it may be good cybernetics but it is not good architecture.
A good balance may be to have ‘intelligent systems’ which switch lights off, modulate shading and heating systems but leave ‘override’ controls in the hands of the users.
Arguably good quality sustainable design is much more sensitive in approach to both the user and the context.
‘Greenwash’ is no excuse for bad design, which does not ‘work’.
yup
I’ll ask the current chairperson and secretary to do that.
Watch out for a new book
“Taking Shape:A new Contract between Architecture and Nature “
Butterworth /Heinemann by Susannah Hagan early in 2001:see current RIBA new books list or their website
: Out now is by Bjorn Berge (a GAIA International colleague)
“Ecology of Building Materials”
Butterworth Heinemann (£50 sterling):a good investment for any practice and the Schools’ libraries ?
I am glad to see colleagues taking an interest in a subject which has preoccupied me for more than twenty years, not entirely ineffectively.
The archeire discussion needs to ‘fast forward’ to approach the state of the art, globally and in ‘these islands’.
How much interest is there?
I would suggest that anyone interested might like to attend the next meeting of the Ecological Design Association (Irish Branch) Tuesday 28th November at City Arts Centre (Corner City Quay /Mosse Street – opposite IFSC) on Tuesday next 28th November at 7.00 pm. and / or contact the Secretary
