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Structures and the environment

An architect is a person that designs homes, buildings, and other structures. They can use their understanding of science and technology to create interesting and unique designs.

How might an architect using their skills to create structures that are environmentally friendly?

Record your ideas in a notebook or another method of your choice.

Action

What is sustainable design?

Sustainability is the idea that we need to live in our environment without using too much of the earth’s natural resources.

We want to be able to use what we need and make sure that natural resources do not run out for future generations.

Architects can use sustainable design to create homes, buildings, and other structures.

Sustainable design features can include:

making sure we use the space in the best way possible
using less non-renewable energy
use environmentally friendly materials and products
protecting our water supply
conserving electricity and heat

Let’s explore a few things an architect would think about before creating their sustainable design.

Sustainable materials

Sustainable architecture can involve building with renewable and recycled materials.

Explore the following carousel of sustainable materials.

Bamboo is a sustainable material because it grows very fast and releases 35% more oxygen than trees.

Hemp is a sustainable material because it needs very little water to grow and produces more pulp than trees.

Cork is a sustainable material because it can be harvested from tree bark without having to cut down trees.

Sustainable systems

Sustainable architecture involves designing systems that use less energy and water. This can include:

heating
cooling
plumbing
electrical systems

Explore the following carousel of sustainable systems. What does each example share?

Solar panels are a sustainable electrical system because they convert sunlight into useable electricity.

Components of a sustainable plumbing system.

Using greywater is a sustainable plumbing system because it collects water from sinks, showers, baths, and washing machines to reuse in toilets.

Tall, skinny towers with multiple large openings at the top on the roof of a building.

Windcatchers are a sustainable ventilation system because they use the pressure of blowing wind to cool buildings.

How might sustainable systems help protect the environment?

Green spaces

Sustainable architecture can also include adding green spaces with growing plant life.

Explore the following carousel of green spaces.

An office building with trees and plants growing on and over the balconies of lower floors.

Vertical gardens are green spaces that use the sides of buildings to grow plant life.

Grass growing on the roof of a building.

Green roofs are green spaces that use the top of buildings to grow plant life.

How might these green spaces be used by people in different ways?

Ontario connection

This learning activity highlights people, places, or innovations that relate directly to the province of Ontario. Enjoy the exploration!

Factors

Around the world, there are examples of housing designed to suit its environment and weather conditions.

In Ontario, with four seasons, what might be some of the environmental factors to consider when building housing?

Explore the following images to guide your ideas of possible environmental factors.

Wooden cottage with blooming fields of flowers nearby on a spring day.

Summer house with an open backyard. Family and friends gather in the backyard.

Children raking up leaves during an autumn day into a pile on the lawn.

Winter cabin covered in snow during the winter.

As the seasons change, structures in Ontario need to be able to last through:

rain storms
strong wind
large snowfalls
temperatures rising and falling

Sustainable design can also create structures that are compact and use less space and manufacturing time and resources.

Let’s check out a few examples which can be considered in Ontario.

Press the following tabs to access sustainable design examples.

Two shipping containers transformed into a home with windows, sliding doors, and stairs.

Shipping container homes are made of strong and inexpensive materials.

They are portable which means they can be moved around, and they last a long time.

They can also be built quickly and efficiently within and around the container.

Straw bale house is innovative and affordable with a strong insulator to keep the heat inside.

Insulation is a layer of material between the inner and outer walls.

The materials used are inexpensive and it lasts a long time.

Straw bale houses are easy to keep up and they are energy efficient.

One storey black prefab house with windows, doors, stairs, and a deck.

A prefab house is a house already created piece by piece in a factory, then transferred to a home site where it is built there in a few days. This can mean less air pollution created during the outdoor building time.

Prefab houses can be created using sustainable and/or environmentally friendly materials.

How might an architect use sustainable design features to create a structure (i.e. house, building etc.) for Ontario that protects against the seasons?

Hint: Consider heating and cooling systems, sustainable materials, and indoor and outdoor spaces.

Press ‘Possible Answer’ to access how an architect can use sustainable design features.

Possible Answer

Insulation: Insulation is a layer of material between the inner and outer walls of a structure. Insulation keeps the inside of the structure warm, and also protects indoor air quality. The following sustainable materials can be used for insulation:

mushroom
wool
bundled straw
cork
recycled denim

Doors and windows: It’s important to make sure that the area around doors and windows are properly sealed so that there aren’t any cracks which let air pass through. This way, a heated or cooled inside space stays at the same temperature.

Solar heat: Using natural sunlight is one way to heat a structure or home. As long as the windows are well insulated, designing a structure where there are windows which face the sun can help heat the inside naturally.

Consolidation

Sustainable design

When architects plan a sustainable design, they consider:

the environment where it will be built
the materials that will be used
the heating, cooling, plumbing, and electrical systems that will be used
the exterior (or outside) design of the building
the interior (or inside) design of the building

Imagine that you are an architect that is planning a sustainable building design.

Explore the Engineering Design Process to help you get started.

Planning your sustainable building

Before creating a design, plan your ideas by considering the following questions:

How could your design be energy efficient?

Hint: Could you use solar energy? What kind of sustainable insulation materials could you use?

What do you have to consider about building in Ontario?

Record your ideas in a notebook or another method of your choice.

You may create your design on the computer, on paper, in an audio clip, or another method of your choice.

Optional: If possible, continue with next steps of the Engineering Design Process.

Reflection

As you read through these descriptions, which sentence best describes how you are feeling about your understanding of this learning activity? Press the button that is beside this sentence.

I feel…

I have an excellent understanding of the concepts I have a very good understanding of the concepts I have some understanding but need to review some more my understanding of the concepts needs a lot more work

Now, record your ideas using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.

Learning goals

Success criteria