Term Two Project; Research on Materials and Sustainability in Architecture

My project for this term is based on a children's hospital with the objective of providing a safe and sustainable environment for the occupants of the building. Therefore this post will focus on research of materials and sustainability of architectural designs and how I will be integrating this research into my project in other to get a successful project at the end of the term. As a reference point, I will research the materials and sustainability of the Lady Cilento Children's Hospital located in Brisbane, Australia.

The Lady Cilento Children's Hospital (2014), by Conrad Gargett and Lyons

Prioritizing having a sustainable design when carrying out an architectural project is really important because using sustainable materials in an architectural design in general will have environmental benefits such as a decrease in the consumption of non-renewable resources, economic benefits such as a reduced maintenance cost, and increased durability, and social benefits such as having a community where individuals are connected and the feel the pride of living in a sustainable building. Conrad Gargett and Lyons also prioritized sustainability when designing the Lady Cilento Children's Hospital. According to Architecture and Designs (N.D), some key initiatives of sustainability in the Lady Cilento Children's Hospital include; natural airflow in public spaces, green roofs that decrease heat sink impact and offer amenities, environmental, and mechanical systems such as the use of active chilled beams air-condition, and electrical systems including tri-generation which are attuned to energy conversion, and water harvesting used for irrigation.

Anon, (2020). Everything You Need to Know About Galvanising 

One of the major materials used in the construction of the Lady Cilento Children's Hospital is "Hot Dip Galvanized steel". 80 tonnes of galvanized steel to create 75,000m2 of floor space (MSECND, 2015).

Hot dip galvanized steel is a type of galvanized steel that has been proven to be more durable as it is coated with durable material. Using this material as one of the materials for the construction of my project will be a good idea because as well as trying to build a place where children can be properly taken care of, the project also has an objective of building a very sustainable structure that would benefit everyone. American Galvanizers Association. (n.d.) claims that "Not only does hot-dip galvanizing provide decades of maintenance-free longevity, but its primary components, zinc and steel, are natural, abundant, and 100% recyclable, making hot-dip galvanized steel an infinitely renewable building material"

Another key feature of sustainability that I will integrate into my design is the use of green elements such as green roofs. Integrating green roofs into architectural design concepts comes with ecological, environmental, financial, and technical benefits that will improve the productivity and functionality of a building. The Lady Cilento Children's Hospital also used green elements in its design concept, designing rooftop gardens, enclosed courtyard gardens, surrounding gardens, and green walls. 

What are the materials that I will now use for my project after carrying out this research?

As stated earlier, the main material that I will be using for my project would be hot dip galvanized steel as it is strong, less corrosive, long-lasting, sustainable, and easily recyclable. In terms of the accessibility of this material, it can be accessed locally. Normal steels can be purchased and the hot dip galvanising process can be done whilst construction is taking place or the already hot dip galvanised steel can be purchased directly. Whichever of the options can easily be done locally. In terms of cost, According to Plant Engineering, 2004, the initial cost for hot dip galvanising is $0.90/sq ft and the life cycle cost is  $0.03/sq ft.

Another main material for the construction of my project is toughened glass. 

This type of glass is commonly used in the construction of architectural buildings. After treatment with heat or chemicals to render it stronger, toughened glass strength can be four to five times the strength of conventional annealed glass, making toughened glass panels ideal for architectural use (Diamond Security Glass, 2017). This glass has properties that have proven to be sustainable and durable which is why it is commonly used in the construction of buildings, and why I have chosen it for my project as well.

These are the two major materials for this project.

With the term coming to an end, I would like to show my project in this post and show how this research helped develop my design 

This is the design that I ended up creating, and it clearly shows how I have incorporated glass as one of my major materials, while most of the other parts will be made using the hot dip galvanised steel I talked about earlier. Also, it is not clear in this image but I have also added a green roof to improve the sustainability of this project.

As a continuation of my research, in the next post, I will continue my research on the the location of my project and the site analysis

REFERENCE LIST:

Architecture & Design. (n.d.). Health & Aged Care Architecture Projects. [online] Available at: https://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/projects/health-aged-care/lady-cilento-children-s-hospital-by-conrad-gar-1 [Accessed 17 Feb. 2024].

MSECND (2015). Available at: http://az276019.vo.msecnd.net/valmontstaging/coatings-case-studies/bp-bulwer-is.pdf?sfvrsn=2 (Accessed: 18 February 2024). 

American Galvanizers Association. (n.d.). Is Galvanizing Sustainable? [online] Available at: https://galvanizeit.org/hot-dip-galvanizing/is-galvanizing-sustainable#:~:text=Not%20only%20does%20hot%2Ddip [Accessed 19 Feb. 2024].

Plant Engineering. (2004). Plant Engineering | Analyzing true costs of galvanizing structural steel. [online] Available at: https://www.plantengineering.com/articles/analyzing-true-costs-of-galvanizing-structural-steel/ [Accessed 8 Mar. 2024].

Diamond Security Glass. (2017). The Use of Toughened Glass In Architecture. [online] Available at: https://www.diamondsecurityglass.co.uk/the-use-of-toughened-glass-in-architecture/ [Accessed 8 Mar. 2024].

IMAGE REFERENCE LIST:

Digital, P. (2018). Toughened and laminated glass | The Glass Warehouse | Industry Experts. [online] The Glass Warehouse. Available at: https://www.theglasswarehouse.co.uk/news/toughened-and-laminated-glass/ [Accessed 8 Mar. 2024].