| The purpose of this Master's Degree Project is to design a residential development that provides occupant comfort without compromising environmental quality. The design focuses on an ecologically sustainable building that takes advantage of the immediate surrounding environment to provide energy resources for heating, cooling, ventilation, lighting and generation of electricity. The goals of this environmentally oriented architecture are to: (1) Minimize energy consumption from non-renewable resources; (2) Develop an architectural aesthetic that is driven by environmental sustainability; (3) Create a community that brings people and nature together sustainability.; In this environmentally responsive architecture, the behavior of certain natural energy resources, namely, the sun and prevailing wind, are the major driving forces that inform the orientation and form of the building. Moreover, any mechanical energy systems applied must also comply with environmentally sustainable criteria, i.e., being pollution free and utilizing natural, renewable resources.; The site of the proposed architecture incorporates a generous amount of open green space which serves as a common place to encourage social interaction among neighbours. The building lies on an east-west axis with proper openings to allow prevailing wind to enter and circulate within the residential units. An atrium is incorporated for solar penetration and flow of air for both heating and cooling purposes.; Three mechanical energy systems---a solar water heating system, utility-interactive photovoltaic system and indirect earth coupling system---are employed to further enhance indoor comfort.; The end-product of this project is to offer a sustainable design solution in architecture specifically for conditions in Hong Kong. The objective is to arouse the environmental awareness of the local people. |
