Solution-3673 Ecological Building Design & Materials Assign - 1

Department of Home & Health Sciences
Block No. 06, Sector H-8,

Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad.
Ecological Building Design & Material (3673)

Assignment No. 01
Submitted to:
Muhammad Adil Rauf
Block No: 6
Dept. of Home & Health Sciences,
Allama Iqbal Open University, Sector H-8,
ISLAMABAD, (0335-5660090)
Submitted by:
Muhammad Hammad Manzoor
1st Semester, Roll No. BN-523998
M. Sc Sustainable Environmental Design
OGIL, # 514, 5th Floor, Continental Trade Centre (CTC)
Block – 08, Clifton, KARACHI
(0332-527 2364)
Q. No. 1: What are the qualities of Sustainable Cities? How countryside helps to
maintain the sustainability of cities? Explain with examples. (15 Marks)
Answer)
Sustainable Cities
A Sustainable City, or Eco-City (also "ecocity") is a city designed with consideration of
environmental impact, inhabited by people dedicated towards minimization of required
inputs of energy, water and food, and waste output of heat, air pollution - CO2, methane,
and water pollution. Richard Register first coined the term "ecocity" in his 1987 book,
Ecocity Berkeley: Building Cities for a Healthy Future. (Wikipedia, 2017)
Sustainable City Qualities (by KPMG)

 Resilient City
 Green City
 Smart City
 Well-Governed City
 Inclusive City
HOW COUNTRYSIDE HELPS TO MAINTAIN THE SUSTAINABILITY OF CITIES? EXPLAIN

WITH EXAMPLES.
The countryside can help in many ways to maintaining the sustainability of cities, few of
them could be discussed in the following bullets / paragraphs;
1. FOOD
2. ENERGY
3. BUILDINGS
4. SMART CITY
5. TRANSPORT
6. FINANCE AND AUDIT
FOOD:
1. Urban Growing
On the individual level of city dwellers, food consumption is the biggest
source of carbon emissions, then transport, consumables and housing.
Urban growing can include: rooftop and vertical gardens, allotments,
teaching children to grow food in schools, community-supported
agriculture, farmers markets, and, on the horizon, growing food
intensively indoors, both traditional and novel (engineered) foodstuffs.
2. Making Space for Nature
If space is to be made for the natural environment – to improve
biodiversity and local air quality, reduce the 'heat island' effect, and
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By: M. Hammad Manzoor, M.Sc Sus. Env. Design, 514, 5th Floor, Continental Trade Centre (CTC), Clifton – 08, Karachi. (Roll No. BN-523998)
improve well-being – why should the plants and trees not be edible:
nuts, fruit, herbs, decorative brassicas, and so on?
ENERGY:
1. Local Energy
Community energy and district heating schemes, combined heat and
power, heat pumps (whether ground or water source), should all be
encouraged.
2. Solar Energy
Solar Energy advantage is that surfaces do not need to point at the sun
to be efficient and the panels don't take up land space. Solar cooling will
become more widely available.
3. Anaerobic Digestion
More power will come from anaerobic digestion of organic and green
waste to produce natural gas that may be injected into the mains, used
in local network combined heat and power plants or to power transport,
with the digestate being used as a fertilizer.
BUILDINGS:
1. Remote Monitoring and Management
Wireless building energy monitoring systems allow all existing buildings
to be remotely monitor able and controlled to minimize energy use and
identify hot spots for action.
2. Densification
Dense cities are more sustainable because the impact per unit is less,
up to a limit. Accommodation will become more affordable, in general,
as a result.
3. Climate Resilience
It should go without saying these days that planning requirements for
the built environment include protection from weather extremes:
overheating, flooding and storms.
SMART CITIES AND CROWD - SOURCING:
1. Tapping with the wisdom of Crowds
The people who live there, to get them to tell you what they think will
make their cities more livable has great potential however, with or
without the use of social media or open data. We should be asking
them: how can we make the best of what we've got?
2. Collaborative Partnership
Successful sustainable projects happen when those at the top, in
government, and those at the grassroots work together instead of
against each other.
TRANSPORT
1. Promoting cycling and walkability. There is more and more awareness of the
need to plan for walkability and cyclability in cities.
2. Planning for local hubs. As cities spread we need to think of hubs, and how
local services can be provided at these hubs.
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3. Congestion charging. This helps because it puts a price on diesel and petrol-
fueled personal travel. It actively encourages more sustainable travel modes.
4. Extensive provision of electric vehicle charging points. This encourages
their uptake, especially if electric scooters and other small vehicles are facilitated
for what are, after all, the majority of journeys: short ones. Hire schemes for
small electric vehicles, like those schemes mentioned for bikes above, allow
people to use one for a journey, and leave it where they are going for someone
else to use.
5. Seamless travel. Properly joined-up public transport systems allow people
easily to hop from bus to Metro/subway to train using the same payment method
and without having to wait very long. Being able to take a bike on a train or even
the Metro/subway is desirable.
Examples:
There are many advantages to living in the countryside, and an increasing number of
tired city dwellers are now taking the plunge to greener pastures. The idyllic vision of a
house on top of a hill with huge windows facing Fife, the Lake District or the Essex
coast – some of the most beautiful rural areas in the UK, may indeed be very enticing
but moving to more rural areas can also be a great opportunity to experiment with
greener, more sustainable ways of living. Housing regulations may also be less strict in
the countryside, making it easier for sustainable living enthusiasts to take on interesting
housing and community projects.
1. A Scottish Eco Village

Findhorn, a small village North East of Scotland has been recently dubbed the
cleanest, friendliest place to live in the entire world by re-nouned news outlet CNBC.
Way ahead of its time and our current preoccupations with the environment, the
Findhorn foundation was actually created in 1962 and offers to its resident, a truly
sustainable way of life, with its biomass boiler, solar panels, wind powered facilities
and electric vehicles. The generation of clean electricity is at the heart of the
community’s business: it actually produces enough clean electricity to export a good
fraction of it profitably. What’s more, peaceful community living is of the highest order
at Findhorn, with workshops and courses offered to visitors and residents to provide
them with fresher perspectives on how to live together and care for one another and
the planet. It may sound a tad utopic but it truly works!
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2. A dream, recycled eco-home in rural Wales

Simon and Jasmin Dale made headlines when they were featured in an episode of
Kevin Mc Cloud’s Grand Designs on Channel 4 with an ambitious task in mind. With
a seemingly ludicrous starting budget of £500, they set on to build their very own
eco-home, entirely out of reclaimed materials, in a wish to live off the land. Located
in the eco-village of Lammas in West Wales, the house used sheep wool for
insulation, reclaimed glass for the windows, and timber framed walls filled with straw.
In the end, they spent a total of £27,000: probably still one of the cheapest houses
ever built on this side of the world!
3. An eco-community project soon in Cornwall

Findhorn and the Lammas community project keeps on inspiring people all over the
country and Cornwall might just soon be the next area to boast an eco-village. The
project is being carried out by Sarah Bingham who is hoping to be able to raise
enough interest in her community to start off the entire process.
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Q. No. 2: Explain in detail the principles of building design with reference to

construction and material? (15 Marks)
Answer)
Principles of Building Design:
The choice of construction and material will be based on all the following principles, which
are described in detail elsewhere;
1. Design for Low Energy Use
Super insulation, air tightness and ventilation control, active and passive solar
energy, day lighting, efficient heating system, efficient lighting and appliances.
2. Minimizing new Resources
Using second hand materials, re-using buildings for new uses.
3. Using whole unprocessed material first
Solid Timber, Natural Stone, earth and clay, natural fibers
4. Using low Embodied Energy Materials
Locally sourced, relative unprocessed, renewable, sparing use of high energy
materials.
5. Using Materials so that can be re-used
Soft mortars for bricks and blocks, screw fixings rather than nails, no glues or
composite materials.
6. Using materials for a healthy internal environment
Organic paints, natural fibers, no formaldehyde glues.
Explanation for Principles of Building Design with reference to Construction and

Material:
The above mentioned principles can be explained in the following bullets / Headings /
paragraphs;
Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency is an important feature in making a building material environmentally
sustainable. The ultimate goal in using energy-efficient materials is to reduce the amount of
generated energy that must be brought to a building site. The long-term energy costs of
operating a building are heavily dependent on the materials used in its construction.
Depending on type, the energy-efficiency of building materials can be measured using
factors such as R-value, shading coefficient, luminous efficiency, or fuel efficiency.
Preferred materials slow the transfer of heat through a building’s skin, reducing the need for
heating or cooling.
R-Value: Building envelopes are generally rated by their insulating value, known as the R-
value. Materials with higher R-values are better insulators; materials with lower R-values
must be used in thicker layers to achieve the same insulation value. R-values can be
measured for individual materials (e.g., insulation, siding, wood paneling, brick) or
calculated for composite structural elements (e.g., roofing, walls, floors, windows). Many
types of insulation materials are available, from organic cellulose made from recycled paper
to petrochemical-derived foams.
Shading Coefficient: Although daylighting is the cheapest and most pleasant form of
illumination, the accompanying heat gain from direct solar radiation is not always welcome,
particularly in hot climates.
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System Efficiency: Electrical and mechanical systems are responsible for more than 50%
of a building’s annual energy costs. Three (03) heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning
(HVAC) systems should be selected for the greatest efficiency at the most commonly
experienced temperatures. A system that offers peak efficiency at an outdoor temperature
experienced by the building’s climate only 5% of the time will not necessarily be the best
choice. Regular maintenance programs are also necessary to keep equipment operating at
peak efficiency.
Use of Natural Materials:

Natural materials are generally lower in embodied energy and toxicity than man-made
materials. They require less processing and are less damaging to the environment. Many,
like wood, are theoretically renewable. When natural materials are incorporated into
building products, the products become more sustainable.
Embodied Energy Reduction

The embodied energy of a material refers to the total energy required to produce that
material, including the collection of raw materials. This includes the energy of the fuel used
to power the harvesting or mining equipment, the processing equipment, and the
transportation devices that move raw material to a processing facility. This energy typically
comes from the burning of fossil fuels, which are a limited, non-renewable resource.
Recycled Content
A product featuring recycled content has been partially or entirely produced from post-
industrial or post-consumer waste. The incorporation of waste materials from industrial
processes or households into usable building products reduces the waste stream and the
demand on virgin natural resources. By recycling materials, the embodied energy they
contain is preserved. The energy used in the recycling process for most materials is far less
than the energy used in the original manufacturing. Aluminum, for example, can be recycled
for 10–20% of the energy required to transform raw ore into finished goods.
Waste Reduction Measures in Manufacturing

The waste reduction feature indicates that the manufacturer has taken steps to make the
production process more efficient, by reducing the amount of scrap material that results.
This scrap may come from the various molding, trimming, and finishing processes, or from
defective and damaged products. Products with this feature may incorporate scrap
materials or removed them for recycling elsewhere. Some industries can power their
operations by using waste products generated on-site or by other industry.
Reduction of Construction Waste

Minimal construction waste during installation reduces the need for landfill space and also
provides cost savings. Concrete, for example, has traditionally been pre-mixed with water
and delivered to the site. An excess of material is often ordered, to prevent pouring delays
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should a new shipment be needed. This excess is usually disposed of in a landfill or on-site.
In contrast, concrete mixed on-site, as needed, eliminates waste, and offers better quality
control.
Local Materials
Using locally produced building materials shortens transport distances, thus reducing air
pollution produced by vehicles. Often, local materials are better suited to climatic
conditions, and these purchases support area economies. It is not always possible to use
locally available materials, but if materials must be imported they should be used selectively
and in as small a volume as possible. For instance, the decorative use of marble quarried
halfway around the world is not a sustainable choice. Steel, when required for structural
strength and durability, is a justifiable use of a material that is generally manufactured some
distance from the building site.
Use of Non-Toxic or Less-Toxic Materials

Non- or less-toxic materials are less hazardous to construction workers and a building’s
occupants. Many materials adversely affect indoor air quality and expose occupants to
health hazards. Some building materials, such as adhesives, emit dangerous fumes for only
a short time during and after installation; others can contribute to air quality problems
throughout a building’s life.
Renewable Energy Systems

Building sites are surrounded by natural energy in the forms of wind, solar radiation, and
geothermal heat. Renewable energy systems can be used to supplement or eliminate
traditional heating, cooling, and electrical systems through the utilization of this natural
energy. Components that encourage daylighting, passive and active solar heating, and on-
site power generation are included in this category.
Longer Life
Materials with a longer life relative to other materials designed for the same purpose need
to be replaced less often. This reduces the natural resources required for manufacturing
and the amount of money spent on installation and the associated labor. Durable materials
that require less frequent replacement will require fewer raw materials and will produce less
landfill waste over the building’s lifetime.
Durability: The durability of materials is an important factor in analyzing a building’s
life-cycle costs. Materials that last longer will, over a building’s useful life, be more
cost-effective than materials that need to be replaced more often. By looking at
durability issues, the selection of initially expensive materials like slate or tile can
often be justified by their longer lifespans.
Low Maintenance: Maintenance consumes a significant portion of a building’s
operating budget: over the building’s lifetime, maintenance can easily exceed the
original construction costs. This includes the cost of labor, cleaning/polishing
materials, equipment, and the replacement of items.
Reusability
Reusability is a function of the age and durability of a material. Very durable materials may
have many useful years of service left when the building in which they are installed is
decommissioned, and may be easily extracted and reinstalled in a new site. Windows and
doors, plumbing fixtures, and even brick can be successfully reused. Timber from old barns
has become fashionable as a reclaimed material for new construction.
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Recyclability
Recyclability measures a material’s capacity to be used as a resource in the creation of
new products. Steel is the most commonly recycled building material, in large part because
it can be easily separated from construction debris by magnets.
Biodegradability
The biodegradability of a material refers to its potential to naturally decompose when
discarded. Organic materials can return to the earth rapidly, while others, like steel, take a
long time. An important consideration is whether the material in question will produce
hazardous materials as it decomposes, either alone or in combination with other
substances.
From the above cited discussion, it could be concluded that building design require
standardized construction and material.
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Q. No. 3: Discuss the environmental impacts of construction waste. Which tools

can designer use for environmental assessment of materials? (15 Marks)
Answer)
Environmental Impacts of Construction Waste:
The construction waste includes different materials can be discussed as;

Extraction
• Excavation, surface quarrying or mining
• Basic feedstock for many manufacturing processes includes
1. Metallic ores
2. Rock
3. Sand
4. Clay
5. Limestone & gravel
• Plentiful supply at present cannot make them infinite or renewable
• Long term effects of resource depletion
• Environmental impact on local level
• Loss of landscape
• Destruction of wildlife habitats
• Unsightly and dangerous waste are generated particularly in the extraction of
metallic ores
• Copper mining creates 50-200 kg of waste for every kg of finished copper
• Others include – dust, visual intrusion, noise and vibration and increased traffic
Waste Creation and disposals
• Any item of waste creation can be seen as failure, due to inefficiency in the system
• Whereas, Natural systems recycle all waste products produced within the natural
cycle
• Construction industry – largest waste producer
• 70 million tonnes annually or 1.25 tonnes per person. 24% of all UK waste – more
than double the all domestic waste
• Around 20% is recycled mostly down-cycled to low grade landscape fill compared to
Dutch recycle over 90%
Key stages in Waste Management
Reduce
• The first step in cutting the amount of waste that ends up in landfill is simply to
reduce the quantity you produce in the first place. With a little careful planning, you
can greatly reduce the amount that ends up in a skip. Here are some suggestions:
• Encourage designs that produce less waste.
• Avoid over-ordering materials.
• Use standard sizes and quantities of materials to reduce off cuts
• Arrange for materials to arrive on site to match the work stages, to limit the chances
of them being damaged through bad storage.
• Ensure storage areas are secure, safe and weatherproof.
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Re-use
In today’s industry, it’s simply unacceptable to throw away perfectly good materials.
Surplus or salvaged materials should be stored in a safe place and used again, either
on the same site or on another project. This is better for the environment, and helps to
cut costs. The following materials can be reused:
•
Bricks and tiles (damaged items can be crushed)
•
Inert materials (concrete, soils, stones and asphalt)
•
Paint.
Timber and wooden pallets.
• Plasterboard.
Packaging.
Recycle
• Recycling is crucial in the effort to prevent valuable materials from ending up in
landfill, with the potential to turn 100 per cent of non-hazardous waste back into new
construction products.
• The key to successful recycling is to segregate waste as you go, using different skips
or containers for different materials. If you don’t have the space to do this, use a
reputable waste company who will remove and sort your waste for you.
• These are the most common recyclable construction materials and their uses:
Wood is recycled for energy generation. It’s also used for animal bedding, mulch for
gardens and golf courses, landscaping pellets and chipboard for new kitchen units.
• Inert materials such as bricks, concrete, soil and stones are crushed and used to
produce aggregate materials and new concrete or asphalt.
• Plasterboard is expensive to throw away, but can be reprocessed to make new
plasterboard.
• Metal can be recycled to make new high-quality metals, a process that uses less
energy than making metals from scratch.
• Cardboard and paper can be shredded for animal bedding or house insulation, and
can be used to make biodegradable coffins.
• Plastics waste can be recycled for use in construction projects, or to make street
signs and landscaping materials.
• Glass can be recycled for multiple uses, including aggregate in concrete, and
insulation.
• Amount of energy saved by recycling

• Steel (100% Scrap) 47%
• Aluminium 96%
• Copper 90%
• Glass containers 8%
• Plastic 97%
• Newsprint 23%
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Tool use for environmental assessment of materials:
Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a technique used to quantify the environmental

impact of a product from raw material acquisition through end of life disposition.
(cradle‐to‐grave)
• Most commonly used tool for evaluation

• It has been defined as a process that identifies the material, energy and waste
flows associated with a building over its entire life, in such a fashion that the
environmental impacts can be determined in advance.
• Compared with different products and methods to justify an environmentally
positive choice
• Drawback
• Focus on individual elements of construction rather than on interaction
between them
• Weighting of different impacts and their boundaries
•
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GOAL & SCOPE:

An LCA starts with an explicit statement of the goal and scope of the study, which sets out
the context of the study and explains how and to whom the results are to be communicated.
This is a key step and the ISO standards require that the goal and scope of an LCA be
clearly defined and consistent with the intended application. The goal and scope document
therefore includes technical details that guide subsequent work:
The functional unit, which defines what precisely is being studied and quantifies the
service delivered by the product system, providing a reference to which the inputs and
outputs can be related. Further, the functional unit is an important basis that enables
alternative goods, or services, to be compared and analyzed. So to explain this a functional
system which is inputs, processes and outputs contains a functional unit, that fulfills a
function, for example paint is covering a wall, making a functional unit of 1m² covered for 10
years. The functional flow would be the items necessary for that function, so this would be a
brush, tin of paint and the paint itself.
The system boundaries; which are delimitations of which processes that should be
included in the analysis of a product system.
Any assumptions and limitations;
The allocation methods used to partition the environmental load of a process when
several products or functions share the same process; allocation is commonly dealt with in
one of three ways: system expansion, substitution and partition. Doing this is not easy and
different methods may give different results
and
The impact categories chosen for example human toxicity, smog, global
warming, eutrophication.
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Data and Specification:

Green building handbook
• Provides environmental assessment data for different materials for quick and
accurate snapshot of relative merits across whole range of environmental
impacts
Green Guide to specification
• Evaluates environmental impacts of building materials in terms of
• Embodied energy
• Emissions
• Toxicity
• Wastes
• Resource use
• Recycled properties
Curwell et al – provided application sheets for assessment of potential health
hazards and technical, environmental and cost comparisons
Minimizing New Resources Consumption:
• All building activities are damaging – greater or lesser
• Most effective form of recycling is extending life of existing building and change of
use
• Examples – Regeneration of existing landmark buildings
• Warehouse to studio
• Church to restaurant or theatre
• Hospital to museum
• Flour mill to art gallery
• But some building may have passed the point of no return – then recycle the material
Examples;
• Development of brownfield sites
• May have additional cost of site remediation or cleaning up of contaminated
soil due to old industrial activities.
• Green field sites
• Some argue development of green field/ agri.-land is better and leave infills
should be left in the cities as pocket for greenery and wildlife.
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Q. No. 4: What is the difference between ventilation and infiltration? How can we
control ventilation in breathable construction? (15 Marks)
Answer)
Ventilation and Infiltration:

Ventilation air is air used to provide acceptable indoor air quality. It may be composed of
forced or natural ventilation, infiltration, suitably treated recirculated air, transfer air, or an
appropriate combination. Ventilation includes the intentional introduction of air from the
outside into a building; it is further subdivided into natural ventilation and forced ventilation.
Natural ventilation is the flow of air through open windows, doors, grilles, and other planned
building envelope penetrations, and it is driven by natural and/or artificially produced
pressure differentials. Forced ventilation, shown in Figure, is the intentional movement of air
into and out of a building using fans and intake and exhaust vents; it is also called
mechanical ventilation.
Infiltration is the flow of outdoor air into a building through cracks and other unintentional
openings and through the normal use of exterior doors for entrance and egress. Infiltration
is also known as air leakage into a building. Exfiltration, depicted, is the leakage of indoor
air out of a building through similar types of openings. Like natural ventilation, infiltration
and exfiltration are driven by natural and/or artificial pressure differences. These forces are
discussed in detail in the section on Driving Mechanisms for Ventilation and Infiltration.
Transfer air is air that moves from one interior space to another, either intentionally or not.
Two-Space Building with Forced Ventilation, Infiltration, and Exfiltration
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VENTILATION CONTROL IN BREATHABLE CONSTRUCTION:
Breathability
Breathability is the water vapor transmission rate, or the speed at which vapor passes
through a particular material or construction. In a practical application, breathability is a
combination of three important properties: vapor-permeability, hygroscopicity and capillarity.
If waterproof membranes and inappropriate materials, such as cement based products,
sealants and modern ‘plastic’ paints, are employed in an old building it’s similar to what
happens when we wear a plastic mac: we get very damp and sweaty, and we feel
uncomfortable and unwell, because the moisture from our bodies cannot escape. In an old
building this trapped moisture will inevitably lead to rot and decay.
Ventilation
Ventilation generally reduces relative humidity (RH) – the amount of water vapour in the air
relative to the maximum amount that can exist at that temperature – by swapping internal
damp-laden air for fresh air from outside. This assumes that the external RH is lower than
the internal RH – this is not always the case on a damp, humid day. In this instance, a
powerful extractor fan will do more good than opening a window. Ideally RH should be
between 40 and 60 per cent for good internal air quality. Once RH is above 73 per cent,
mould and dust mites will thrive and pose a serious threat to human health. Sharp
fluctuations in humidity can also be damaging, leading to dimensional changes in the
structure – particularly joinery – and shakes opening up in timber.
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Q. No. 5: Define the key factors of low energy house. What considerations can be
taken for efficient electricity and heating systems in low energy houses? (15 Marks)
Answer)
A low-energy house is any type of house that from design, technologies and building
products uses less energy, from any source, than a traditional or average contemporary
house. In the practice of sustainable design, sustainable architecture, low-energy
building, energy-efficient landscaping low-energy houses often use active solar and passive
solar building design techniques and components to reduce their energy expenditure.
Key factors of the low energy house are;

 Environmentally friendly and biologically healthy material
 Good thermal characteristics
 Energy savings
 Earthquake resistance
 Quick construction
 Construction all year long
 Industrially controlled construction conditions
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Q. No. 6: Describe the elements of solar heating in detail? (10 Marks)

Answer)
There are the three interrelated elements of Solar Heating;
 Collection
 Heat Storage
 Heat Distribution
COLLECTION SOLAR ENERGY
A solar collector is anything that turns the sun’s energy into heat. The actual devices –
windows conservatories, mass walls solar panels of various sorts, are all subject to the
same basic physics. The key factors deterring devices effectiveness are orientation, glazing
and insulation.
Choosing the best orientation and tilt
Orientation simply means the direction of the solar collector faces in plan (South, North etc)
and Tilt: is the vertical angle, The optimum orientation will depend on the job to be done. If
you need a warm conservatory for a pleasant breakfast, then you will face it towards the
rising sun in the east. If you want to warm the living room for evening activities, then face it
west.
The below figure shows solar radiation available on a window facing different directions. We
can see that the south face wins. Further, during summer, when sun angles are high, the
graph take a dive: there is a less of a tendency to overheat with a southern orientation. This
is because sunlight will reflect off the window glass when the angle is steep. Conversely, an
east or west facing window will collect more in the summer because the sun in lower in the
sky (nearer 90O to the window and the Month May being about overheating in a well-
insulated house.
Figure: 10.14
The second effect concerns the ratio of direct (sunshine) to diffuse (overcast) solar energy.
In cloudy climates, such as Britain, most wintertime solar radiation passes through the
clouds over th whole sky hemisphere.
Roof lights see more of the sky than a window, and can be very useful in our cloudy
climate, although shading devices may be necessary from summer overheating.
Glazing Material
The most common form of glazing is glass, a very conductive material. Windows insulate
because they separate inside air from outside air and resist heat transfer from the still air
next to the glass into the glass.
There are several ways to improve thermal and solar properties of glazing.
Multiple Sheets of Glass: Each Layer of glass duplicates these heat transfer processes,
with each new layer, the amount of heat lost is roughly halved.
Low-E Coatings: This is a very thin layer of metal, sputtered on to a glass surface that
reduces radiant heat transfer across the glazing cavity. The layer does reduce the amount
of light coming through, but not appreciably. The pane coatings are quiet soft, so they are
placed on the outer surface of the inner pane, i.e. within the cavity.
Inert Gas – sealed units: Gases such as argon are less conductive than air, thereby
increasing the insulation value of the window with no loss in light transmission. After several
years the double-gazing seals will tend to break down and the argon may seep out.
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Very Thin plastics film layer: There are various polymers that can be made into very thin,
but tough, sheets to provide a double or tipple glazing effect without losing too much solar
transmission.
Translucent Insulation: For Solar Collectors where view is not important. There are
waffles and foams made which allow light energy through whilst providing insulation.
Vacuum Glazing: This contains of the sheets of glass held apart by tiny “Invisible” glass
beads. The small airspace is evacuated,
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Q. No. 7: Describe the significance of water conservation. Explain different ways

to reduce household waste consumption (15 Marks)
Answer)
SIGNIFICANCE OF WATER CONSERVATION;
Water conservation includes all the policies, strategies and activities
to sustainably manage the natural resource of fresh water, to protect the hydrosphere, and
to meet the current and future human demand. Population, household size, and growth and
affluence all affect how much water is used. Factors such as climate change have
increased pressures on natural water resources especially in manufacturing and
agricultural irrigation. Many US cities have already implemented policies aimed at water
conservation, with much success.
The goals of water conservation efforts include:
 Ensuring availability of water for future generations where the withdrawal
of freshwater from an ecosystem does not exceed its natural replacement rate.
 Energy conservation as water pumping, delivery and wastewater treatment facilities
consume a significant amount of energy. In some regions of the world over 15% of
total electricity consumption is devoted to water management.
 Habitat conservation where minimizing human water use helps to
preserve freshwater habitats for local wildlife and migrating waterfowl, but also water quality
United States postal stamp advocating

water conservation (Source: Wikipedia)
Water-saving technology for the home includes:
1. Low-flow shower heads sometimes called energy-efficient shower heads as they

also use less energy
2. Low-flush toilets and composting toilets. These have a dramatic impact in the
developed world, as conventional Western toilets use large volumes of water
3. Dual flush toilets includes two buttons or handles to flush different levels of water.
Dual flush toilets use up to 67% less water than conventional toilets
4. Faucet aerators, which break water flow into fine droplets to maintain "wetting
effectiveness" while using less water. An additional benefit is that they reduce
splashing while washing hands and dishes
5. Raw water flushing where toilets use sea water or non-purified water
6. Waste water reuse or recycling systems, allowing:
 Reuse of graywater for flushing toilets or watering gardens
 Recycling of wastewater through purification at a water treatment plant. See
also Wastewater - Reuse
7. Rainwater harvesting
8. High-efficiency clothes washers
9. Weather-based irrigation controllers
20
10. Garden hose nozzles that shut off water when it is not being used, instead of letting
a hose run.
11. Low flow taps in wash basins
12. Swimming pool covers that reduce evaporation and can warm pool water to reduce
water, energy and chemical costs.
13. Automatic faucet is a water conservation faucet that eliminates water waste at the
faucet. It automates the use of faucets without the use of hands.
DIFFERENT WAYS TO REDUCE HOUSEHOLD WASTE CONSUMPTION:
METHOD – 1, BUYING SMART

BUY QUALITY ITEMS THAT LAST. You've probably heard the saying, "quality not
quantity." That adage applies when you're trying to reduce household waste. Buying higher
quality items, including dishes, pans, clothing, toys, and most everything else, will reduce
your waste overall because the items will last longer. You won't need to replace them as
often.
For instance, when you can, spring for the higher quality pot. It's more expensive, but it will
last many more years.
BUY BIGGER PACKAGES OF FOOD. When purchasing items like food, choose bigger
packages over smaller to help reduce trash from packaging. For instance, a large box of
cereal creates less waste than several smaller boxes of cereal that add up to the same
amount.
1. If you prefer individual servings, portion the food out into reusable containers when
you get home. For instance, if you like small portions of pretzels, buy a big bag and
then use small sealed containers to create individual portions.
2. Also, be sure to look for packaging that can be recycled, so you aren't contributing to
the landfill.
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LOOK FOR PRODUCTS WITH LESS PACKAGING. Today's society has bought into
excessive packaging. Some items have two or three layers of packaging. If you see an item
that seems to have an excessive amount of packaging, try looking for a different brand to
see if it uses less.
BUY FROM THE BULK BINS. Bulk bins are becoming more popular, particularly in health
food stores. With these bins, you simply scoop out the food (such as rice, flour, sugar, etc.)
into a bag, which usually produces less waste than standard packaging. However, you can
also bring reusable containers from home to make the purchase even greener.
METHOD – 2, LOWERING YOUR WASTE PRODUCTION

REPAIR BROKEN ITEMS. In our society, it's tempting to just throw out items when they
break. However, if you're trying to reduce waste, try to repair the items instead. That way,
you aren't just throwing it in the landfill. For instance, if the sole comes off your boot, take it
to a cobbler instead of just throwing it out. If your television has a problem, get it repaired
instead of going out to buy a new one. As an added bonus, repairs are usually cheaper
than buying a new item.
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BUY REUSABLE ITEMS. Instead of purchasing throwaway items like paper plates, plastic
zip top bags, and one-time use batteries, opt for reusable items. Depend on washable
plates and reusable containers and bags. Invest in rechargeable batteries so you're not
always throwing them away. As an added bonus, this tip will save you money in the long
term.
USE A REUSABLE GROCERY BAG. Plastic grocery bags seem to multiply, particularly if
you go shopping often. Of course, you may reuse some of them in your house, but you
likely throw away a good number, too. The best solution is to bring reusable cloth grocery
bags with you to the store. In addition to being reusable, they hold more than plastic bags,
and they are less likely to bust on you.
Store your canvas bags in your car or leave them hanging right beside your door as a
reminder to use them.
UNSUBSCRIBE FROM JUNK MAIL. If you're like most people, you receive a large amount
of mail that goes directly into the trash. Take steps to reduce that mail. You can call catalog
companies and ask to be taken off the list, for instance, if you're not interested in seeing the
catalog.
23
BUY LESS OVERALL. In a consumerist society, you may feel the need to buy, buy, buy.
However, the next time you're eyeing that new thing you want to buy, step back and ask
yourself, "Do I really need this?" More often than not, the answer will be, "No."
 Before you buy, think about if you own something that could serve the same
purpose. You may be able to repurpose something you already have to fill a need.
 It also helps to avoid temptation by taking fewer trips to the store.
DONATE OLD ITEMS. When you're not using something anymore, try to find a place to
donate it. Furniture, clothes, and other household items can be donated to thrift stores. Old
books and magazines can be donated to libraries or schools. Donating items will help you
reduce the trash you produce.
METHOD – 3, LIVING GREEN
REPURPOSE OLD ITEMS. When you're about to throw something out, think about if it
could serve another purpose in your household. Often, even if it can't continue to serve its
original purpose, it can be put to use doing something else.
 Use old t-shirts and towels as rags for household cleaning.
 Clean grout and other small spaces with old toothbrushes.
 Reuse containers you are going to throw out. For instance, fill paper egg cartons or
the bottom of plastic beverage containers with potting soil and use them to plant seedlings.
Alternatively, store food, office or craft supplies, or other small items in leftover glass jars.
24
COMPOST WHAT YOU CAN. Composting is a great way to keep extra trash out of the
landfill. In addition, you can use what you make to provide nutrients to your yard and
garden. Basically, composting is where you take organic materials and let them decompose
to create a fertilizer. You can compost everything from food scraps, coffee grounds, and
eggshells to other household waste like clean, shredded paper, grass clippings, and ashes
from the fireplace. Collect the items in a small, lidded container in your home.
25
References & Researches Cited:
o https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eco-cities
o https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_city
o http://www.smartcitiesdive.com/ex/sustainablecitiescollective/21-features-future-
sustainable-city/285946/
o https://www.sustainablebusinesstoolkit.com/3-great-examples-sustainable-way-life-
countryside/
o http://www.umich.edu/~nppcpub/resources/compendia/ARCHpdfs/ARCHsbmIntro.pdf
o http://www.devon.gov.uk/dcc3242_150.pdf
o https://business-division.co.uk/health-and-safety/the-effects-of-construction-waste-on-
the-environment-best-recycling-methods/
o https://www.ashrae.org/advertising/handbook-cd-commercial-
resources/fundamentals/ventilation-and-infiltration
o https://www.domprojekt.hr/advantages-of-low-energy-houses-p13-34?lang=en
o https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Water-conservation-stamp-
1960.jpg
o http://www.thewaterpage.com/important-water.htm
o https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_conservation
o http://www.wikihow.com/Reduce-Household-Waste
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Department of Home & Health Sciences

Block No. 06, Sector H-8,

Ecological Building Design & Material (3673)

Sustainable City Qualities (by KPMG)

HOW COUNTRYSIDE HELPS TO MAINTAIN THE SUSTAINABILITY OF CITIES? EXPLAIN

1. A Scottish Eco Village

2. A dream, recycled eco-home in rural Wales

3. An eco-community project soon in Cornwall

Q. No. 2: Explain in detail the principles of building design with reference to

Principles of Building Design:

Explanation for Principles of Building Design with reference to Construction and

Use of Natural Materials:

Embodied Energy Reduction

Waste Reduction Measures in Manufacturing

Reduction of Construction Waste

Use of Non-Toxic or Less-Toxic Materials

Renewable Energy Systems

Q. No. 3: Discuss the environmental impacts of construction waste. Which tools

The construction waste includes different materials can be discussed as;

Waste Creation and disposals

Key stages in Waste Management

• Amount of energy saved by recycling

Tool use for environmental assessment of materials:

Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a technique used to quantify the environmental

• Most commonly used tool for evaluation

GOAL & SCOPE:

Any assumptions and limitations;

Data and Specification:

Ventilation and Infiltration:

Two-Space Building with Forced Ventilation, Infiltration, and Exfiltration

VENTILATION CONTROL IN BREATHABLE CONSTRUCTION:

Key factors of the low energy house are;

Q. No. 6: Describe the elements of solar heating in detail? (10 Marks)

Q. No. 7: Describe the significance of water conservation. Explain different ways

United States postal stamp advocating

Water-saving technology for the home includes:

1. Low-flow shower heads sometimes called energy-efficient shower heads as they

DIFFERENT WAYS TO REDUCE HOUSEHOLD WASTE CONSUMPTION:

METHOD – 1, BUYING SMART

METHOD – 2, LOWERING YOUR WASTE PRODUCTION

METHOD – 3, LIVING GREEN

References & Researches Cited:

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Solution-3673 Ecological Building Design & Materials Assign - 1

Solution-3673 Ecological Building Design & Materials Assign - 1