SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES BY

ARCHITECTS

ASSIGNMENT
SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE

SUBMITTED BY
MOHAMMED FAHAD M |
150101601018
introduction

 MICHEAL REYNOLDS and his team

at Earthship Biotecture have been working
towards establishing a best practice for decades,
and have ultimately settled upon six points that
can guide architectural design towards an
ecologically sustainable future.
 Rather than harnessing Earth and bending it into
a built environment, Earthship Biotecture’s Six
Points seek to propose an encounter with the
Earth so as to allow the planet to provide its
abundance. This abundance is water from the
sky, the sun that brings life from the water, and
the earth itself that provides massive heat and
building material.
These Earth phenomena are at the core of the six
points:

1. REGULATE TEMPERATURE WITH THE

EARTH & SUN.
2. RAIN WATER HARVESTING
3. GENERATE POWER FROM
RENEWABLES
4. HARVEST GREY WATER FROM
GROWING FOOD
5. TREAT SEWAGE LOCALLY
6. BUILT WITH RECYCLED MATERIALS
1. Regulate temperature with the earth
& sun
 The Earth and the concept of harnessing its
consistent temperature is often overlooked in
the building profession.
 While many best practices call for substantial
insulation and numerous ventilation standards,
the fact that the earth itself can provide
consistent temperature regulation is often
overlooked.
 The strategic use of thermal mass – included
within the insulation envelope and accompanied
with effective venting – is what can allow livable
space to remain at 72 degrees Fahrenheit
throughout the changing seasons with no
mechanical heating or cooling.
 Systems such as geothermal heat pumps seek
to harness this energy, though through
expensive, complicated systems. Earthships
simply “dig in.”
2. RAIN WATER HARVESTING
 Rainwater catchment is a most common
strategy for architects and builders to lower a
carbon footprint.
 Most often, rain water is used to flush toilets and
to offset the building’s demand from municipal
water systems.
 Rainwater however, with a bit of filtering, can
be harvested for all purposes at the scale of a
modest-sized home.
 Using a combination of gravity, a small pump,
and sand or ceramic filters, Earthship residents
can use this water for washing, cooking and
drinking, thus removing all dependence upon
common municipal water distribution systems.

3. GENERATE POWER FROM RENEWABLES

 As we are moving into the modern age, it is
becoming more and more common for electrical
power (and the communication capabilities that
come with it) to be considered a basic need.
 The current state of technology however
requires substantial government investment into
antiquated, inefficient centralized distribution
systems.
 The use of local energy sources (solar, wind,
hydro, etc.) leapfrogs all investment from the
public sector.
 Moreover, when moving to a decentralized
system, the strategic use of AC and DC currents
emerges which can ensure the most efficient
use of electrical power.
 Decentralized electrical power allows the
privilege of modern living within extreme
efficiency.

4. HARVEST GREY WATER FROM GROWING

FOOD
 The harvesting of gray water is not new. Many
cutting-edge, modern buildings use this water to
flush toilets, though only after filtering the water
so it appears clear in our toilet bowls.
 Such filtering systems however remove valuable
nutrients that can be put to good use growing
food and other flora.
 Planting systems not only filter the water
through natural means, they do it while also
filtering the air quality of the space and
providing all kinds of food from figs, to
tomatoes, to basil along the way.

5. TREAT SEWAGE LOCALLY

 For thousands of years humans have been
putting human waste out of mind by
constructing massive sewers that move all of
the waste underground to a single point.
 The waste is then either dumped into the sea, or
passed through enormous processing facilities –
then dumped into the sea.
 This new “normal” creates a massive challenge
at the municipal level.
At the local level however, black water can be used
as a resource. By treating the sewage locally–
within the property lines of a single family plot –
the black water can be used to irrigate landscaping
as well as some edible crops, and then harmlessly
return to the environment through transpiration.
6. BUILT WITH RECYCLED MATERIALS
 A common measure for the efficiency of
construction of a piece of architecture is to
quantify the distance that materials must travel
to get to the building site, meaning that local
and indigenous materials are preferred.
 Additionally, the amount of recycled or
“sustainable” content can cut down on waste.
 The Earthship team has identified garbage – car
tires, plastic bottles and cans – not only as great
materials that can be upcycled into the
construction process, but as items that are
unfortunately indigenous to almost all parts of
the world.
 Using materials that would otherwise go directly
to a landfill is both responsible and cost effective
when the project is designed and constructed
well.

conclusion

 Architect Michel Reynolds ,Earthship

Biotecture has not only developed the theory
behind each of these points through countless
experimental constructions, they are also
 approaching a modular architectural solution
that functions within each of these points and
can be built anywhere.
 The Global Model Earthship, as it has been
called, employs all of the Earth’s phenomena to
bring forth the abundance that the planet
provides.

These are some basic designing strategies for

building a public building with sustainable ideas.

1. PASSIVE SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

2. ACTIVE SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
3. RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEM
4. GREEN BUILDING MATERIALS AND
FINISHES
5. NATIVE LANDSCAPING
6. STORM WATER MANAGEMNET .ETC.

1. PASSIVE SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

 Passive strategies, such as considering sun

orientation and climate when siting and being
thoughtful about window placement and
operation, are used to best manage daylighting
and natural ventilation and go a long way in
reducing energy requirements for the building.
 In certain climates, thermal mass techniques
can be used to harness solar energy.
 In such cases, thick walls absorb heat from the
sun during the day and release it into the
building at night.

2. ACTIVE SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

 Architects consult with mechanical and electrical

engineers to implement high-efficiency
 electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and other systems,
which are designed to have small environmental
footprints.

3. RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEM

 Renewable energy systems, including those that

harness solar and wind energy, are also great
options for some buildings. These systems are
often used in conjunction with passive design
strategies.
4. GREEN BUILDING MATERIALS AND
FINISHES

 By making it a priority to purchase steel, lumber,

concrete, and finishing materials, such as carpet
and furnishings, from companies that use
environmentally responsible manufacturing
techniques or recycled materials, architects up
the ante on sustainability.

5. NATIVE LANDSCAPING

 Landscaping choices can make a big impact in

civic building water consumption.
 By using trees, plants, and grasses that are
native to the area, architects can greatly reduce
irrigation needs.
 Landscaping can also be used as part of a
passive energy strategy.
 By planting trees that shade the roof and
windows during the hottest time of the day,
solar heat gain inside the building can be
reduced.

6. STORM WATER MANAGEMENT

 When rain falls on an untouched site, the water
that doesn’t evaporate absorbs back into the
ground, replenishing the natural water table.
 However, when a building is placed on the site,
along with parking lots, sidewalks, access roads,
and other hardscaping, rainfall behaves
differently.
 The water runs off these surfaces and into storm
drains.
 By implementing stormwater management
strategies, such as pervious pavement that
helps to reduce runoff and retention ponds that
capture runoff and slowly release water back
into the ground, the negative environmental
impact of buildings can be reduced.

Achievable Sustainability
Designing a sustainable public building should not
be a daunting prospect. An experienced architect
firm will listen carefully to your needs and concerns
and will offer the sustainable architecture
strategies that best meet your goals and budget.

Thank you