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MIGRATION OF SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE DISCOURSES AND PRACTICES German influence and expertise in Chile 1989 – 2004 Prof. Renato d’Alençon. Research Seminar Summer Semester 2008 at Habitat Unit TU-Ber l in. Revised as of April 14th, 2008 In the current panorama of Architectural Discourses and Pract ices , sustainabil ity cont inues to gain a space of growing importance both on socia l and disci pl inary groun ds . Nevertheless , a consensus on what we mean when we say Sustainable Architecture i s far from being met . A number of perspect ives col l i de , as they do i n the wider environmental discussion . Seldom can these ideas be clearly transformed into bui l t work , yet ideas migrate from discourse to pract ice , conveyed by a variety of means, as new ideas are spread by specia l ized and mass media , p rofessional societ ies , Univers i ties , indivi dual pract i t ioners . On the other hand Pract ices termed “sustainable” develop on their own ri ght , with or without a theoret ical framework , and this development takes place in refe rence to speci fi c locat ions, cultural environments and technical avai labi li ty . The problem is then two-f old , involving both a general perspect ive a iming at speci f ic pract ices and speci fic , s i tuated pract ices referred to broader f rameworks . These contest ing issues are part icularly evident in the context of “underdeveloped” count ries , where the relation to technolo gi cal innovat ion is mediated by internat ional networks that convey technolo gi cal development as “coming” f rom “develo ped” societ ies . In this Seminar we wil l examine the process of import ing environmental bui lding principles and their in fluence in Chi lean bui ldings termed sustainable or ecolo g i cal , in cont rast to refe rent ia l cases in Europe that serve as benchmark for cl imate, design , performance , construct i on and use standards .

1. TOPIC Migration of Sustainable Architecture Discourses into Practices

A myriad of definitions, perspectives, best practices, toolkits, seem to coexist in the literature about sustainable architecture. No comprehensive synthesis has been reached yet, even if some definitions stand above the crowd. When we consider the question of sustainable architecture departing from the discourses, we find ourselves facing the multiple choices of simultaneous discourses different in scope and objectives, and they seldom arrive to the form of be built work experiences. When we consider the question departing from specific practices, we can hardly situate them in a specific background, as these practices can seldom be explained from as based on a comprehensive theoretical framework. Nevertheless, several lines of discourse have been traced both at the scales of the city and the building, ranging a variety that ranges from aesthetical and philosophical approaches to technical and practical ones. These discourses stem to a tradition that can be traced to “the Whole Earth Catalog” of 1968, and has continued to evolve as the question itself has (Angélil, 2007).

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SEMINAR COMPENDIUM MIGRATION OF SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE DISCOURSES AND PRACTICES German inf luence and expert ise in Chile 1989 – 2004 Prof. Renato d’Alençon. Research Seminar Summer Semester 2008 at Habitat Unit TU-Berlin. Revised as of April 14th, 2008 In the current panorama of Architectural Discourses and Pract ices , sustainabi l i ty cont inues to gain a space of growing importance both on socia l and disci pl inary grounds. Nevertheles s , a consensus on what we mean when we say Sustainable Architecture i s fa r from being met . A number of perspect ives col l ide, as they do in the wider environmental discussi on. Seldom can these ideas be clea rly t rans formed into bui l t work, yet ideas migrate f rom discourse to pract ice, conveyed by a variety of means, as new ideas a re spread by specia l ized and mass media , p rofessional societ ies , Univers i t ies , indivi dual pract i t ioners . On the other hand Pract ices te rmed “sustainable ” develop on their own right , with or without a theoret ical framework, and this development takes place in re fe rence to speci fic l ocat ions, cultural environments and technical avai labi l i ty . The problem is then two-fold, involving both a general perspect ive a iming at speci fic pract ices and speci fic , s i tuated pract ices referred to broader frameworks . These contest ing i ssues a re pa rt icula rly evident in the context of “underdeveloped” countries , where the relat ion to technological innovat ion is mediated by internat ional networks that convey t echnological development as “coming” f rom “developed” societ ies . In this Semina r we wi l l examine the process of import ing environmental bui lding principles and their in fluence in Chi lean bui ldings te rmed sustainable or ecological , in cont rast to re fe rent ia l cases in Europe that se rve as benchmark for cl imate, design, performance, construct ion and use standards .


A myriad of definitions, perspectives, best practices, toolkits, seem to coexist in the literature about sustainable architecture. No comprehensive synthesis has been reached yet, even if some definitions stand above the crowd. When we consider the question of sustainable architecture departing from the discourses, we find ourselves facing the multiple choices of simultaneous discourses different in scope and objectives, and they seldom arrive to the form of be built work experiences. When we consider the question departing from specific practices, we can hardly situate them in a specific background, as these practices can seldom be explained from as based on a comprehensive theoretical framework. Nevertheless, several lines of discourse have been traced both at the scales of the city and the building, ranging a variety that ranges from aesthetical and philosophical approaches

(Image from Liu Kan)

CONTENT

Presentation 4

Syllabus 5Prof. Renato d’Alençon

Calendar 13

The Consorcio - Vida Building: Introducing Sustainable Discourses to Chile 15Jonas Fischer

Climate Change / If Architecture UACh was built in Berlin, is it still sustainable? 23Liu Kan

Prefabrication, Sustainability, “The Wall House”: From Discourse to Practice 31Lara Nobel

The notion of “competing logics of enviromental architecture”Description and Critique 45Gérman Schubert

The Wall House and the Sustainability of “Form” 53Alex Siekierski

Heterogeneuos Coalition of Eco-logics in Austral de Chile’s Department of Architecture, influenced by Mont-Cenis Trainings Center Building, Germany 59Yang Wenjun

Migration of Sustainable ConstructionForeign influence and expertise in Chile 1989 - 2004 73Prof. Renato d’Alençon, Lara Nobel, Jonas Fischer

PRESENTATION

This Volume is the Compendium summarizing the work of the Summer Semester of 2008, undertaken by a group of Students at TU-Berlin Faculty of Architecture, many of them exchange students, under the supervision of an exchange Instructor. The topic also is a foreign, almost exotic one: the migration of European discourses –or paradigms- in regard of sustainable architecture, and their influence in concrete building practices in Chile, literally in the other end of the world.

The topic, even if sometimes slippery as the definition of “sustainable architecture” itself is, proved a motivating challenge for all, and at the same time posed a number of problems, many of them methodological. Nevertheless, the assertive approach and com-mitment of the students succeeded to raise a critical perspective and provoked a vivid discussion on the problems at stake. The results contained here reflect an intensive docu-mentation and reflection work, underrepresented in many cases. However, the synthesis forces the authors to focus on the main issues that do convey the spirit and the contents of the work.

The Seminar Migration of Sustainable Architecture Discourses and Practices was held at Technische Universität Berlin during the Summer Semester of 2008 within a Fachbezo-gene Partnerschaft mit Hochschulen in Entwicklungsländern Project, sponsored by DAAD,

Deutscher Akademischer Auslands Dienst

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MIGRATION OF SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE DISCOURSES AND PRACTICES German inf luence and expert ise in Chile 1989 – 2004 SYLLABUS Prof. Renato d’Alençon. Research Seminar Summer Semester 2008 at Habitat Unit TU-Berlin. Revised as of April 14th, 2008 In the current panorama of Architectural Discourses and Pract ices , sustainabi l i ty cont inues to gain a space of growing importance both on socia l and disci pl inary grounds. Nevertheles s , a consensus on what we mean when we say Sustainable Architecture i s fa r from being met . A number of perspect ives col l ide, as they do in the wider environmental discussi on. Seldom can these ideas be clea rly t rans formed into bui l t work, yet ideas migrate f rom discourse to pract ice, conveyed by a variety of means, as new ideas a re spread by specia l ized and mass media , professional societ ies , Univers i t ies , indivi dual pract i t ioners . On the other hand Pract ices te rmed “sustainable ” develop on their own right , with or without a theoret ical framework, and this development takes place in re fe rence to speci fic l ocat ions, cultural environments and technical avai labi l i ty . The problem is then two-fold, involving both a general perspect ive a iming at speci fic pract ices and speci fic , s i tuated pract ices referred to broader frameworks . These contest ing i ssues a re pa rt icula rly evident in the context of “underdeveloped” countries , where the relat ion to technological innovat ion is mediated by internat ional networks that convey t echnological development as “coming” f rom “developed” societ ies . In this Semina r we wi l l examine the process of import ing environmental bui lding principles and their in fluence in Chi lean bui ldings te rmed sustainable or ecological , in cont rast to re fe rent ia l cases in Europe that se rve as benchmark for cl imate, design, performance, construct ion and use standards .


A myriad of definitions, perspectives, best practices, toolkits, seem to coexist in the literature about sustainable architecture. No comprehensive synthesis has been reached yet, even if some definitions stand above the crowd. When we consider the question of sustainable architecture departing from the discourses, we find ourselves facing the multiple choices of simultaneous discourses different in scope and objectives, and they seldom arrive to the form of be built work experiences. When we consider the question departing from specific practices, we can hardly situate them in a specific background, as these practices can seldom be explained from as based on a comprehensive theoretical framework. Nevertheless, several lines of discourse have been traced both at the scales of the city and the building, ranging a variety that ranges from aesthetical and philosophical approaches to technical and practical ones. These discourses stem to a tradition that can be traced to “the Whole Earth Catalog” of 1968, and has continued to evolve as the question itself has (Angélil, 2007).

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Within a panorama of evolving discourses, Sustainable Architecture seems to have been restricted to what can be termed a “technical - material representation” (Acselrad, 1999), emphasizing eco-energetic rationality without much consideration of other discourses involving more of a cultural and social perspective on sustainability. This separation stands for a commonsensical split between culture and technology, that assumes technology to be autonomous, independently developed, and univocally impacting society. Admitting this split to exist, the question arises:

How do technical discourses on sustainable architecture migrate from discourses to encompassing architectural practices?

Migration of Sustainable Architecture Practices

In the 1970s, the energy crisis triggered a wide alarm on the exhaustion of natural resources and on the dependency from insecure international sources. The question was addressed by means of renewed public policies, including energy efficiency, along with other measures. Germany, among other countries, was particularly successful in improving energy efficiency and reducing environmental impacts, and has succeeded to sustain a distinguished performance as other aspects of the same question have arisen during the following 30 years: sustainable development, updating of East Germany environmental standards, and climate change. The concern and action on these issues was widely reflected in German building construction, which played a role in the improvement of energy performance standards themselves as well as in the spread of energy and environmental consciousness to a wider public. The success of these leading nations, however, was exported worldwide only to a limited extent, thus rendering such efforts marginal in the global picture. This is evident in the context of the developing countries, where only in the late 80s and during the 90s awareness around the question of limited natural resources and environmental impact came to the fore, along with global environmental issues and local energy contingencies, both in building construction and in society at large. By the time the wake of this new consciousness took place in Latin America in the early 90s, the European experience was settled and readily available with the support of a number of international cooperation institutions. Indeed, a migration of expertise has taken place in this context, based for the most part on common-sense credibility of technophile societies as seen from non-technophile societies. A growing yet incipient trend of claimed sustainable construction has since then developed in the underdeveloped world under foreign influence. The question thus arises:

How does the process of migration and adaptation from and to a different context inf luences the technical is sues involved?

2. STUDY CASES These contesting issues are evident in the context of “underdeveloped” countries, where the relation to technological innovation is mediated by international networks that convey technological development as “coming” from “developed” societies. In Chile, a growing trend of claimed Sustainable Architecture is developing under foreign influence that can help to explain the migration of foreign discourses into local practices.

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In Chile, a growing trend of claimed Sustainable Architecture has developed under foreign influence for the most part, and Germany has been a particularly relevant input. A set of cases of study will be explored in parallel to their corresponding German influences, to chart the influences of technical expertise from German architectural practices into the Chilean ones, accounting for their influences and the spreading of the question of sustainable architecture, and local specificities. The matter will be explored by examining the process of importing environmental building principles that were developed and used in Europe, particularly in Germany, in the period between 1970 and 1990, presumably influential in Chilean buildings termed sustainable or ecological. This will be explored in contrast to referential cases –to be identified by the students- that serve as benchmark for climate, design, performance, construction and use standards. Building upon these findings, the seminar will work on the question: ∞ EDIFICIO LA PREFERIDA. Santiago. Nissen + Franz Asociados. Santiago. ∞ WALL HOUSE. Santiago. FROHN & ROJAS. Köln, Santiago, México. ∞ EDIFICIO CONSORCIO. Santiago. Enrique Browne and Huidobro-Chemetov. ∞ E.S.O. HOTEL. Cerro Paranal, Atacama, Chile. Auer + Weber. Münich, Stuttgart ∞ EDIFICIO ARQUITECTURA U. Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile. Biskupovic Martínez.

EDIFICIO LA PREFERIDA. Santiago, Chile Nissen + Franz Asociados. Santiago, Guy Nissen, Architect. Universidad Católica del Norte, Chile www.nissen.cl

WALL HOUSE. Santiago, Chile FROHN & ROJAS. Köln, Santiago de Chile, Ciudad de México http://www.f-a-r.net/

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These emblematic cases and their designers bear strong personal connections to foreign experiences, by means of previous education, international partnerships or direct commission to foreign professionals. The relation to technological innovation is thus mediated by international social networks that convey technological development as coming from developed societies. Furthermore, the process of direct foreign involvement and influence seems to be characteristic of such sustainable buildings and helps to understand the relative successes in the quest for sustainable construction in a developing country such as Chile.

The results, let alone how exceptional the cases themselves are in the local context, range from absolute media success and construction of a corporate identity, to diffuse evaluation due to uncertain or non-existing performance data, and failure or disclaim due to poor building standards.

3. OBJECTIVES

1. Read and write a substantive reflection on the topics assigned 2. Document and conduct a structured and focused analysis of study cases 3. Structure, elaborate and present a relevant argument based on both relevant literature and the own analysis

4. CONTENTS

Lectures and Reading 1. Introduction

General introduction to the relevant characteristics of Chile and the study cases 2. Sustainability in Architecture: Discourses and Methods

What is the relevance and meaning of the question of sustainability in the current Architectural discourse?

3. Carriers of Architecture, Past and Present: Post-Colonial and Global Milieu How have the processes of spreading architecture taken place in the past and how are they taking place nowadays in a global environment

4. Environmental Analysis: Basic Concepts, Methods and Parameters Climate Analysis, Environmental Comfort, Thermal Balance, Envelope Strategies, Architectural Results

5. Research Methods in Architecture Tools and Limitations of research in Architecture

5. METHODOLOGY Reading / Writing Reading of assigned articles. Brief Discussion Report Lectures Five Lectures will be held on the topics indicated above Case Study Documentation and Information on given Chilean cases Retrieval and proposal of relevant German references Comparative Environmental Analyses (Computer-Based)

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In Chile, a growing trend of claimed Sustainable Architecture has developed under foreign influence for the most part, and Germany has been a particularly relevant input. A set of cases of study will be explored in parallel to their corresponding German influences, to chart the influences of technical expertise from German architectural practices into the Chilean ones, accounting for their influences and the spreading of the question of sustainable architecture, and local specificities. The matter will be explored by examining the process of importing environmental building principles that were developed and used in Europe, particularly in Germany, in the period between 1970 and 1990, presumably influential in Chilean buildings termed sustainable or ecological. This will be explored in contrast to referential cases –to be identified by the students- that serve as benchmark for climate, design, performance, construction and use standards. Building upon these findings, the seminar will work on the question: ∞ EDIFICIO LA PREFERIDA. Santiago. Nissen + Franz Asociados. Santiago. ∞ WALL HOUSE. Santiago. FROHN & ROJAS. Köln, Santiago, México. ∞ EDIFICIO CONSORCIO. Santiago. Enrique Browne and Huidobro-Chemetov. ∞ E.S.O. HOTEL. Cerro Paranal, Atacama, Chile. Auer + Weber. Münich, Stuttgart ∞ EDIFICIO ARQUITECTURA U. Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile. Biskupovic Martínez.

EDIFICIO LA PREFERIDA. Santiago, Chile Nissen + Franz Asociados. Santiago, Guy Nissen, Architect. Universidad Católica del Norte, Chile www.nissen.cl

WALL HOUSE. Santiago, Chile FROHN & ROJAS. Köln, Santiago de Chile, Ciudad de México http://www.f-a-r.net/

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EDIFICIO CONSORCIO. Santiago, Chile. Enrique Browne and Huidobro-Chemetov. www.ebrowne.cl

EUROPEAN SOUTHERN OBSERVATORY HOTEL. Cerro Paranal, Atacama, Chile. Auer + Weber Assoziierte. Münich, Stuttgart http://www.auer-weber.de/

EDIFICIO ARQUITECTURA Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile Biskupovic y Martínez, Arquitectos Roberto Martínez Master in Architectural Design, Kunstakademie Dusseldorf, 1990 [email protected]

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These emblematic cases and their designers bear strong personal connections to foreign experiences, by means of previous education, international partnerships or direct commission to foreign professionals. The relation to technological innovation is thus mediated by international social networks that convey technological development as coming from developed societies. Furthermore, the process of direct foreign involvement and influence seems to be characteristic of such sustainable buildings and helps to understand the relative successes in the quest for sustainable construction in a developing country such as Chile.

The results, let alone how exceptional the cases themselves are in the local context, range from absolute media success and construction of a corporate identity, to diffuse evaluation due to uncertain or non-existing performance data, and failure or disclaim due to poor building standards.

3. OBJECTIVES

1. Read and write a substantive reflection on the topics assigned 2. Document and conduct a structured and focused analysis of study cases 3. Structure, elaborate and present a relevant argument based on both relevant literature and the own analysis

4. CONTENTS

Lectures and Reading 1. Introduction

General introduction to the relevant characteristics of Chile and the study cases 2. Sustainability in Architecture: Discourses and Methods


3. Carriers of Architecture, Past and Present: Post-Colonial and Global Milieu How have the processes of spreading architecture taken place in the past and how are they taking place nowadays in a global environment

4. Environmental Analysis: Basic Concepts, Methods and Parameters Climate Analysis, Environmental Comfort, Thermal Balance, Envelope Strategies, Architectural Results

5. Research Methods in Architecture Tools and Limitations of research in Architecture

5. METHODOLOGY Reading / Writing Reading of assigned articles. Brief Discussion Report Lectures Five Lectures will be held on the topics indicated above Case Study Documentation and Information on given Chilean cases Retrieval and proposal of relevant German references Comparative Environmental Analyses (Computer-Based)

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6. RESULTS / REQUIREMENTS ∞ 4 Reading Reports (10%) ∞ Documentation Brochure of Study Cases (A3, Presentation 1, 20%) ∞ Analysis Brochure of Study Cases and References (A3, Presentation 2 30%) ∞ Analysis Paper (A4, 2000 words) and PPT Presentation (Final Examination, 40%) ∞ Compilation P1, P2 and FE

7. REFERENCES Sustainabi l ity

! Behling. Solar power: the evolution of sustainable architecture. Munich: Prestel, 2000. o Marc Angélil, Cary Siress. "Five Easy Pieces," In: Sustainable Construction. Holcim

Foundation for Sustainable Construction, December 2006. ! Hegger. Energie-Atlas: Nachhaltige Architektur Basel, Berlin: Birkhäuser, 2007. o Harvard Design Magazine 18: “Building Nature’s Ruin?” Spring / Summer 2003. o Goy, Moore. Sustainable Architecture and the Pluralist Imagination. Journal of

Architectural Education. Jan-Mar 2007 pp. 15–23 o Simon Guy, Graham Farmer (2001) Reinterpreting Sustainable Architecture: The Place of

Technology Journal of Architectural Education 54 (3) , 140–148 Carr iers of Technology Constructores y viajeros : la presencia de extranjeros en la construcción de la ciudad Chile 1840-1940. Santiago, Chile: Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Escuela de Arquitectura, 2001. M. I. Pavez R., 1999. KARL BRUNNER VON LEHENSTEIN (1887-1960). En http://www.urbanismo.uchile.cl/brunner.htm Last Checked February 15th, 2008. Kramm, Errázuriz. Architectural patrimony in Osorno, Chile: The fragile reality of modern architecture. Environmental Analysis

! Sassi, Paola: Strategies for sustainable architecture / Paola Sassi. - Abingdon: Taylor & Francis, 2006.

! Daniels, Klaus. The technology of ecological building: basic principles and measures examples and ideas”. Basel: Birkhäuser, 1997.

! Compagno, Andrea: Intelligente Glasfassaden: Material, Anwendung, Gestaltung = Intelligent glass façades. 5. Aufl. .Basel; Boston ; Berlin : Birkhäuser, 2002.

! Szolokay, Steven. Introduction to Architectural Science: The Basis of Sustainable Design. Oxford, 2005.

o SQUARE ONE Research. www.squ1.com Research Methods

! Eco, Humberto. Wie man eine wissenschaftliche Abschlußarbeit schreibt: Doktor-, Diplom- und Magisterarbeit in den Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaften. Heidelberg : Müller, 1990. Booth, Williams, Colomb. The Craft of Research. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003.

! Groat, Linda: Architectural research methods. Chichester: Wiley, 2001. Borden, Iain. The Dissertation: An Architecture Student's Handbook. Elsevier, Oxford; 2nd ed. June 2006.

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MIGRAT ION OF SUSTAI NABLE ARCHITECTURE DISCOURSES AND PRACTICES German influence and expertise in Chile 1989 – 2004 CALENDAR Prof. Renato d’Alençon. Research Seminar Summer Semester 2008 at Habitat Unit TU-Ber l in. Revised as of April 15th, 2008 Week Date Topic / Assignments / Dead lin es 1 W 16 Apr 1. Introdu ction

General introduction to the Semester and the Study Cases. Chile, Climate and Architecture. Reading Ass ignment 1 Sustainability Discourses.

2 W 23 Reading Assignment 1 Report Deadline Research Ass ignment 1. Cases Study Documentation 3 W 30 2. Susta ina bi l ity in Arch itecture: Di scourses and Methods


Research Assignment 1 Review 4 W 07 May Research Assignment Presentation (P1) , and Documentation Brochure of Study

Cases (A3) Reading Ass ignment 2. Environmental Principles.

5 W 14 Reading Assignment 2 Report Deadline 3 . Environmental Analysi s: Basic Concepts, Methods and Pa rameters

Climate Analysis, Environmental Comfort, Thermal Balance, Envelope Strategies, Architectural Results

Research Assignm ent 2. Cases Study Analysis Brochure of Study Cases and References (A3)

6 W 21 No meeting this week 7 W 28 Research Assignment 2 Review

Reading Ass ignment 3 Carriers of Technology. 8 W 04 Jun Reading Assignment 3 Report Deadline 4 . Carr iers of Architecture, Past and Present: Post-Colonia l and Global

Mil ieu How have the processes of spreading architecture taken place in the past and how are they taking place nowadays in a global environment.

9 W 11 Research Assignmen t Presentat ion (P2) , and Documentation Brochure of Environmental Analysis (A3) Reading Ass ignment 4. Research Methods in Architecture.

10 W 18 Reading Assignment 4 Report Deadline

5. Research Methods in Ar chitecture Tools and Limitations of research in Architecture

Research Ass ignment 3. Analysis Paper (A4, 2000 words) 11 W 25 Research Assignment 3 Review 12 W 02 Jul Research Assignment 3 Deadline 13 W 09 Presentation Preview. Synthesis of P1 + P2 +P3 14 W 16 FINAL EXAMINATION and PPT Presentat ion Synthesis of P1 + P2 +P3. Prof. Herrle

and Guests Critics TBA Compilation P1, P2 and FE

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THE CONSORCIO - VIDA BUILDING:Introducing Sustainable Discourses to Chile

MIGRATION OF SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE DISCOURSES & PRACTICESGerman Influence and Expertise in Chile 1989 - 2004Prof. Renato d’Alençon Research Seminar Summmer Semester 2008 at Habitat Unit TU-BerlinJonas Fischer 216605

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“Nowadays sustainability has become a political category, it is becoming more and more difficult to think about it in a serious manner. Sustainability has degraded to a mere ornament. More and more competitions are won, because they are literary green and gadgets such as a small rotating windmill are added.”1 – Rem Koolhaas

the six environmental logics

The term “sustainability” is so vague that further explanations are always necessary to comprehend its applied meaning. The vast directions the term comprises make it impossible to outweigh one discourse to another. There is not one color green. However Simon Guy and Graham Farmer unravel the theme of sustainability by arguing, that there are as many definitions as there are interest groups contesting. Their analysis of a wide spectrum of buildings, all claiming to be green, resulted in classifying the subject typologies in six environmental logics.By defining positions or attributes to a specific logic, an evaluation strategy is created, by which a building can be judged according to its logics claim. One of the proposed discourses is the ecotechnic logic. It suggests that, “science, technology and management can provide the solution to environmental problems, without leaving the path of modernization.” Success in an ecotechnic approach is measured in the quantitative reduction of “building energy consumption, material-embodied energy, waste and resource-use reduction, and in concepts such as life-cycle flexibility and cost-benefit analysis.”2

building analysis

This standard is to be applied on an existing building. The Consorcio-Vida building in Santiago, Chile is to be analyzed on whether it meets the expectations it sets on itself. If the Consorcio- Vida Building is a sustainable building in an eco-technical logic as the architects Browne and Huidobro suggest, then its design strategy would attempt to maximize the efficiency in spatial, construction, and energy terms. The aim of this analysis is not to discredit the buildings claim of being sustainable in an ecotechnical way, but rather to comprehend its true motif- namely the marketing of a green image.

The six competing logics of sustainable architecture

eco-centric

eco-aestetic

eco-technic

eco-cultural

eco-medical

eco-social

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the architects

The architects Browne and Huidobro make an odd couple, their design strategies offer contrary approaches. Enrique Brown is a Chilean architect and author, he has a master’s degree in urban planning from the Universidad Catolica de Chile and the MIT in Boston, over the years he taught architecture and art courses all over the world and realized mostly small and medium- scaled projects, which received numerous awards.3

His work is characterized by merging traditional Hispanic influences with modern design. His designs consider specific climatic settings, many of his single- family dwellings feature plant-covered pergolas as shading devices, thus setting a cultural context without appearing sentimental. Borja Huidobro a fellow compatriot also received his master’s degree in architecture from the Universidad Catolica de Chile. He continued his studies in urban design and economy in Paris, where he began to work as an architect. In the late 70’s he started his own practice together with his French friend Paul Chemetov, with whom he realized many award winning projects mostly in France. In 1989 he returned to Chile.4 In contrast to Browne, Huidobro is known for his iconographic gestures such as the French ministry of Finance on Boulevard de Bercy in Paris, a monumental city gate with two pillars anchored in the Seine. His design shapes the extension of the central axis in La Defense through the Grande Arche via a pedestrian bridge and gardens. Despite their opposing approaches the two men came together in 1990 to design the headquarter building for the Consorcio Insurance Group. Three years later the building was ready for occupancy.

Borja Huidobro

+ born in Santiago de Chile, 1936+ degree in architecture, 1959 Catholic University of Santiago de Chile+ urban studies in the Urban Institute of Paris, 1964+ economic studies in the IEDES of Paris 1969-70+ national architecture prize, Chile, 1991+ work experience: France, Italy, Luxembourg, Belgium, Portugal, China, India, Martinique, United Arab Emirates, Chile+ professor of architecture, University of Cuba

Enrique Browne

+ born in Chile, 1942+ degree in urban studies, Catholic University of Santiago de Chile+ urban studies at MIT, Boston+ research funds: Ford Foundation (1969-71), Social Science Re- search Council (1975), J.S. Guggenheim Foundation (1983)+ work experience: Chile, Ecuador, Argentina, Mexico, Israel+ professor of architecture, University of Tel Aviv

house in P. Harris, Chile 1982

house in San Damian, Chile 1986

ministry of economy and finances in Paris, France 1989

pedestrian bridge and gardens in Paris, France 1998

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the Consorcio - Vida Building

The building is located in the Las Condes neighborhood, the main business district in the eastern sector of Santiago de Chile. It occupies half a block on El Bosque Avenue, a horizontal tangent of the regular city grid. At the South- East end the site is bisected at a 45° angle by Tobala Avenue. The intersection of these axis determine the geometry of the design. The main façade faces El Bosque Avenue and curves to a prow-like point on its South- East corner, welcoming the pedestrian influx coming from Apoquindo Avenue, where the subway station is. The boat shaped floor plan outlines the reinforced concrete structure that reaches 17 stories into the sky and occupies the open office space. A long volume of three levels, set back from the tower, functions as a buffer zone to the neighboring site housing further office space, an auditorium and the entrance to the parking lot, which reaches three levels below ground. The East façade is double glazed, allowing views on the Andes. The curved West façade is stepped back in three sections and crowned by a cantilevered sun shield. In Santiago the Western façade is most vulnerable to solar gain, overheating and unpleasant glares. The architects solved this problem by providing a vegetational sun shield. Deciduous creepers, growing on horizontal trellises two to four stories in height and set 1.5m before the building, shade the double glazed low- emissivity panels, reducing solar gain by 30%.5 This double green skin sets the building apart from most of the other high-rise buildings in the city. It grants the building character and undoubtly enriches Santiago’s skyline. It brings color and life to the skies and changes with the seasons. It even has the ability to improve the building with age.

site plan and axis

cross sectionscale 1 : 1000

cross sectiontrellises

ground floor

Av. El Bosque Norte / Av. Tobalaba, arial view, night shot

energetic consumption:floors with & without double green skin

water fountain, vertical pergolas & planters

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application of environmental strategies In their portfolio the architects acknowledge the fact that solar gains and overheating cause the biggest problems for office buildings and that energy for air conditioning weighs a lot on the buildings maintenance costs. They chose to solve the problem by reducing solar gains by installing exterior sun protection. In other words: maximizing the efficiency in energy terms, thus revealing an eco-technical approach. A friendly sketch illustrates the scheme for the solar protection of the building. The exaggerated roof crown and the continuous double green skin protect the building from radial sun rays. However in practice they chose not to protect all that is needed. One third of the crucial western façade is left unprotected. The architects state: ”We chose to divide the façade into three horizontal bands of 4-3 to 2 floors, marking out the separation of the bands with one floor without greenery.” This act is very questionable. It disqualifies the position on optimizing the cooling loads of the building with technical means. The suspicion arises that the double green skin is not primarily used to shade the building but rather to structure the facade. Thus degrading the functional element to mere ornamentation.Another uncomfortable illustration the architects published illustrates their method of preserving the green area of the original site, which according to the authors has increased by flipping it on a vertical axis. No word is lost on what sort of plants grew prior to construction and how big the area of unsealed earth was before every last inch of earth was paved by the building and the plaza.Both illustrations, as naïve as they seem, intend to sell the idea of a building that peacefully coexists with nature to an unacquainted public. The double green skin, disqualified in its protective function, primarily works as a gigantic billboard proclaiming: this is a green building, this company cares about the environment. The recall value is achieved by size, 2.753 m2 of vertical greenness on an office tower leave a lasting impression. As dubious as the marketing tools may seem, they fulfill their expectations.The building received wide acceptance in public and won numerous awards. The company was so pleased with the positive feedback, that it changed its logo, now featuring the green tower.

solar protection

company logo

vertical displacement of green areas

3d model: front & top view

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spacial distribution

In 1990 the Consorcio group ordered commission to build 19.000 m2 of office space on site. Though the companies spatial demand at the time was limited to 3600 m2. The design designated the first three floors to the company and the remaining 14 to tenants. Both parts received separate entrances and vertical circulation cores and were unified by a triple-height galleria on ground level. Thus suggesting a larger than life image of the company with an enormous projection area for greenness. Over the years the company has grown substantially and today occupies the entire tower. The necessity of the additional entrance and circulation space has become invalid but never the less must be maintained.

building materials

As ecologically correct a building material the vegetational sun screen might be, it can not outweigh the appliance of aluminum panels with which the rest of the building is coated. The mining and processing of aluminum is harmful to the environment. The production of aluminum demands great amounts of resources and energy. The surface mining of bauxite, a substantial element of aluminum, destroys Brazilian rainforests. During production highly toxic waste products such as heavy metal mud, hydrogen fluoride, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide are emitted into water and air cycles.6 The ambiguity of material appliance exemplifies the entire composition.

vegetational sun shield

aluminum coating for facade and interior finishes

open cast mining for bauxite causes deforestation toxic byproducts pollute air and river cycles

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evaluation of design strategy

Huidobro and Browne have failed to maximize the buildings efficiency in spacial, construction and energy terms. The sole occupancy of the company has created unnecessary space that is to be maintained and now weighs on the energy consumption of the building. The application of aluminum panels is not favorable due to its toxic waste production in its life cycle analysis. Lack of consequence in the appliance of exterior sun protection in favor of design ambitions disqualifies energy management claims. Moreover the misguiding tactics of not relevant information, such as the dubious “increase of green area,” harden the suspicion of greenwashing. If Venturi drove by El Bosque Avenue he would most likely classify the building as a decorated shed advertising greenness. Co-driver McLuhen would agree and claim that the double green façade, degraded from its functional purpose to mere ornament has turned into the medium that has become the message. Wright, uncomfortable with the back seat, would viciously comment: “A doctor can always bury his mistakes. An architect can only advise his client to plant ivy.”However, the rhetoric of this analysis is based on standards applied 18 years after the planning of the building. One must consider that prior to construction little or no effort was put in any sustainable approaches in Chiles architecture. Hence, the building can be considered a mile-stone, for it introduced sustainable issues in an approachable way.In terms of aesthetics, the public and numerous dubious awards have brought the building great success. The iconographic effect, manifested in the company’s logo, is unquestionable and has led to further commissions.

the Consorcio Building in Conception

In 2006 Browne has realized a branch building for the company in Conception, Chile. It shows a consequential evolution of the design strategy applied on the Consorcio- Vida building, and has mostly overcome the teething troubles of its predecessor. The project was built solely for the company, with a full exhaust of space. The façade is partially clad with local timber, though some aluminum is still used. But most important: the double green skin is applied consequently, completely shielding the vulnerable North West façade, underlining the companies corporate identity.Closing one can say, that change does not happen over night. New ideas need time to evolve.

street view, trelisses from local timber office floor, west elevation, sun path diagram

21

1 Rem Koolhaas, “Zwang zum Spektakel,” Spiegel Special (June 2008): 182 Simon Guy, Graham Farmer, “Reinterpreting Sustainable Architecture: The Place of Technology,”Journal of Architectural Education (Feb. 2001): 1423 Enrique Browne, office Home page: CV, < http://www.ebrowne.cl >4 Borja Huidobro, < www.archinform.net/arch/1792.htm >5 Enrique Browne, “The Consorcio-Santiago Building 14 Years Later” < http://www.ebrowne.cl > (2007): 116 BUND, “Aluminium - Leichtgewicht mit schweren Folgen” (Sep. 2007) < http://www.bund.net >

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MIGRATION OF SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE DISCOURSES AND PRACTICES

German influence and expertise in Chile 1989-2004

Prof. Renato d’Alencon

Climate Change, When Sustainable is not Hypothesis: If the Architecture UACh was built in Berlin, is it still sustainable?

Kan Liu 317398 SS08 TU-Berlin

1. Introduction There are lot of discussions on sustainable architecture and how to achieve a sustainable architecture design. This paper starts from a hypothesis that is if the Architecture UACh was built in Berlin, is it still sustainable? From analyzing background of the two cases - one is the Architecture UACh (A-UACh) in Valdivia Chile, another is the Architecture Faculty of TU-Berlin (A-TUB) in Berlin Germany - to the comparison of the two different environment, try to explain how much could be change when a sustainable design alters the location. The method of the evaluation use in this paper by calculating thermal balance equation to find out how much energy gain and lose when the building moved from Chile to Berlin. At last, there are a series of discussions try to conclude the understanding and misunderstanding from the extreme experiment. And the discussion also could reach to a larger debate that is the two trajectories of architecture migration in Chile and the influence from climate change to the sustainable architecture. 2. Background of the two study areas The School of Architecture of Austral University in the south of Chile was established in 2000 year, by a multi-disciplinary team consisting of architects, anthropologists, geographers, engineers and environmental professionals. The vision of the founders was to develop a new generation of architects with skills in designing urban constructions that reflect a full consciousness of the impact on society, economy and the environment. (Rolf Thiele and José Miguel Biskupovic, 2003) The building itself is a “energy system.” Basic passive design concepts were included from the very first stage of the conceptual design. There is resurgence within the built environment profession to return to the simple design techniques of the past while still using the modern construction methods and materials, with the intention of reducing these impacts. This orientation (Figure 1) takes advantage of the free solar energy for heating during winter and at

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the same time simple shading avoids the direct solar radiation in summer as much as possible, negating the necessity of mechanical cooling or ventilation system. This is assisted with nighttime cooling via chimney effect cross natural ventilation during day, overhang shading and white color in roof and exterior walls.

Figure 1. Valdivia, Chile Figure 2. Berlin, Germany

Another case locates in Berlin, Germany. That is the Architecture Faculty of TU-Berlin in 17. Juni Strasse. Today’s building was established in 1968. With this ten-story, three-section house, the master planner of Ernst-Reuter-Platz (Figure 2) managed to create a fascinating inner life. The high art rooms with protrude dowel-like from the facade and the low office and seminar rooms are skillfully offset against each other. Three stacked atriums each on the face side are connected to continuous communication landscape with steps distributed in Piranese manner. Through to details, the construction manifests, in textbook fashion installations. Since the renovation in 1993, when the washed-out concrete slabs were replaced by granite façade has even shown a certain amount of elegance. The less inspired low building with auditoriums and a library was designed by Hans Scharoun. (Rainer Haubrich, 2006) Compare the climate characteristic between Valdivia, Chile and Berlin, Germany, we could find that the feature of Berlin both warmer in summer and colder in winter (Figure 3). The peak point could reach 37 oC in summer and the bottom low down to -18 oC for certain extreme days in winter. Even though, the rainfall calculation for a whole year show us that Valdivia receive more then berlin for every month. It means not only Valdivia tend to be a little bit more environment friendly, but also the abundant rainfall might take advantage of Valdivia when compared to Berlin. All these basic information are useful for us to set a firstly impression that Architecture UACh (A-UACh) have advantage on environment issues and it is used as a sustainable model for students understanding how the so called low-tech could benefit the building’s energy system. But for the case Architecture Faculty of TU-Berlin (A-TUB), they do not considering of too

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much of the energy issues, even the real situation could not be better then Chile. Besides that, the A-UACh Considered the solar energy influence. So it paid attention to the latitude and the angle of the sunray before thay made the design. But the case of A-TUB on other side followed the upper level’s master plan to define the orientation of the building itself. When it moved it berlin, there is a 62 o rotation afterwards. All of these could be the background to make the hypothesis, which is if the A-UACh was built in Berlin, is it still sustainable?

Figure 3.

3. Methods

To make sure how much influence take place when the building in Chile directly moved to Berlin. We have to calculate the building energy gain and lose using the thermal balance equation. Qc + Qs + Qv + Qi + Qe = 0 The total evaluation could be divide into two parts. One is the summer model considering the gain of energy. The extra part should be relied on the cooling system like central cooling or air conditioner. Another is the winter model, calculating the energy lose which might find out how many the heating facilities should be fixed when the environment change. For the certain deduction, the calculation suppose summer in Berlin the temperature of building interior is 25 oC and in Buffer zone is 31 oC. In winter the fact is 20 oC in building and 5 oC in Buffer zone. (1) Qc-Conduction Gains Qc= U×A× T Qc: the total instantaneous heat flow in Watts (W), U: the U-Value of the building element, T: the instantaneous temp. difference between inside & outside, A: the surface area of the building element, (2) Qs-Solar Gains Qs= G×A×sgf Qs: total direct solar gain in Watts (W), G: the total solar radiation incident on the specified window (W/m²), A: the surface area of the window in m², sgf: the solar gain factor. (3) Qv-Ventilation Gains

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Qs= 0.33×N×V× T Qv: total ventilation gain in Watts (W), N: the number of air changes per hour within the zone, V: the total internal volume of the zone, and T: the temperature difference between inside and outside. (4) Qi-Internal Gains Internal gains result from heat sources within the building. These range from people to elec¬tric lights, typewriters, computers and almost every electrical appliance. (5) Qe-Evaporative Loss Qs= 666.66×ev Qe: total evaporative loss in Watts (W), ev: the evaporation rate in kg/h. Summer Evaluation

Qc + Qv + Qi Qc = Qc-wall + Qc-single glass = (Ac-wall*Uc-wall + Ac-single glass*Uc-single glass)(Tint-Tbuf) = 22357W Wall: Kbrick = 0.84W/mK; Kplaster = 0.5W/mK D = 0.016m ; Ac-wall = 351.11m2+557.33m2 = 908.44m2 Uc-wall = 1/Rt = 1/(Rso+ Rn+Rsi) = 1/(0.123+0.032+0.262+0.055) = 2.12W/m2K; Qc-wall = 908.44m2 * 2.12W/m2K* 6K = 11555W Glass: Uc-single-glass-win = 5.91W/m2K;Ac-single-glass = 130.23m2+174.39m2 = 304.62m2;

Qc-single glass = 304.62m2 X 5.91W/m2K X 6K = 10802W Qc1 = Qc-wall + Qc-single glass = 11555W+10802W = 22357W Qv = 0.33NV T = -3277W V2 = 662 m2.

Tsummer = Tbuffer zone-Tinterio rooms = 30-25 = 5 Qv2 = 0.33NV T = 0.33NV Tsummer = 0.33*2*662*5 = 2184.6W Qi= Qpeople + Qappliances + Qlighting = 9750W Qpeople,3H = Qpeople,9H = 0W Qpeople,15H = (50 people)(150w/person) = 7500W Qpeople,21H = (10 people)(150w/person) = 1500W Qappliances,3H = Qappliancesz,9H = Qappliancesz,15H = Qappliancesz,21H = Qrefrigerator = 350W Qc + Qv + Qi = 22357-3277+9750= 28830W

Winter Evaluation Qc + Qi Qc = Qc-wall + Qc-single glass = (Ac-wall*Uc-wall + Ac-single glass*Uc-single glass)(Tint-Tbuf) = -55891W Qi= Qpeople + Qappliances + Qlighting = 24750W Qpeople,3H = Qpeople,9H = 0W Qpeople,15H =(50 people)(150w/person) = 7500W Qpeople,21H = (10 people)(150w/person) = 1500W

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Qappliances,3H = Qappliancesz,9H = Qappliancesz,15H = Qappliancesz,21H = Qrefrigerator = 350W Qlighting,3H = Qlighting,9H = 0W Qlighting,15H = Qlighting,21H = (80 lights)(5w/light) = 400W Qheating,3H = Qheating,9H = 0W Qheating,15H = Qheating,21H = (15 heatings)(1000w/heating) = 15000W Qc + Qi = -55891+24750 = -31141W 4. Results After the two parts of calculation compared with the thermal balance equation, it could easy to find out that in summer the whole building system gains 28830W energy that means even considers all kinds of sustainable design, we still need to use 29 air-conditioners (1000W for each) to stop certain growth; while, on another hand, in winter the system lost 31141W energy, mostly because of the signal glass outside façade, and we need 32 heaters for keeping the interior temperature in a certain comfortable level.

As the architects who designed the A-UACh mentioned before: the building itself is a “energy system.” Basic passive design concepts were included from the very first stage of the conceptual design. There is resurgence within the built environment profession to return to the simple design techniques of the past while still using the modern construction methods and materials, with the intention of reducing these impacts (Rolf Thiele and José Miguel Biskupovic, 2003) . But here, when we deduced it in Berlin, it may not be the so called environment friendly and energy sustainable.

Figure4.

5. Discussion 5.1 Understanding from the hypothesis After a series of calculating and result analyzing, the first conclusion could come from the result of the hypothesis that the A-UACh in Chile exactly is a sustainable architecture design, but in Berlin it might be not. It is convinced of the architects’ talent of the low-tech awareness in design. And from the previous case study of the A-UACh project, the “energy system” itself works very well. The glass envelope with a certain volume northern buffer zone, not only provide enough ventilation to take away the energy gains in summer, but the special void in

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between also seemed as the warm coat for the building in winter. As we push the project completely into Berlin circumstance, the energy gain and lost change quickly to a dramatic level. Not only the building can not take advantage of the environment feature in Valdivia for the river beside and the evaporation effect to take summer gains, but also the tough climate characteristic made the single glass façade lost too much compared to normal wall materials. Even we input the U value of the double glass façade factor into the single glass facade, still the whole system should be optimized. The result of the hypothesis shows how we could make a building works, even it do not fit certain environment. By using central cooling system or air-conditioner and heater, actually, we can build the building everywhere. That is good for extreme architecture case study in special situation. But if we consider the energy price from different areas, carbon dioxide emission and global warming issues, this kind of idea lack of evaluation and social judgement. The outcome is we can chose it, while, in economic it may not be so much sustainable. 5.2 Misunderstanding from the hypothesis Basically, there are two trajectories of architecture migration in Chile. One is the Germany traditional architecture in southern Chile, names like Karl Brunner, Oscar Prager and Freitag Brothers. They bring their ideas and techniques directly into Chile practice and leave their influence to the later years. Another trajectory of architecture migration could be the influence of Chilean architects. They get the influence from the former migration, no matter directly or indirectly, these special influences may lead them to reach certain goals, such as technique concern, energy awareness and sustainable issues. The A-UACh project belongs to the second trajectory, because the architects get ideas from many German architectures design and they transformed the European thinking into their own practice. That is a very good step afterwards the first trajectory, in that the Chilean architect use a wider view to learn from the others and transform them and make it suitable for Chile. The misunderstanding from the hypothesis lies in that the inconvenience to build the A-UACh in Berlin do not mean the design fail, in contrast, the architects consider the special circumstance of Valdivia and environment around, like river, trees and night cooling effects, then they get the certain design to fit the certain environment. This is the advantage of the second trajectory of architecture migration influence of Chilean architects. They learn but not just take. If we suppose that the german influence do changed nothing when it flow to Chile, then it might be nothing. The A-TUB building could work very well in Berlin, but the cost of the construction and all the technique facilities costs could make people can not afford such building in Chile. Otherwise, Chilean are using a very economic way to make the sustainable consciousness into real practice. 5.3 Climate change, when sustainable is not The question follows the subtitle might be what can we do when the climate change. Scientific

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consensus now exists that greenhouse gas accumulations due to human activities are contributing to global warming with potentially catastrophic consequences (IPCC 2007). International and domestic climate policy discussions have gravitated toward the goal of limiting the temperature increase to 2°C to 3°C by cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 60 to 80 percent below 1990 levels by the year 2050 (Reid Ewing, 2008). Here the impact of world climate change do not means the warmer temperature should have more concern of the building comfort environment. But in a broader view that the so called “energy system” for buildings, is that possible for environment free? How to low down the energy consumption? How the lead human activity from architecture design to a standard of environment free? All these questions for sustainable architecture in new global situations still under debate and should be discussed in our future practice. Acknowledgements I would like to thank Prof. Renato d’Alencon for his valuable comments on my first presentation. And Students from China, Wen Jun Yang and Yue Zeng, we worked together as one group on the building case study of Architecture UACh. Reference - Rolf Thiele, José Miguel Biskupovic, Roberto Martinez and Paul Carew, Applied Low

Energy Techniques at Universidad Austral de Chile’s School of Architecture. The 20th Conference on Passive and Low Energy Architecture, Santiago – CHILE, 9 - 12 November 2003

- Simon Guy, Graham Farmer, Reinterpreting Sustainable Architecture: The Place of Technology, Journal of Architectural Education, pp. 140-148

- Marc Angell and Cary Siress, Five easy pieces. - Rainer Haubrich, Hans Wolfgang Hoffmann, Philipp Meuser, Berlin | Architecture Guide,

Verlagshaus Braun, 2006 - Reid Ewing, Keith Bartholomew, Steve Winkelman, Jerry Walters, Don Chen, Growing

Cooler: Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change, ULI, 2008

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1

Migration of Sustainable Architecture Discourses and Practices

German influence and expertise in Chile 1989-2004

Research, Hypothesis and Synthesis

Prof. Renato d’Alencon

Research Seminar Summer Semester 2008 at Habitat Unit TU Berlin

Prefabrication, Sustainability, ‘The Wall House’

From Discourse to Practice

Task: Examine how architectural discourses migrate into architectural practices. How

does the process of migration and adaption from and to a different context influence the architectural issues involved?

Length: 2000 words Due: 23

rd July 2008

Student: Lara Nobel

31

10

Local labourers

constructing ‘The Wall

House’

Prefabrication and Sustainability

Prefabrication of housing is defined as a building process which assembles components of

the building in a factory or other manufacturing site, and transports complete assemblies or sub-

assemblies to the construction site. If planned carefully it can be an especially sustainable method

of building. The construction process is an element of architecture and building which can often be

overlooked, especially in relation to environmental practices. More often than not, once the

drawings are handed over to the builder the focus shifts to the quality of the final outcome and

bypasses any scrutinising of the actual building process.

Prefabrication of precast concrete panels and timber trusses

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Prefabrication offers a list of potential environmental and human resource benefits.

Standard sizes optimise material use, thus minimising waste. New digital tools have been developed

to calculate the most efficient method of manufacture. Moreover, when inevitable waste is

produced it can often be re-used or stored for later use, as was the case with The Wall House.20

Another environmental benefit is the increased durability of the prefabricated elements. Damage to

the materials is minimised and quality control measures are easier to implement and more common

in a factory compared to a building site. This means, for example, that insulation can be applied

more effectively, therefore, increasing the performance of the building. Also the reduction in

transportation impacts should not be disregarded. The movement of materials, equipment and

people to and from the site over extended periods of time is undoubtedly a cost to the

environment. Producing elements off site generally reduces impact on the site itself and can

provide additional benefits, such as greater potential to use environmental materials, if produced on

a larger scale. Prefabrication of housing is recognised throughout the global design and construction

community as a sustainable discourse. If further refined it has the potential to become even more

sustainable.

Future of prefabrication and ‘The Wall House’

Unfortunately prefabrication is often considered a nice idea, but not economically viable. This is due to the realities of transporting large sections of buildings across a town or country, preventing damage in transit, and the inaccuracies of manufacturing.

21 However, FAR architects

have decided to put the ideas of The Wall House “out there” and provide the opportunity for people to build their own customised ‘Wall House’.

22 They are providing three sets of plans with

varying levels of involvement starting at "1,499 for “schematic drawings including the right to use them to construct a single unit.”

22 The second set includes detailed drawings and the third also

provides climate simulation for the intended climate, recommendations and custom material selection at a cost of "7,999.

23

Example of

architectural drawings being sold by FAR architects as part of their ‘Your Wall House’ initiative

20

Email correspondence with Marc Frohn, 9 July 2008. 21

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/05/small-lot-prefab-from-resolution-4.php 22

http://www.yourwallhouse.net/shop/page/1?shop_param= 23

http://www.dezeen.com/2008/03/17/your-wall-house-by-far-frohnrojas/

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12

‘Your Wall House’ advertisement

The intention is to adapt the general principles of The Wall House to varying requirements (e.g. client needs, location, and site). Undoubtedly a fascinating array of varied yet related houses will evolve. In a recent email correspondence, Marc Frohn responded saying that by developing the idea of customisable solutions of ‘The Wall House’ they plan to further explore the use of

prefabrication.24

This vision may prove to be a terrific success, if, for instance they are able to mass-produce the fabric skin layers of their design. On the other hand, refining the prefabrication process may not be viable nor even possible.

The discourse of prefabrication – ‘The Wall House’

By analysing ‘The Wall House’ as a recent demonstration of prefabrication and sustainability in Chilean architecture, numerous lines of influence have been tracked. These include the increasingly accepted notion of the sustainability of prefabrication, historical and contemporary context of prefabrication in Chile, and the discourses in circulation (built projects and future schemes) within the architectural scene. Finally, it can be concluded that the discourse of prefabrication as a sustainable practice has successfully migrated to Chile and can be seen implemented in such built works as ‘The Wall House’ (2007), Colina, Chile, and such developing projects as ‘Your Wall House’ by FAR architects.

24

Email correspondence with Marc Frohn, 9 July 2008. 34

2

Prefabrication, Sustainability, The Wall House From Discourse to Practice

Abstract

Prefabrication is commonly considered a ‘sustainable’ method of building. ‘The Wall

House’ (2007) and future developments of the design (‘Your Wall House’), by FAR architects

demonstrate the implementation of the sustainable prefabrication discourse in Chile. This paper

will discuss ways in which The Wall House can be considered an example of prefabricated

architecture, as well as other sustainable discourses it demonstrates. Possible influences on decisions

regarding construction methods will be summarised including a brief study of the context and

history of prefabrication and sustainability in Chile. Finally, this paper aims to draw together these

influences and discuss the further potential of such discourses to migrate into current and future

projects.

‘The Wall House’ at night

Background

FAR frohn&rojas architectural practice demonstrates the cross-pollination of ideas between

Germany and Chile - so much so that in some references they are referred to as “Chilean

architects” 1 while others claim that they are “two German architects”

2. With networked offices in

Cologne (Germany), Santiago (Chile) and Mexico City (Mexico) the firm is able to broaden its

influence.

1 http://www.dezeen.com/2008/03/17/your-wall-house-by-far-frohnrojas/

2 www.designboom.com/contempoary/far.html

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3

Tracking FAR influences: Locations of FAR offices (red points), areas Frohn and Rojas studied (black dots) and areas

they have lived (black stars)

Both Marc Frohn and Mario Rojas were educated in Europe and thus employ a set of

European discourses relating to sustainability in design. Due to the current “strong architectural

scene”3 in Chile, they have chosen to establish a practice in Santiago. One intention of ‘The Wall

House’ was to explore the outcome of mixing “highly-bred” German building products with the

Chilean labour force. It was their first project and gained them international recognition, as well as

numerous awards.4

Mark Frohn – design director Mario Rojas – technical director

‘The Wall House’ and Sustainability

3 http://www.designboom.com/contemporary/far.html

4 ‘The Wall House’ won the AR Emerging Architecture award in London, the NRW Design Award in Germany, and was nominated as one

of the “Best International Works” at Italy’s BC Awards.

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4

Basic Data

Architects FAR frohn&rojas Location Colina, Santiago De Chile Plot Area 5,787m! Building Footprint 330m! Construction Date 2004 – 2007 Cost " 135,000 ( "586/m! )

‘The Wall House’ has been designed with sustainability as an integral factor. Influences

from a multitude of discourses have been combined in an innovative way to achieve an

“environmentally sensitive”5 design. Sustainable architectural techniques such as thermal mass,

natural ventilation, solar shading and careful material choice have been applied. The tent-like

structure referencing greenhouse technology is made from a membrane containing aluminium strips

capable of reflecting 70 per cent of UV rays and with a light transfer rate of 25 per cent.6 The

central concrete core and ground-floor concrete slab contain gas-powered radiant heating that

moderates the house’s climate, as well as PEX hoses that cool down the house in summer. This

system consumes far less energy than conventional HVAC.7 Materials which are 100% recyclable

were selected and the application of finishes (such as paints, varnishes and plastic coatings) was

avoided. Moreover, a sustainable focus was applied to production methods. Prefabrication, reducing

site damage, as well as a construction technique intended to utilise local labourers and businesses are

the main examples.

Thermal Strategies applied to ‘The Wall House’

Winter Summer

Layers of ‘The Wall House’

Concrete cave Stacked shelving Milky shell Soft skin

Prefabrication and ‘The Wall House’

Although prefabrication was not solely chosen for environmental reasons, a positive,

sustainable outcome was certainly achieved. The shelving structure was prefabricated in a furniture

factory in Santiago and assembled on site. This was partly because on-site construction may not

have produced a structure able to withstand earthquakes but also resulted in other environmental,

time and labour advantages.

5 Your Wall House by FAR frohn&rojas, March 17th, 2008, Rose Etherington

6 Wall house / FAR frohn&rojas, 19 Apr 2008 By David Basulto , http://www.archdaily.com/71/wall-house-far-frohnrojas/

7 In suburban Chile, Marc Frohn and Mario Rojas experiment with four sets of enclosures in the Wall House.

By Jeannette Plaut - excerpt from the April 2008 edition of Architectural Record.

37

5

Manufacture of the structural framework – furniture factory, Santiago

Prefabrication minimised the material wastage and transportation to and from the site. The

structural shelving frame was made from glue laminated timber, plywood and formwork panels and

the unused materials could be stored and used later by the factory. An additional advantage was that

by delivering on a ‘just-in-time’ basis, elements could be lifted directly into position without the

need of scaffolding.

Assembly of elements on-site – Colina

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6

Current influences

Other elements were also produced to be pieced together on site such as the polycarbonate

pieces which ‘snap’ into place in an almost ‘do-it-yourself’ way.8 There are strong design

similarities between FAR architects and PAF architects (a US firm founded by Patrick Freet in

2003) which won the C2C Home Competition in 2005 with the Loq-kit.9 They developed a system

of mass-produced and interchangeable house parts with a snap lock assembly. The proposed frame

and panel construction system uses a light gauge snap-together steel frame system, and a skinned,

insulated panel cladding system.10

FAR architects are further developing the prefabrication

techniques employed in ‘The Wall House’ and applying them to Your Wall House (a scheme

whereby they sell drawing sets, personalised climatic advice and permission to construct your own

wall house).11

Possible configurations for a Loq-kit house

Examples of snap-lock parts – Developed by PAF architecture

8 David Basulto, Wall House/FARfrohn&rojas, 19 April 2008. http://www.archdaily.com/71/wall-house-far-frohnrojas/

9 http://www.c2c-home.org/winners.htm

10 Greg La Vardera, Loq-kit: the snap-together house, 12 March 2007. http://materialicio.us/2007/12/03/loq%E2%80%A2kit-the-snap-

together-house/ 11

http://www.yourwallhouse.net/shop/page/1?shop_param=

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7

Context – Building in Chile

Compared to common building practices in Chile the construction of ‘The Wall House’ was

atypical. A residential dwelling would typically be constructed on site using standard building

techniques for blockwork and timber construction as outlined in Manual La Construcción de

Viviendas en Madera.12

Typical method of building in Chile Image from Chilean timber construction manual

FAR architects were resourceful with the production of the elements comprising ‘The Wall

House’. The outer layer, which provides the diamond cut appearance and moderates heat and light

conditions, was sewn together by a local craftsperson in a small workshop which normally produces

children’s blow up castles,13

and the structural shelving was prefabricated in a Santiago furniture

factory. As strange as it may have been for the locals of Colina (location of ‘The Wall House’) to

watch the house being brought on site and pieced together, prefabrication is not unknown to Chile.

Sewing

together the outer fabric layer – Small workshop, Chile

12

http://www.cttmadera.cl/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/unidad_16-aspec_instal.pdf 13

http://www.designboom.com/contemporary/far.html

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History of prefabrication in Chile

During the latter part of the nineteenth century, Chile imported a number of prefabricated

buildings. The Southern Railway Company of Chile had its “48-sided engine house, 171 feet across,

with cast-iron frame, a wrought iron roof, and cladding of corrugated iron” erected in Manchester

before being dismantled and shipped to Santiago to be re-erected. 14

Another example is Mercado

Central (1868-72) which, despite being designed by local architect, Fermin Vivaceta, was actually

fabricated in Britain.14

The export of prefabricated homes also played a role in Chile’s history.

The most notable example of this is the exports to California in 1849, during the gold rush.15

From the late 1960’s to early 70’s timber houses were also exported to Panama and the West

Indies.16

Roof of Mercardo

Central - Santiago, Chile Fermin Vivaceta Rupio – 1829-90

Current Prefabrication in Chile

Prefabrication is becoming increasingly desirable for private housing and within the

architectural community. Influences such as the work of Santiago-based architect Sebastian

Irarrázaval demonstrate the practice of prefabrication to young offices. ‘La Reserve House’ (2005-

06), like ‘The Wall House’, is located in Colina, Chile but has been designed to be sold and repeated

in diverse locations. Attention to sustainability has led the design, coupled with concepts of “a

continuation of the building process” (relating to aging of materials) and the idea of “the container

which has no place”.17

These three concepts are inextricably connected to the house being

prefabricated. There appears to be a trend in architecturally designed private houses to incorporate

a prefabrication and replication discourse as a potential continuation of a successful design.

14

Herbert, Gilbert. 1978, Pioneers of Prefabrication: The British Contribution in the Nineteenth Century. Johns Hopkins Studies in the Nineteenth century Architecture. 15

Anthony Belli, The Chilean crusade for El Dorado, 16

Seminar by Prof. Renato d’Alencon, Habitat Unit TU-Berlin, 2008. 17

http://www.sebastianirarrazaval.com/05%20web%20SID/architecture/index_01.html

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‘La Reserve House’ - Colina, Chile

Standard prefabrication in Chile

Contrasting this individual, design-level prefabrication is the ‘off-the-shelf’, self assembly

housing fabricated in factories. Prefabrication is historically rooted in the standardisation of

elements as opposed to customised architecturally designed houses. In fact, one of the major

benefits is the affordability which can be achieved through this refining and replicating. Currently,

Chile has numerous companies which manufacture and export affordable prefabricated housing.

One of the main prefabricated home builders in Chile is Constructora Rucantu, established in 1981,

which has been exporting to Europe for over 10 years. They provide the prefabricated elements

and step by step instructions allowing nearly anyone to construct a house.18

Key materials used in the construction of ‘The Wall

House’

‘The Wall House’ also relies on a simple construction technique due to the fact that many

of the labourers are “not specifically trained builders.”19

Most of the main elements, such as the

shelving and polycarbonate pieces could be erected by hand. A sustainable construction process

should endeavour to employ local labour, companies, factories and businesses as this establishes a

network and a knowledge base within the region of construction. Naturally this is important when

elements need maintenance or if similar designs and techniques are to be repeated in the area.

18

http://www.rucantu.cl/en_faq.php 19

http://www.designboom.com/contemporary/far.html

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1

Germán Schubert

Matrikel Nr. 208974

Seminar: Sustainable Architecture

Prof. Renato D´Alancon

The notion of “competing logics of environmental architecture” : description and

critique

Introduction

This paper presents a summary of Simon Guy and Graham Farmer´s paper on sustainable

architecture. It begins with the general notion of sustainable architecture and continues with 6

different classifications or “logics” of such an architecture. Based on the seminars materials

and additional literature, these logics are applied to the 5 cases presented in classes during this

semester. The hypothesis is formulated, that although these 6 logics cover a wider range of

criteria for the analysis of architectural sustainability, they leave out the relation between the

architectural impacts and the economic environment in which it takes place. This hypothesis

follows from the discussions of the seminar, but can’t be fundamented in this paper, because

of lack of relevant literature.

1. The general concept of sustainability

Sustainability has been defined by Brundtland Comission,1987, as “meeting the needs of the

present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own

needs.” There is a flood of literature on this subject.

Sustainability represents a balance that accommodates human needs without diminishing the

health and productivity of natural systems. The American Institute of Architects defines

sustainability as “the ability of society to continue functioning into the future without being

forced into decline through exhaustion or overloading of the key resources on which that

system depends. (The guidebook to sustainable design 2edition-What is sustainable design?-

page 1)

With respect to architecture, There has been a tremendous surge of interests in sustainable

design for many reasons. The primary reason is based on concern about the environmental

challenges that is face d and desired to adress them in the design of the built environment.

Simply stated, it is the right thing to do. In addition, it is increasingly clear that sustainable

design improves the perfomance of buildings and increases user satisfaction and productivity.

Sometimes overlooked is the fact that it makes economic sense. (The guidebook to

sustainable design, page 8).

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2. The concept of sustainable architecture

Sustainable architecture constitutes a challenge. The question is “how to move forward by

focusing on environmental and health issues, on moving towards sustainable design in the

twenty-first century, just as our nineteenth-century predecessors focused on life safety. We

are only now beginning to see the challenges we face as we attempt to create buildings and

communities that will sustain us. We are just beginning to understand cause and effect as well

as the urgency of the environmental and health challenges that confront us” (Mendler et. al,

page 29).

This challenge gives opportunity for different und diverging approaches and understandings.

What is “green” or sustainable architecture, which gives answer to the multiple challenges of

environmental protection?

Citing Susan Maxman, Guy/Farmer call the attention to the fact that “sustainable architecture

isn’t a prescription. Its an approach, an attitude”. And they add: “While it is widely

recognized that sustainable architecture is a contested concept, most of the contemporary

debate on sustainable architecture tends to sidestep the issue. Either competing environmental

strategies are grouped within a single, homogeneous categorization of green design with little

or no reference to their distinctiveness, or the existence of a multiplicity of design approaches

is identified to be self-evident problems such as global warming.”

But from this standpoint, “green” architecture is reduced to “differently configured technical

structures”. Sustainable architecture then only means a choice of different technological

alternatives, which are analysed exclusively from the perspective of the or real or only

supposed technical advantaged.

Guy/Farmer instead call the attention to social and other criteria as important elements to

green or sustainable architecture and the technological choices they offer in an diversity of

local conditions.

“We suggest that a more appropriate way to understand this strategic diversity lies in

abandoning the search for a true or incontestable definition of sustainable buildings,

and instead treating the concept in a ´relative rather an absolute sense´ as ´means of

raising awareness of all the issues that can be considered´. In this we follow John

Hannigan in suggesting that society’s willingness to recognize and solve

environmental problems depends more upon the was these claims are presented by a

limited number of people than upon the severity of the threat they pose. That is, the

concept of a green building is a social construct” (pag.140).

Consequently, Guy/Farmer pose that “the premise is, then, that individuals, groups and

institutions embody widely different perceptions of what environmental innovation is about”

(ibid).

In this was, environmental architecture is more or less defined in a subjectivist way, where

objective parameters of sustainable environment and the architecture that takes place in such

an environment, are, if no invalid, only relative. They depend on the perception that

individuals, groups and institutions have about the environmental problems green architecture

has to solve, not on parameters given from outside of their respective perceptions.

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They conclude, citing Lisa Benton and John Shott, that “by adopting an interpretative

framework, and by exploring the notion of discourse, we highlight the social production of

space, place, and the environment. We challenge the assumption that environment is merely a

physical entity and resist the categorization of it only in scientific terms” (ibid.)

3. Competing logics of sustainable architecture

It follows from the above, that green or sustainable architecture incorporates several criteria

that are by no means part or an unique or homogeneous totality, but conform elements of

architectural sustainability that may compete with or even collide. Guy/Farmer mention six

categories or “logics”, each being able to be subdivided according its image of space, the

source of environmental knowledge, building image, technology and an idealised concept of

place (Guy/Farmer 141):

Eco-technic: It is based on technorational, policy oriented discourse, which thinks that science

can provide the solutions to environmental problems. The view predominates

that the environment can be “managed” and is concerned with global

environmental problems of climate change, such as global warming etc. It has

stimulated technological innovations (insulation, glass and solar shading,

intelligent facades, double skin roofs and walls etc.)

Eco-centric: This view challenges the notion of the ecotechnic logic. It incorporates ethical

considerations and the notion that nature has its own limits to which humans

must adapt and which they cannot transcend by technology. The question is not

how to improve the technologies available, but how to delevope living forms that

do no harm nature by themselves. “The essential mission of sustainable

architecture becomes that of non-interference with nature” Guy/Farmer 141).

The enfasis lays in the search for autonomous buildings, which do not depend on

resource intensive central systems. It pretends to “reduce the footprint” of

architecture on nature.

Ecoaesthetic: This logic is to search for an arquitectural aesthetic that brings people near to

nature, or inspire the to protect it. It seeks to introduce spirituality in social and

environmental relations. The environment will be saved if the human heart is

clean. There is no rational alternative to spirituality. “Only if men can first learn

to look sensuously at the world will they learn to care for it” (Passmore, cited

by Guy/Farmer). Building design must contribute to “redefine culture” itself,

transforming the cultural perceptions of nature.

Eco-cultural: Sustainable architecture must give individual answers to particular places.

Ethical sentiment must oppose globalization and its elimination of diversity.

Local traditions and indigenous approaches must be strengthened. Universal and

technologically based designs must be rejected.

Eco-medical: This logic puts individual health at the centre of its argument. The attention in

focused at the interior of buildings, because they pose a danger of illness by

themselves. “Our health is literally threatened by the technologies that were

created to protect it”. (Guy/Farmer). This logic has inspired the practice of Elbe

and Sambeth, as well the “Baubiologie” in Germany, promoting the use of

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natural and tactile materials and traditional building methods utilizing organic

treatment and finishes, natural light and ventilation and the use of colour to

promote health (ibid).

Eco-social: In this logic, environmental destruction stems from social factors. “It addresses

the emblematic issue of democracy as the key to an ecological society. The

community must be involved in the decision relating how common needs are

resolved by architecture. Power structure, where one group of the society

dominates all the others, are mainly responsible for ecologic degradation. The aim

is to create self controlling communities based on democratic values, forging

collective interests.

In conclusion, there is no one logic of sustainable architecture, but there are many, of which 6

are presented in this text. The may conflict or even collide with each other, but in some case

they may be complementary.

4. Sustainable architecture and the Migration of logics

Hypothesis: Sustainable architecture in Chile is represented by some cases which respond to

one or more of the logics presented above.

Based on five cases of sustainable architecture in Chile, for which little or no literature is

available, but which were treated during the course (Wall House, La Preferida, ESO, Facultad

de Arquitectura de la Universidad Austral de Valdivia, Edificio Consorcio [Apoquindo]),

following relevant criteria or “logic” of sustainable architecture can be said to be represented:

1. Wall House: This house could be classified within the logic of eco-technical

sustainable architecture. It implements several high-tech advances without further

consideration –it seems – of the immanent laws of nature and the best form of

conservation. But it does not seem to been destructive.

2. La Preferida: Although no analysis has been made, This constructions should have

followed the log of eco-medial sustainability. For an industry dedicated to the

production of food, the should be the first criteria. Obviously, as an economic

enterprise, the eco-technological criteria must be applied in order to combine

environmental protection with cost saving efficiency. This could be an interesting case

to analyse in respect of its economic replication in other industry sectors.

3. ESO Hotel and Information Centre: In this case, the construction logic must have

followed the eco-technical and eco-aesthetical criteria, with strong influence of eco-

centric considerations.

This building is described as follows, without explicit mention of Guys/Farmers

logics:

The astronomical research organization ESO required living quarters for those scientists

working with the four giant telescopes situated on the ridge to the north of the hotel. A unique

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habitat has been created, accepting the environmental conditions, no water, no vegetation,

very low humidity, extreme sun, strong winds, very cold nights and earthquakes. The hotel

was built with low construction and maintenance cist in mind, using soft technology and local

materials and expertise. The structure itself, a landscape wall which contains the entire

programme, uses small modules with flexible links to prevent earthquake damage. It is

embedded underneath the line of the horizon, under a plane running towards the southwest,

giving unobstructed views to the ocean and protecting the interior from sun and win. The main

access and social area, with a restaurant , lobby, and entertainment and leisure facilities, is at

the core under a circular glazed roof. Here, also, courts act as inner cases to raise the relative

humidity through vegetation and water evaporation. (The Phaidon Atlas, page 782.)

4. Universidad Austral de Valdivia: The building should respond to many elements of

more than one logic. It should respond to the eco-aesthetical logic.

5. Edificio Consorcio: Eco-technical criteria. No consideration of other criteria.

5. The missing consideration of economic sustainability

Neither the cases presented by Guy/Farmer nor the short analysis of examples of sustainable

architecture in Chile during the seminar gives any clue to the importance of macro-economic

considerations in architectural sustainability. This “logic” should have al least the importance

of eco-social logics. Specifically, the question is how to conceive sustainable architecture at

different levels of income and living standards. Does a “sustainable architecture” for rich

sectors of society follow the same criteria as for the poor sectors? Or is it so, that “sustainable

architecture” is only possible for those who can pay for it? If this is the case, isn’t sustainable

architecture condemned to be an exercise which benefits only the elites, and not broader

sectors of the population? And how could the criteria be for a sustainable architecture for the

masses?

These questions cannot be answered at this place. Nevertheless, the seminar has giver great

impulse and motivation to continue this investigation.

Literature

Simon Guy, Graham Farmer, Reinterpreting Sustainable Architecture: The Place of

Technology, in Journal of Architectural Education, February 2001

The Guidebook to sustainable design, Sandra F. Mendler, William Odell, AIA 2000

The Guidebook to sustainable design, 2edition Sandra F. Mendler, William Odell, Mary Ann

Lazarus, AIA, Hoboken, N. J. 2006

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The Phaidon Atlas of Contemporary World Architecture.

Taken Shape, A New Contract between Architecture and Nature, Susan Hagan, 2001

Sustainable Practice and the built Environment, Second Edition, Craig A. Langston, Grace

K.C. Ding 2001

A Green Vitrivius, Priciples and Practices of Sustainable Architectural Design, James &

James,1999

Die ökologische Herausforderung in der Architektur, Michael Volz, DAM, 1999

Sustainability at the Cutting Edge, Emerging technologies for low energy buildings, Peter

F.Smith, 2003

Sustainable Housing, Principle & Practice, Brian Edwards and David Turrent, 2005

Green Building, Handbook Volumen 1, Tom Woolley, Sam Kimmins, Paul Harrison, Rob

Harrison, 2001

Regenerative Design Techniques, Practical Applications in Landscape Design, Pete Melby,

Tom Cathcart, 2002

Understanding sustainable Architecture, Terry Willliamson, Antony Radford, Helen Bennetts,

2003

Solar Power, The evolution of Sustainable Architecture, Sophia and Stefan Behling, Prestel

Verlag, 2000

Links:

http://ecoloquia.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=802&Itemid=126

http://esperant.bligoo.com/content/view/41020

http://ecologiadelsur.bligoo.com/content/view/41308/Edificios_verdes_y_la_arquitectura_sust

entable.html

http://www.soloarquitectura.com/noticias/noticia2001112101.html

http://209.85.135.104/search?q=cache:TCuVMz3xymIJ:www.inter-

disciplinary.net/ptb/ejgc/ejgc5/mathur%2520paper.pdf+simon+guy+%26+farmer+graham&hl

=de&ct=clnk&cd=33&gl=de&client=firefox-a

http://arch-rival.blogspot.com/2005/08/mainstream-theories-of-sustainable.html

http://www.sed.manchester.ac.uk/architecture/staff/guy_simon.htm

http://www.booksamillion.com/ncom/books?id=4084407919001&pid=0415306833

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Migration of sustainable architecture discourses and practices prof. renato d’alencon

1

Heterogeneous Coalition of Eco-logics in Austral de

Chile’s Department of Architecture, influenced by

Mont-Cenis Trainings Center Building, Germany

an answer to “Reinterpreting Sustainable Architecture: The Place of Technology”

YANG Wenjun 0317389

I. Introduction

1.1 One article: only Eco-technic

The School of Architecture of Austral University in the south of Chile was established only 3 years

ago (2000) by a multi-disciplinary team consisting of architects, anthropologists, geographers,

engineers, and environmental professionals.1 The high light of this green house looked building is

its passive system and low energy usage. And in the article “Applied Low Energy Techniques at

Universidad Austral de Chile’s School of Architecture”, the author who is also the designer

emphasized on the success and significant meaning of the eco-techniques applied in this building,

“The results have shown that compared to an average building in Chile under the same conditions,

the School of Architecture has up to 70% less energy consumption in the winter time and using

night cooling, overhang sun shading and natural cross ventilation techniques, optimal comfort

conditions during the summer were achieved without the need of mechanical cooling and

ventilation.” (PLEA 2003 - The 20th Conference on Passive and Low Energy Architecture, Santiago – CHILE, 9 - 12 November 2003)

1.2 One PPT: three ideas

However with the help of Prof. Renato d’Alencon, the PPT made by José Miguel Biskupovic, who is

the director of the School of Architecture and also one of the four authors of the article mentioned,

1. PLEA 2003 - The 20th Conference on Passive and Low Energy Architecture, Santiago – CHILE, 9 - 12 November 2003

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becomes to be attainable. At the beginning of the PPT, José Miguel Biskupovic points out three

notions which are considered in the design progress while not mentioned in the article above. They

are “School as a community”, “The architecture belonging to the town” and “The architecture of

sustainability”.2 In his own words, “school as a community” means this building should be the place

open to everyone and tolerant with different territories. “The architecture belonging to the town”

implicates the architecture should be in constant dialogue with its deep cultural contexts3, and the

technology should assimilates and reveals the reality of local solutions as well.

Here besides the eco-technology, the author emphasized another two notions simultaneously.

Thus the School of Architecture is not the only result of eco-technic logic as we considered any

more.

1.3 One essay: interpretation to three Eco-logics

Interestingly, such description of “the architecture belonging to the town” and “school as a

community” just corresponds with two eco-logical classifications in an essay named of

“Reinterpreting Sustainable Architecture: The Place of Technology” written by Simon Guy and

Graham Farmer.

In the essay, the author thought concept of a green building is a social construct. Individuals,

groups, and institutions embody widely differing preceptors of what environmental innovation is

about. Each of these actors may share a commitment to sustainable design but are likely to differ

greatly in their “interpretation of the causes of, and hence the solution to, un-sustainability.” This is

a highly contested process and design and development actors possess varying degrees of power

to implement their own environmental visions. Base on such analysis, the author classified different

trends into “six competing logics of sustainable architecture” and introduced them separately in the

following text. They are, eco-technic, eco-centric, eco-aesthetic, eco-cultural, eco-medical and

2. The description can be found in the PPT by José Miguel Biskupovic

3. The description can be found in the PPT by José Miguel Biskupovic

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eco-social logics (Fig.1).

The eco-cultural logic emphasizes a fundamental reorientation of values to engage with both

environmental and cultural concerns. Within this logic it is suggested that sustainable architectural

approaches should move away from universal and technologically based design methodologies as

these often fail to coincide with the cultural values of a particular place or people.4 And the

eco-social logic addresses the emblematic issue of democracy as the key to an ecological society. It

is only through a model of community that is created to serve common needs and goals, where

humans experience true freedom and individual self-realization; they will be able to live in harmony

with the natural world.5

Clearly, all the idée advocated within the design of the School of Architecture could be reinterpreted

into three competing eco-logical discourses, Eco-technic, Eco-cultural and Eco-social logics, in the

framework of “Reinterpreting Sustainable Architecture: The Place of Technology”.

Fig.1: The six competing logics of sustainable architecture Source: Simon Guy, Graham Farme: Reinterpreting Sustainable Architecture: The place of Technology. 2001. Table 1

4. Simon Guy, Graham Farmer: Reinterpreting Sustainable Architecture: The place of Technology. In: Journal of Architectural

Education. 2 (2001). PP. 140-148. P. 144

5. ibid., PP. 140-148. p.145

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II. Hypothesis Proposed by “Reinterpreting Sustainable

Architecture: The Place of Technology”

However, such eco-logics are competing logically, not in practice, just as his own words revealed,

“As we highlighted above, we present these logics as separate but not autonomous. In practice,

logics may merge or simply be absent as exemplified by analysis of any individual building (which

we must leave for another paper). ” (Simon Guy, Graham Farmer: Reinterpreting Sustainable Architecture: The place of

Technology. In: Journal of Architectural Education. 2 (2001). PP. 140-148. P. 141)

In another word, the author made a kind of hypothesis by himself instead of me, that the

heterogeneous coalition of different eco-logics might be possible in practice. However because of

the limitation of time and length of the paper, such hypothesis could not be tested and verified.

Thus the case study of the school of architecture in Austral University might be a good chance to

testify whether heterogeneous coalition of different eco-logics could be realized or not, and as my

answer to the hypothesis proposed by “Reinterpreting Sustainable Architecture: The Place of

Technology”.

III. Heterogeneous Coalition of Eco-logics in the School of

Architecture of Austral University

3.1 Clue from PPT: German influence

At the end of the PPT from José Miguel Biskupovic, another case is shown up as the spokesman of

his own building. It is the Mont-Cenis Trainings Center Building in Herne, Germany. Thus it could be

regarded as a direct influence on the School of Architecture and discussed in the first instance.

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3.2 Heterogeneous coalition of Eco-logics in the Mont-Cenis Trainings

Center Building, Germany

3.2.1 Project background

This project lies over one of the Ruhr’s deepest coalfields (now disused). The Ruhr is formerly the

industrial powerhouse of Europe, and a derelict, polluted wasteland with attendant social and

economic problems at that age. But since 1989 the federal land of North-Rhine Westphalia has

been co-coordinating an ambitious regeneration master plan for the region that brings together

funding, expertise and political will (AR February 1999). Comprising over 100 individual landscaping,

regeneration and architectural projects spread over an area of 800 square kilometers,

Internationale Bauausstellung (IBA) Emscher Park (Fig.2) is such a colossal enterprise of

restructuring and redevelopment. With its heavy industries and coal mining long since extinguished,

the region is also trying to encourage a shift towards the white collar business and services sector

to attract future investment.6

Fig.2: Location of Emscher Park and the city Hernesodigen

Source: Claudia Schreckenbach, Christel Teschner: IBA Emscher Park

6. Nordrhein-Westfalen: Mont-Cenis. 1998. p4


5

3.2 Heterogeneous coalition of Eco-logics in the Mont-Cenis Trainings

Center Building, Germany

3.2.1 Project background

This project lies over one of the Ruhr’s deepest coalfields (now disused). The Ruhr is formerly the

industrial powerhouse of Europe, and a derelict, polluted wasteland with attendant social and

economic problems at that age. But since 1989 the federal land of North-Rhine Westphalia has

been co-coordinating an ambitious regeneration master plan for the region that brings together

funding, expertise and political will (AR February 1999). Comprising over 100 individual landscaping,

regeneration and architectural projects spread over an area of 800 square kilometers,

Internationale Bauausstellung (IBA) Emscher Park (Fig.2) is such a colossal enterprise of

restructuring and redevelopment. With its heavy industries and coal mining long since extinguished,

the region is also trying to encourage a shift towards the white collar business and services sector

to attract future investment.6


Source: Claudia Schreckenbach, Christel Teschner: IBA Emscher Park

6. Nordrhein-Westfalen: Mont-Cenis. 1998. p4

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3.2.2 Idea of three eco-logics

With this context, Jourda & Perraudin’s is committed to complete a government training center at

Herne-Sodingen (Fig.2) as a showpiece building, both in terms of its architecture and program.

Consciously modern, with a focus on ecological sustainability, it is also an enlightened riposte to the

notion of some barrack like mineral facility and mixing function of an important public space

including a library, community hall and other civic activities.

Thus similarly the Mont-Cenis Trainings Center Building goes after the heterogeneous coalition of

different eco-logics; they are eco-technic, eco-cultural and eco-social logics.

3.2.3 Buffer zone as a container of heterogeneous eco-logics

As everyone knows, double-skin facades are regarded mostly as a solution for high-rises subject to

high wind pressure. Yet the buffer zone principle can also have an energy-saving effect in low-rise

buildings. Greenhouse, atria and climate halls can be interpreted as a much-enlarged façade cavity.

They create a moderated buffer zone, which reduces heat loss and achieves passive heat gain from

solar radiation. They can also play a role in the natural ventilation of a building.7

And in the Mont-Cenis Trainings Center Building, such buffer zone is proposed a 72 168m glass

glazed greenhouse (Fig.3). Here it is not only the term of eco-technology in light of common sense,

but also a container of heterogeneous eco-logics. By means of such buffer zone, heterogeneous

coalition of three eco-logics is realized in the Mont-Cenis Trainings Center Building.

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! Eco-technic

Such buffer zone with glazed glass and huge heights forms a kind of “Micro-Climatic Producer”

(Fig.4). In winter the glazed hall reduces heat loss from the enclosed buildings and enables passive

utilization of solar energy. In summer with skylights opened in the roof and glass louvers in the

façade, the natural ventilation and night-time cooling can be realized within the huge heights. And

within its super-dimensional inner space, even the implantation of natural landscapes becomes

possible. With such vegetation and water features, shades and evaporative effects are attainable.

In addition, thanks to the huge surface area of the buffer zone, photovoltaic technology can be

realized on the roof glazing and partly also in the west façade. Together these modules can

produce 1 megawatt at peak output. And this exceeds the building’s requirements, so any surplus

is sold to the national electricity network.


Source: Nordrhein-Westfalen: I.c.

Fig.3: Bird view of the Mont-Cenis Trainings Center Building Source: Nordrhein-Westfalen: Mont-Cenis. 1998.

7. Andrea Compagno: Intelligent Glass Facades, Material Practice Design. 1999. p158

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Here the buffer zone becomes the carrier of different eco-technologies.

! Eco-cultural

The buffer zone with monumental scale and repetitive structure evokes the big sheds, furnaces and

factories of the Ruhr’s old industrial landscape (Fig.5). Enveloped in a transparent glass skin, a vast

timber-framed hangar 168m long shelters a congregation of buildings and functions. Rows of rough

hewn columns of ancient pine march through the cavernous space in arboreal splendor.8 Powerful

and rustic, the Mont-Cenis Trainings Center Building stands out as a memory and abstraction of the

past.

! Eco-social

The buffer zone is with large inner space and modular structure. Thus, different functions of

various scales can be comprised altogether, and the arrangement of two rows buildings is free

enough with different angles. In this building, training and recreational center for government

employees, with the addition of a library, a civic administration, a meeting center and even housing

units, is contained. It is assumed a distinct civic focus with mixed social level.

Meanwhile, the buffer zone with glazed glass will create a new public space with moderated climate

conditions. The inner space can be protected from the rain and wind outside and the people using

this building could spend more time “outside”, in the internal landscape within the buffer zone,

Fig.5: Images of different industrial landscapes in Ruhr area

Source: Claudia Schreckenbach, Christel Teschner: I.c.

8. Nordrhein-Westfalen: I.c., p4

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where humans experience true freedom and individual self-realization (Fig.6).

Here the buffer zone provides the opportunity of different social interactions freely and equally.

3.3 Migration to the School of Architecture of Austral University

Evidently, in the case of the Mont-Cenis Trainings Center Building, the heterogeneous coalition of

different eco-logics is realized, treating buffer zone as a container.

As mentioned at the beginning, the design of the School of Architecture (Fig.7) is also the coalition

of heterogeneous eco-logics. Thus under the direct influence of the Mont-Cenis Trainings Center

Building, the effect of turning buffer zone into a container of three eco-logics is in evidence.

However because of the differences in building function, building scale and economical factors, in

each branch some “performances” of buffer zone are smartly operated in its own way.

Fig.6: Inner landscape of the Mont-Cenis Trainings Center Building in Herne, Germany Source: Nordrhein-Westfalen: I.c.

Fig.7: Bird view of the School of Architecture of Austral University

Source: PPT from JOSÉ MIGUEL BISKUPOVIC

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! Eco-technic

In the School of Architecture, the buffer zone is aimed to be a kind of “Micro-Climatic Producer”

with natural ventilation and passive solar system, just like what the Mont-Cenis Trainings Center

Building does. However as a kind of improvement, the structure of the buffer zone is made of steel

instead of timber material applied in the German case, thus surplus solar energy which is absorbed

by the heavy structure during the day could be consumed largely by night cooling (Fig.8). As a

result, the diurnal air temperature could be moderated effectively.

Meanwhile, because of the differences in function, building scale and economical factors, many

eco-techniques which are applied in the German case can’t be realized here, for example, the

photovoltaic technology and the inner landscape. However, by taking advantage of the existing

vegetation and water features outside the buffer zone, such deficiency is smartly fetched up in its

own way.

! Eco-cultural

In the case of the School of Architecture, the shape of the buffer zone is also delicately designed to

coincide with the cultural values. Different from the symbol of formal Ruhr’s old industrial factory in

the case of the Mont-Cenis Trainings Center Building, here it stems from its own local context –

Fig.8: Energy analysis of night cooling in the School of Architecture of Austral University

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hangars of Asenav9(Fig.9)– not far from the site of the School of Architecture, which is also

implicated in the PPT from José Miguel Biskupovic.

! Eco-social

Similarly with glass glazed facade of the buffer zone, the inner space of the School of Architecture

is protected from the rain and wind outside; and a café bar is set in the east part of the building

serving the whole area. Thus the students of different grades and even the professors using this

building could spend more time “outside”. With the help of buffer zone, a place open to everyone

and tolerant with different territories is formed.

However, because of the relatively small scale compared with the Mont-Cenis Trainings Center

Building, the ground floor area of the School of Architecture is limited for effective “outside”

activities. Thus, to gain more “outside” space, the upper levels are partially built on stilts (Fig.10).

In this way, such deficiency caused by building scale is smartly made up.

Fig.9: Image of the hangar of Asenav from the standpoint of the School of Architecture of Austral University

9. Asenav is a Chilean ship building company, based in Santiago with shipyards located on Valdivia and Calle-Calle River. The

hangars of Asenav are the symbolistic mark of the history of Calle-Calle River.

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IV. Answer to “Reinterpreting Sustainable Architecture: The

Place of Technology”

Even though in the two cases, buffer zone is a particular case and special prototype, it still could be

regarded as enlightenment that heterogeneous coalition of different eco-logics is feasible. And with

the case study of the School of Architecture, such heterogeneous coalition also proves to be

adaptive during the migration of architectural discourses.

Thus such separated discourses are not independent as they are divided. All the Eco-logics which

represent different visions they express of alternative environmental places can be mixed together.

In another word, all the eco-logics are not contrary and struggling with each other. They are just

different attitudes and visions toward the alternative environmental places. Rather than searching

for a singular optimal pathway, it is vital that we learn to recognize and listen to the number of

voices expressing different visions of alternative environmental places. The search for consensus

that has hitherto characterized sustainable design and policy making should be translated into the

search for an enlarged context in which more practices of heterogeneous coalition can be

developed just as the case study shows. 1o

Fig.10: Superficial comparison between the ground floor and the first floor in the School of Architecture of Austral University

10. Simon Guy, Graham Farmer: I.c., P. 146

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Bibliography

List of Literature

Andrea Compagno: Intelligent Glass Facades. Basel!Boston!Berlin 1999

Nordrhein-Westfalen: Mont-Cenis. Herne 1998

List of Essays

Rolf Thiele, José Miguel Biskupovic,

Roberto Martinez and Paul Carew: PLEA 2003 - The 20th Conference on Passive and Low

Energy Architecture. Santiago – CHILE. 9 - 12

November 2003

Simon Guy, Graham Farme: Reinterpreting Sustainable Architecture: The place of

Technology. In: Journal of Architectural Education.

2 (2001). PP. 140-148.

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Proceedings of the Third International Congress on Construction History, Cottbus, May 2009

INTRODUCTION

The concern over building-related efficiency and reduction of environmental impacts, triggered by the oil crisis in the 70s, had been addressed in Europe by means of renewed public policies including energy efficiency, and was widely reflected in building design and construction. This played a role in the improvement of energy performance standards themselves as well as in the spread of energy and environmental consciousness to a wider public. However, the European experience was exported worldwide only to a limited extent, thus rendering such efforts marginal in a world view. This was evident in the Latin American context, where the awareness around these questions came to the fore only in the late 80s and early 90s, along with global environmental issues and local energy contingencies, both in building construction and in society at large. In Chile, a growing trend of claimed sustainable architecture took place starting in the late 80s, with diverse results. To a certain extent, it developed under foreign influence, relying on the experience available elsewhere and was conveyed to Chile in multiple forms. The process of importing these relatively new technologies, ranges from theoretical discourses and public policies to practice, eventually becoming incorporated into local practices and adapted to local conditions.

SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE DISCOURSES AND PRACTICES

In the current panorama of architectural discourses, sustainability continues to gain importance both on social and disciplinary grounds. Nevertheless, a consensus on what we mean when we say sustainable architecture is far from being met. A myriad of definitions, perspectives, best practices, toolkits, seem to coexist in the literature on the subject. On the other hand, practices termed sustainable develop in their own right, with or without a theoretical framework, in reference to specific locations, cultural environments and technical availability.

Migration of Sustainable Architecture Discourses into Practices

Several lines of argument can be identified both at the scale of the city and the building. These can be traced to the Whole Earth Catalog (Warshall and Brand, 1968), which has continued to evolve as the question of

ABSTRACT: This paper examines a growing trend of construction that is claimed to be sustainable or ecological, which developed in Chile starting in 1989, and the process of importing influential environmental building principles previously developed and used in Europe, particularly in Germany. The migration of these influences is proposed to be conveyed by individuals, carriers of ideas and expertise that stem from their own educational background, access to relevant information, professional partnerships and work opportunities.

MIGRATION OF SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION. Foreign influence and expertise in Chile 1989 - 2004

Prof. Renato D’Alençon Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile

Lara NobelUniversity of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

Jonas FischerTechnische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany

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Proceedings of the Third International Congress on Construction History, May 2009

sustainability itself has (Angélil and Siress, 2006). Guy and Farmer (2001) argue for a coexisting variety of sustainability discourses in architecture, ranging from philosophical and aesthetical approaches to technical and practical ones, and sustain that there are as many definitions as interest groups contesting. Their analysis of a wide spectrum of claimed ecological buildings and their rationale resulted in a classification of six environmental logics: eco-technic, eco-centric, eco-aesthetic, eco-cultural, eco-medical and eco-social. Each model emphasises a different set of priorities, ranging from autonomous buildings with limited ecological footprint to ensuring health and well-being, to decentralised community building. Architecture has mainly focused on the eco-technic approach, emphasising energetic rationality without much consideration over a cultural or social perspective on sustainability. According to Guy and Farmer, in an eco-technic perspective “science, technology and management can provide the solution to environmental problems, without leaving the path of modernization.” Success is thus measured in the quantitative reduction of “building energy consumption, material-embodied energy, waste and resource-use reduction, and in concepts such as life-cycle flexibility and cost-benefit analysis”. These diverging discourses may be the symptom of a rich pluralist panorama, as Guy and Farmer suggest. However, the prevalence of the eco-technic approach in recent architecture, and the reinforcement of this approach by evaluation and certification methods based on performance efficiency criteria (Owen, 2006), suggest the settling of what has been termed technological determinism (Kline and Pinch, 1999), a common-sense split between technology and culture. It assumes technology to be autonomous and univocally impacting society as a mere result of its independent development. Admitting such a divergence to exist between a prevailing technical conception of sustainability in architectural practice and the social and cultural articulation of these issues, how do evolving concepts on sustainable architecture migrate from discourses to encompass architectural practices? How does the process of migration and adaptation from and to a different context influence the social and the technical questions involved?

Carriers of Technology

In discussing the north-south influence to support a dialogue between architecture and identity, Herrle (2008) uses the model of Packages and Carriers as articulated by Berger/Berger/Kellner (1973), to support that “there are packages containing technologies, symbols and icons that have been produced in cultural contexts mostly from countries of the northern hemisphere” that will eventually be carried to other cultural contexts. Through his discussion Herrle emphasises media and global communication, a rather abstract means of transferal. In response to this, we propose a more literal migration of influences: that, individuals, academics or practicing architects are carriers of technological change and that packages of innovation built on their individual expertise, education, professional networks and influences, which are consequently spread by specialised and mass media, discussed in professional societies, promoted in the Universities, or developed by individual practitioners. This idea is not unprecedented in Chile. During the first decades of independent life technical expertise was not locally available and needed to be imported. This took different forms: direct import of prefabricated buildings -affordable because the transportation costs were reduced nearly to zero in freighters needing a dead load after being emptied in Europe of raw materials-; contracting of architects and engineers (Pérez, 2001), which were invited by the Government to promote innovation and reinforce -or construct- references for national values and identity in many fields; or study travels of talented young Chileans to acquire an international class education. Later, in spite of relevant changes in a broader context, such as social-economical conditions, communications, technology, and international trade, the presence of practice that could be traced to European origins suggest that individuals acting as carriers of packages of technology could well be a relevant, persisting practice.

CASE STUDIES

We have committed to explore the process of importing presumably influential environmental building principles that were developed and used in Europe, particularly in Germany, and eventually applied in Chilean buildings termed sustainable or ecological in the period between 1989 and 2004. Of particular focus will be the role of the architects and other professionals as carriers of technological innovation. A set of case studies were explored in reference to their corresponding sources, to chart the influences of existing discourses and technical expertise of German architectural practices into the Chilean ones. These account for the spreading influence of sustainable architecture, and its potential articulation within local specificities. The cases were selected among the most recognized buildings claimed sustainable, green or ecological in Chile, which embody a relevant and recent technological innovation.

Edificio Consorcio Nacional de Seguros. Santiago, Chile. 1989. Enrique Browne and Borja Huidobro

The general concept of the Consorcio Headquarters Building is based on the idea of recovering the previously existing vegetation on site by inserting a vegetated shield in front of the main façade. This is composed of a first layer of aluminium cladding and double glazed windows, and an outer façade with climbing vegetation,

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supported by a vertical structure that includes aluminium louvers holding the vegetation and providing minimum shading during the early years of growth of vegetation.

Figure 1: Consorcio Building, Browne and Huidobro. General concept (left) and Double Façade section detail (right) (drawings by Enrique Browne)

This deciduous protection contributes to the thermal conditioning of the building by reducing overheating due to sun radiation. Even if the building does includes HVAC systems (considered standard for a building of its type), the solution contributes to reduce energy consumption and operating costs, due to the environmental design concept integrated in the architectural design. Beyond its effectiveness in reducing cooling loads, the building itself works as a gigantic billboard proclaiming that this is a green building and this company cares about the environment. The recall value is achieved by size, 2.753 m2 of vertical greenness on an office tower make a lasting impression that has received wide public acceptance and numerous awards. The company, pleased with the positive feedback, changed its logo now featuring the green tower

Figure 2: Consorcio Building, Browne and Huidobro. General perspective from the street (left) and the com-pany logo modified after the building (right) (photograph Enrique Browne)

This seemingly contradictory, yet extraordinarily successful outcome may be explained by the partnership between Architects Enrique Browne and Borja Huidobro and their different influences on this particular design. Their design strategies offer contrary approaches. While Browne’s work was mostly composed of small and medium-scaled projects; his designs consider specific climatic settings climate and cultural context, many of his single family houses include plant-covered pergolas as shading devices. In contrast, Borja Huidobro has gained a reputation with his office Huidobro and Chemetov for his iconographic gesture of the French ministry of Finance on Boulevard de Bercy in Paris, a monumental city gate with two pillars anchored in the Seine.

Being a very clear example of eco-technic design, much orientated to energy reduction while integrating standard building and service specifications, the enduring success of this building has included a social

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dimension, even if unexpected, in placing a pervasive image of environmentally aware architecture in the public.

Edificio La Preferida. Santiago. 2000. Nissen + Franz Asociados, Santiago.

The practice Nissen + Franz defines itself as Architects and Engineer consultants for the meat industry. They regularly operate with a partner in Santiago and another in Germany. In this particular project, the claimed influences are clearly stated design description (D’Alençon, 2008, pp 131):

The double-glazed skin, a concept widely used since the nineties in Germany, where we developed the project together with a team of architects such as Alfred Fischer, Dieter Hirsch and Michael Huber, would become the bioclimatic device “par excellence” in the building.

Figure 3: Edificio La Preferida. Nissen + Franz. General View (left) and view through the double façade (right) (pictures by Guy Nissen)

The envelope of the corporate administrative building of La Preferida is characterized by a 1.5 m deep double-skin ventilated glazed façade that alternates according to the seasons: in winter the closed, still volume of air reduces heat loss and allows radiation gains; during summer, solar protection inside the chamber minimises radiation gains to the interior and creates a convection flow within the chamber that indirectly ventilates the building. Operable panes in the upper and lower end of the chamber are accessed from inside for maintenance which involves opening and closing the panes, cleaning the windows, closing the outside screen etc. The standard use of double skin façades in Europe and particularly in Germany is widely documented. A standard work on the subject is Andrea Compagno’s Intelligente Glasfassaden: Material, Anwendung, Gestaltung, first published in Zürich in 1995. The adaptation of the sophisticated control systems is also stated by the architects:

The control technology (automated BUS connected to HVAC equipment) was not available, so the training the cleaning staff achieved a routine operating activity for controlling thermal regulation and renewal of air inside the offices (…)

Figure 4: Edificio La Preferida. Nissen + Franz. Detail of the operable openings in the chamber (left) and double façade detailing (right) (picture by Guy Nissen, drawing by Andrea Ortega)

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The international cooperative work in the firm is held on a regular basis, and supported by foreign experts for this building. Since the design and operation could be very complex if directly imported, it has been adapted to local availabilities and solved with extreme simplicity, which demonstrates that the use of these technologies can be implemented in a different context with an appropriate design.

Wall House. Lampa, Santiago. 2007. Frohn & Rojas. Köln, Santiago, México City

The Wall Houseis the first built project of FAR architects (Marc Frohn and Mario Rojas) and has received international acclaim. The house was designed and developed through their networked offices in Cologne, Santiago and Mexico City. Principles such as thermal mass, natural ventilation, solar shading and careful material choice are elements of the environmentally sensitive design.

Figure 5: Wall House. Frohn + Rojas Archs. General View (left) and plan (right) (photograph Cristóbal Palma, plan by the architects)

Prefabricating key elements of the Wall House provided a way for the architects to incorporate foreign materials, techniques and principles in a controlled environment. As the architects themselves explain, one of their intentions was to explore the outcome of mixing highly-bred German building products with the Chilean labour force, many of which are not specifically trained builders. The design and construction of the tent-like roof structure, the structural shelving and the polycarbonate sections all took place under this controlled environment. The main structural shelving was prefabricated in a Santiago furniture factory and assembled on site. Similarly, the prefabricated polycarbonate pieces snap into place and require minimal building expertise.

Figure 6: Wall House. Frohn + Rojas Archs. Prefabrication (left) and on-site assembly (right) of the main structural components (pictures by the architects,

www.designboom.com)

The outer membrane applies the principles of greenhouse technology and the central concrete core and ground-floor slab contain gas-powered radiant heating that moderates the house’s climate, as well as PEX hoses that cool the house in summer. These methods consume far less energy than conventional HVAC sys-tems. The membrane contains aluminium strips capable of reflecting 70 per cent of UV rays and with a light transfer rate of 25 per cent (Basulto, 2008). This heat and light moderating skin was sewn together by a local craftsperson in a small workshop which normally produces children’s blow up castles).

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Figure 7: Wall House. Frohn + Rojas Archs. Local Prefabrication of the membrane (pictures by the architects, www.designboom.com)

A relevant number of the elements in the house, unusual in the local construction practices could be locally produced to fit the architects’ standards by prefabricating parts and pieces, also an unusual practice in Chile, at least in this kind of small, individually produced house. It is by means of prefabrication that the triple-based architects practice could design sitting in their distant office and maintain assurance that the construction would be carried out successfully.

European Southern Observatory Hotel (ESO). 2003. Cerro Paranal, Atacama. Auer + Weber Assoziierte. Munich, Stuttgart

Auer + Weber, a well-known practice based in Munich and Stuttgart, were commissioned to design the ESO Hotel in the Atacama Desert, 2.5 km from the most powerful earth-based telescope (VLT telescope). The choices for products, contractors and building methods were required to comply with Chilean, but also European standards which became the requirements defining a benchmark for the building’s design and construction. This was a concern for the designers:

Since we had no experience in local Chilean building standards we designed a building which still could form a powerful and clear image even if the level of detail quality would not reach German standards, e.g. the surfaces of the in situ concrete construction.

Figure 8: ESO Hotel Atacama. Auer +Weber Archs. General view of the building in its location (left) and plan (right) (pictures by the architects)

In the initial stages the office explored local products and construction methods as a way to reduce costs in transport, the need for purpose-trained workers, and costly European products. Structural design plans for the concrete (complying with Eurocode standards) were sent to the Chilean main contractor. The main contractor´s workshop drawings were then reviewed and released by Auer + Weber’s structural engineer and the earthquake safety was certified by an external specialist in Germany. Additionally, the steel construction for the dome over the entrance was designed according to Eurocode standards, produced by a Chilean company, assembled in a workshop and transported to the site for static load tests. Despite the architects’ endeavour to include local products, and of the integration of local expertise in critical construction phases, the European expertise prevails, as concluded by the architects:

(…) the cross cultural influence can be described rather as multilateral inner European than bilateral be-tween Europe and Chile.

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Figure 9: ESO Hotel Atacama. Auer +Weber Archs. Dyed, in situ concrete. Façade (left) and detail (right) (pic-tures by the architects)

The final outcome is then a merging of German and broader European products and expertise with Chilean construction work only to a certain extent. The dyed, in situ concrete, a characteristic feature of the building, is one interesting exception. The red pigmentation of the concrete was directly purchased from Germany but prepared on-site. The result was a slightly clouded surface which, in the final analysis, and is appreciated by the architects as an example of a design-to-site technical dialogue.

Edificio Arquitectura Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia. 2003. Biskupovic y Martínez, Arquitectos, Valdivia

The overall strategy of the new School of Architecture building at the Universidad Austral is based on the con-struction of a large glazed greenhouse space. A semi-tempered exhibition and circulation area acts as a buffer, between the classrooms, studios and other required areas, and the outside conditions, which are usu-ally rainy.

Figure 10: School of Architecture UACH. Archs Biskupovic and Martinez General view (left) and building envelope with protecting louvers (right);

(photographs Natalia Spörke)

As an environmental strategy, this allows radiation gains by greenhouse effect and ventilation through convection produced by relevant temperature differences. One of the major problems is overheating in summer, which is particularly critical in the Chilean climate. External louvers to reduce solar gains, mass to provide thermal inertia, and night ventilation cooling were incorporated to prevent overheating without mechanical support. The use of these simple design strategies actually amounts to a thorough understanding of the environmental questions involved in the basic design decisions.

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Figure 11: School of Architecture UACH Schematic Environmental Performance Sections for the Mont Cenis Training Center. Summer (left) and winter (right);

The arguments made to support the building’s design are mostly in a technical-scientific tone, emphasising energy efficiency based on preliminary thermal models and calculations, and so were thus presented to PLEA 2003 (Thiele et al, 2003). Previous to the construction, a promotional presentation included a reference to the showpiece building Mont Cenis Training Centre in Herne, Germany, built in the context of an the IBA Erscher Park. The Centre has a glazed buffer zone of 72 x 168 m that surrounds the building itself. An exhaustive analysis of its environmental principles was conducted and used as a reference for the design. The influence is evident, and even if the idea of inhabitable winter gardens is as old as Joseph Paxton’s Cristal Palace of 1854, the understanding of the principles leading to adequate design is less common. The Training Centre in Herne has been a Unfortunately, the quality of the finishing, with gaps of up to 5 cm on the boards of leaves operable on the first floor of glazed Envelope, has prevented a rigorous assessment. Because of uncontrolled infiltration loses, the architects presume that the building will not meet the projected performance in winter conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

The outcomes of these emblematic cases range from absolute media success and construction of a cor-porate identity, to diffuse evaluation due to uncertain or non-existing performance data, and failure or dis-claim due to poor building standards. However, they do share connections to foreign experiences, and ideas can be said to migrate from discourses to practices, conveyed by their designers and other individuals involved in the construction process, in variety of means: previous education, technical literature, international partnerships or direct commission to foreign professionals. The relation to technological innovation is thus mediated by international social networks that convey technological development coming from developed societies. Furthermore, the process of direct foreign involvement and influence seems to be characteristic of such sustainable buildings and helps to understand the relative successes in the quest for sustainable construction in a developing country such as Chile.

REFERENCES

Angélil, M.; Siress, C., 2006. Cary. Five Easy Pieces. In: Sustainable Construction. Holcim Foundation for Sus-tainable Construction. Basulto, D., 2008 Wall House/FARfrohn&rojas. (on line): http://www.archdaily.com/71/wall-house-far-frohnrojas/Berger, P.; Berger, B.; Kellner, H, 1973. The homeless Mind: Modernization and consciousness. New York : Random House. Compagno, Andrea, 1995: Intelligente Glasfassaden: Material, Anwendung, Gestaltung. Basel; Boston; Berlin: Birkhäuser. D’Alençon, R, 2008. Acondicionamientos: Arquitectura y Técnica. Santiago, Chile. Ediciones ARQ. Designboom 2008. Industrial design today www.designboom.comhttp://www.designboom.com/contemporary/far.htmlGuy, S.; FARMER, G., 2001. Reinterpreting Sustainable Architecture: The Place of Technology. Journal of Architectural Education 54 (3) pp. 140–148. Herrle, P., 2008. Architecture and Identity? Steppenwolf and the carriers of change. In: Herrle and Wegerhoff (Eds.) Architecture and Identity. Schriften der Habitat Unit, Fakultat VI Planen Bauen Umwelt, TU-Berlin. Berlin: LIT Verlag Owen, C., 2006. Reaching for the Stars. Architecture Australia 95, (6) pp. 113-116. Pavez, M. I., 1999. Karl Brunner von Lehenstein (1887-1960). (on line): http://www.urbanismo.uchile.cl/brunner.htm (Retrieved February 15th, 2008). Thiele, R.; Biskupovic, J.M.l; Martínez, R; Carew P., 2003. Applied Low Energy Techniques at Universidad Austral de Chile’s School of Architecture. In: 20th International PLEA Conference Proceedings. Rethinking development: are we producing a people oriented habitat? Santiago, Chile: P. Universidad Católica de Chile, 2003. Warshall, P.; Brand, S., (eds.), 1968. Whole Earth Catalog: access to tools, published twice a year from fall 1968 to 1972, and sporadically afterward. Menlo Park, California: Portola Institute.

Sistema de Bibliotecas. P. Universidad Católica de Chile (SIBUC): Pérez, F., 2001 Constructores y viajeros: la presencia de extranjeros en la construcción de la ciudad Chile 1840-1940. Santiago, Chile: Pontificia Uni-versidad Católica de Chile, Escuela de Arquitectura.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This work was elaborated during the Seminar Migration of Sustainable Architecture Discourses and Practicesheld at Technische Universität Berlin during the Summer Semester of 2008.

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migration of sustainable architecture discourses … › sose2008migration.pdf · the seminar...

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