By the mid 21st century, over three quarters of the world’s population could be living in urban areas. Relentless urbanization must reckon with the reality of climate change, which compels AEC firms and their clients to rethink the built environment with an eye toward resilience and preservation.
“The greatest potential impact comes from design itself,” states Gensler in its third annual “Impact by Design” report. Gensler asserts that while the business case for sustainable design “has never been clearer,” the specifics for achieving higher levels of sustainability “are changing.”
The report revolves around six topics—form, materials, adaptation, energy, water, and intelligence—where Gensler believes design can have the greatest positive impact in the coming years. “Our goals are to expand the discussion of resilience beyond just energy efficiency, and [to] demystify complex conceptualizations to encourage broader adoption of resilient methods.”
Gensler stakes its claim for authority in these matters by noting that its estimated 1.25 million sf of project work in 2017 were designed to keep nearly 11 million metric tons of C02 from entering the atmosphere on an annual basis.
The firm’s analysis of its 2017 portfolio found that its more than 800 million sf of work have an averaged predicted Energy Unit Intensity (pEUI) of 42.5 Kilo British Thermal Units (KBTU) per sf per year, a 59% improvement over the firm’s calculated equivalent in 2003. Its more than 400 million sf of interiors work have an averaged predicted Lighting Power Density (LPD) of 0.81 watts per sf, a 29% improvement over the firm’s calculated ASHRAE 90.1 2007 equivalent.
FORM: To achieve effective resilience, cities must experiment with new forms that reassess location, proportion, orientation, fenestration, and “augmentation” (i.e., additions that maximize a building’s performance). “Early intervention is crucial,” says the report.
Gensler’s design proposal for the 1.2 million sf Zhuhai Huace Plaza, in Guangdong, China, merges two towers into a single structure that focuses on sustainable performance, community connectivity, and the integration of nature. A vertical atrium system embeds vegetation at all levels of the building, while creating a breathing envelope that brings draft winds into the building. Performance is further optimized via intelligent building controls.
The firm’s design for the 430,000-sf Harbin Bank headquarters in Beijing includes a double-glazed high-performance façade to reduce the building’s cooling load by over 50% in the summer and minimize heating loads by up to 40% in the winter. That system is coupled with automatic blinds to facilitate occupant access to daylight whenever possible, while providing sufficient solar shading and mitigating glare. The building requires 11% less mechanical equipment.
The choice of materials is a major component in the modernization of San Francisco International airport's Terminal 1, which when completed is expected to reduce its carbon emissions by 79%, compared to its previous baseline, over 50 years. Image: Gensler
MATERIALS: Sustainability usually starts with materials selection. “We must prioritize lifecycle thinking for every design we create and every material, furniture, and fixture we specify,” Gensler states, adding that “minimizing embodied carbon has become a point of emphasis within our portfolio.”
A prime example can be found in Gensler’s design for the ongoing modernization of San Francisco International Airport’s 86,000-sf Terminal 1, which Gensler claims “represents the most ambitious, integrated sustainability strategy for the airport yet, as they continue to push for near net zero energy usage alongside significantly reduced material/carbon impacts.”
The building products chosen for that terminal include dynamic glazing and radiant ceiling panels in hold rooms, low-carbon steel, concrete, and interior finishes; installations of a ceiling skylight and floor openings to lower levels for natural daylighting; high-efficiency escalators and elevators; solar panels; fritted glass for glare reduction; and low-energy displacement ventilation.
The modernization, upon completion, is expected to earn LEED Gold certification.
ADAPTATION: Gensler’s report laments that, globally, there’s still too many poorly performing buildings, and the current retrofit rate is sluggish: in the U.S., only 2.2 billion sf, or 2% of total floor space, gets refurbished each year. So there’s plenty of opportunity to renovate buildings in ways the produce environmental, economic, and social benefits.
Gensler acknowledges the barriers to energy refurbishment of buildings: renovation cost, access to finance, rapid ROI, low energy prices, lack of technical solutions, lack of skilled labor, supply-chain fragmentation, and lack of awareness. But its report insists that the AEC industry must develop strategies to improve an existing building’s performance without needing to tear it down.
Take, for example, the adaptive reuse of the former Balcones Resources recycling warehouse in East Austin, Texas, for UpCycle, an 81,000-sf institutional-quality office building. Gensler’s design reuses 95 percent of the existing warehouse’s structure, even the building skin, which is turned inside out to reveal its natural finish. Even old elements such as exhaust fans were reused as decorative design features.
Gensler's master plan and concept design for a net-zero energy 52-townhouse neighborhood incorporates an autonomous vehicle network on the premises with solar panels and a rooftop hydroponic farm. Image: Gensler
ENERGY: The ultimate goal for new construction and renovation is to reduce the energy impact of buildings to zero, either by reducing consumption, creating new energy, or buying energy.
Gensler observes that conversations about energy reduction more frequently veer toward procurement of renewables, which becomes increasingly viable as energy grids in more markets accommodate and offer more renewable options.
The report points specifically to the 8,000-sf Sustainability Center at the University of California-Northridge, the first ZNE building in the state’s university system. It includes a 25-kW rooftop PV array coupled with a glazed overhead window, which eliminates the need for artificial light. All of the building’s hot water needs are met by solar thermal and hybrid hot water heat pumps. The installation of vacuum composting toilets reduces annual water use by 43,500 gallons. The building’s cladding is a cementitious panel system that’s repurposed from cement panels. Grey water is used for irrigation.
Gensler has also come up with a design concept for an Electric Vehicle Enclave that would be part of a new suburban housing model that supports community building through common courtyards, and assumes the ubiquity of automated vehicles in the future. This concept includes a year-round hydroponic farm.
WATER: The report includes a map that shows the cities and regions globally that are most vulnerable to coastal flooding. Possible solutions to mitigate that risk include canals that channel water away from the built environment to flood-proofed sites, and coastal dunes and dedicated wetlands that inhibit flooding and appropriately store both flood and fresh water. “The design of individual buildings must then be considered.”
Gensler’s ambitious Miami Waterway concept proposal explores how zoning codes and development policies could require existing communities at higher elevation points to acquire increased levels of residential and commercial density, thus creating heavily populated, commercially stable areas that are insulated from flooding.
Lower-lying areas would be zoned as parks and wetlands, effectively acting as buffer zones that protect the surrounding areas from water fluctuations. A man-made delta capable of integrating higher water levels into the urban fabric without threatening residents or businesses—including the transformation of streets into canals—would result in a transportation network that can serve the needs of a denser city while reducing individual vehicle usage.
INTELLIGENCE:
This solution foresees the broader application of sensor and network technologies. The next iteration of smart buildings will leverage advances in sensor technology alongside an increased number of IoT-enabled devices. The optimization of operations would include efficiency, responsiveness, and anticipation. Intelligent design would allow building occupants to have a more direct relationship to their building.
Johnson Controls’ 376,000-sf Asia-Pacific headquarters in Shanghai, which has earned both LEED Platinum and EDGE certifications, operates with assistance from myriad advanced technologies, including a Metasys Building Automation System, a Central Plant, and LED lighting with daylight dimming, occupancy sensors, and interior façade roller shade system. The building is also equipped with 21,528 sf of solar panels.
The headquarters, which opened in June 2017, is expected to generate 44% savings in overall energy consumption compared to the local market standard, reduce water usage by 42% via its grey water recycling and rooftop storm water recapture facilities, and reduce embodied energy in materials by 21% through the use of Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood-based building materials and the sourcing of locally supplied products.
Related Stories
MFPRO+ News | Dec 11, 2023
U.S. poorly prepared to house growing number of older adults
The U.S. is ill-prepared to provide adequate housing for the growing ranks of older people, according to a report from Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. Over the next decade, the U.S. population older than 75 will increase by 45%, growing from 17 million to nearly 25 million, with many expected to struggle financially.
Office Buildings | Dec 11, 2023
Believe it or not, there could be a shortage of office space in the years ahead
With work-from-home firmly established, many real estate analysts predict a dramatic reduction in office space leasing and plummeting property values. But the high-end of the office segment might actually be headed for a shortage, according to real estate intelligence company CoStar Group.
University Buildings | Dec 8, 2023
Yale University breaks ground on nation's largest Living Building student housing complex
A groundbreaking on Oct. 11 kicked off a project aiming to construct the largest Living Building Challenge-certified residence on a university campus. The Living Village, a 45,000 sf home for Yale University Divinity School graduate students, “will make an ecological statement about the need to build in harmony with the natural world while training students to become ‘apostles of the environment’,” according to Bruner/Cott, which is leading the design team that includes Höweler + Yoon Architecture and Andropogon Associates.
University Buildings | Dec 5, 2023
The University of Cincinnati builds its largest classroom building to serve its largest college
The University of Cincinnati’s recently completed Clifton Court Hall unifies the school’s social science programs into a multidisciplinary research and education facility. The 185,400-sf structure is the university’s largest classroom building, serving its largest college, the College of Arts and Sciences.
MFPRO+ News | Dec 5, 2023
DOE's Zero Energy Ready Home Multifamily Version 2 released
The U.S. Department of Energy has released Zero Energy Ready Home Multifamily Version 2. The latest version of the certification program increases energy efficiency and performance levels, adds electric readiness, and makes compliance pathways and the certification process more consistent with the ENERGY STAR Multifamily New Construction (ESMFNC) program.
Architects | Dec 5, 2023
Populous celebrates its 40th anniversary with a photo exhibit of its works
The firm partnered with Getty Images to assemble more than 60 images, many capturing fan ardor.
Office Buildings | Dec 1, 2023
Amazon office building doubles as emergency housing for Seattle families
The unusual location for services of this kind serves over 300 people per day. Mary's Place spreads across eight of the office's floors—all designed by Graphite—testing the status quo for its experimental approach to homelessness support.
Mixed-Use | Nov 29, 2023
Mixed-use community benefits from city amenities and ‘micro units’
Salt Lake City, Utah, is home to a new mixed-use residential community that benefits from transit-oriented zoning and cleverly designed multifamily units.
Giants 400 | Nov 28, 2023
Top 100 Laboratory Design Firms for 2023
HDR, Flad Architects, DGA, Elkus Manfredi Architects, and Gensler top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest laboratory architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2023 Giants 400 Report.
Engineers | Nov 27, 2023
Kimley-Horn eliminates the guesswork of electric vehicle charger site selection
Private businesses and governments can now choose their new electric vehicle (EV) charger locations with data-driven precision. Kimley-Horn, the national engineering, planning, and design consulting firm, today launched TREDLite EV, a cloud-based tool that helps organizations develop and optimize their EV charger deployment strategies based on the organization’s unique priorities.