SOLAR DECATHLON MIDDLE EAST 2018 - Team VIRTUe
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SOLAR DECATHLON MIDDLE EAST 2018
Team VIRTUe
VIRTUe PROJECT MANUAL #5
4.1 ARCHITECTURE & URBAN
REPORT
VIRTU/e
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VIRTUe PROJECT MANUAL #5
the risk of losing community feeling, social cohesion
4.1.1 INTRODUCTION
and emotional connection to the city. (Andriessen &
In this report, all topics regarding the urban and
Tax, 2017; Alawadi, 2016) These are problems that fast
architectural design of LINQ will be discussed. Prior
growing cities all over the world are dealing with.
to the design process, VIRTUe conducted an extensive
analysis of the history and current situation of Dubai,
focused on improving social interaction and connection
between inhabitants of the city by making interventions
in the built environment. The research consisted of a
literature review and interviews with expats in Dubai
and the outcomes were used to shape the concept and
the design of LINQ. Figure 2: Growth of Dubai from 1973 till 2011
4.1.3 LINQ, CONNECTED TO IMPROVE
4.1.2 URBAN ANALYSIS
With our concept LINQ, connected to improve, we
Within only 60 years, Dubai has grown from a picturesque
want to propose a solution for these problems of
Middle East town to a mega city with almost 3 million
disconnection in cities. We built a home and designed an
people and a population that consists for 91% of expats.
urban concept that connects people and technologies to
(Alawadi, 2016; Dubai Statistic Center, n.d.)
solve environmental, social and economic sustainability
problems.
Well-designed neighborhoods are a great means to
improve happiness, community feeling and the sense of
91%
belonging to a city. (Andriessen & Tax, 2017) However,
expats
many current neighborhoods in Dubai are not designed
Figure 1: Percentage of expats in Dubai to stimulate social interaction among inhabitants.
Therefore, we think that it is very important to design a
While all this growth provided Dubai with world fame
built environment that connects people to people.
and a lot of tourism, the fast growth of a city also has
Additionally, to improve the environmental sustainability
downsides. The freedom, that provides builders with
of cities, it is of key importance that people understand
lots of opportunities to build interesting mega projects,
the innovative technologies and ideas around them
resulted in urban sprawl at the edges of the city and the
and that they interact, personalize and use those
infill of former public spaces, which are very important
technologies and ideas. Therefore, the connection
for the social sustainability of cities. (Alawadi, 2016)
between people and technology is the second main
(Dempsey et al, 2009) The city keeps spreading out
focus point of our design.
over the desert and the distances become larger and
And finally, it is important to combine all these
larger, which prevents people from walking and cycling
technologies and ideas in such a way that they
and forces them to travel by car most of the time,
complement and strengthen each other. This will
which is a less sustainable and more individualistic
increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the
way of transport. (Jacobs, 1961; Leyden, 2003; Ogaily,
technologies and it will improve the living conditions of
2015) People drive very long distances to get to their
the inhabitants. Therefore connecting technologies with
destination, while many of them do not even know their
each other is the third and last focus point of our design.
neighbors. Additionally, while the population is very
culturally diverse, there is a lot of segregation between
We are VIRTUe and we design LINQ, connected to
people from different income classes, which creates
improve.
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VIRTUe PROJECT MANUAL #5
this LINQ, there are more LINQ buildings present
in the neighborhood, with different heights and
public functions on the lower floors. To make the
neighborhood interesting to stay in and walk through,
the urban fabric is diverse and dynamic. Community
facilities and green spaces, like parks, market places
Figure 3: The three focus points of LINQ and playgrounds are present to stimulate a healthy and
social lifestyle. Additionally, there will be a variety of
4.1.4 THE URBAN DESIGN
houses available people from different backgrounds
Instead of building another neighborhood at the
and income groups. This diversity of the population will
border of the Dubai, we believe that it would have a
contribute to the reduction of segregation in the city.
much greater effect if the old parts of the city would
To decrease the car dependency, options for walking,
be improved. Therefore, we designed an apartment
cycling and public transport are present. The streets
complex in a renovated a neighborhood in Dubai.
are narrowed, pedestrian lanes and bicycle paths are
constructed and arcades and trees are added to provide
shade for pedestrians and cyclists. Also, small walking
streets are added for quicker connections. Apart from
the good public transport connection that connects
the neighborhood to the rest of Dubai, an electric car
Figure 4: Renovated neighborhood in Dubai sharing system is implemented for more efficient car
use. Cars are parked along the roads and in vertical
In figure 5, one can see a schematic plan of an old
parking buildings, with facilities on the ground floor,
neighborhood in Dubai, with wide roads and free standing
because parking lots on ground level form huge barriers
introvert houses. There are many neighborhoods
in the streetscape, which discourage walkability. For
like this present in the city nowadays. To improve the
good accessibility, most of the commercials functions
environmental, social and economic sustainability of
are located in the neighborhood center, but some public
such a neighborhood, we propose several adaptations.
functions, such as schools and small stores, are spread
over the neighborhood. The most important aspect of
the plan is that it is flexible and that the design principles
can be applied to several different neighborhoods in
Dubai and in the rest of the world. The result can be
seen in figures 6, 7 and 8.
Figure 5: Schematic neighborhood in Dubai as it is today
The old buildings are made more energy-efficient by
the addition of solar panels and the neighborhood
is densified by adding a variety of new, sustainable
buildings in-between the old buildings. LINQ, the
apartment complex that we design in more detail, is
one of these new buildings, located in the social and
commercial center of the neighborhood. Apart from
Figure 6: Schematic neighborhood in Dubai new situation
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VIRTUe PROJECT MANUAL #5
All floors of LINQ are connected by the curved green
atrium, which serves as a meeting place and vertical
garden for the inhabitants. All functions of the apartment
complex are connected to this atrium. On the ground
floor, a supermarket, restaurant, sports room and
shared bicycle shed are located. The first floor houses
a child playroom, a small theatre, a laundry room and a
shared kitchen for the inhabitants of LINQ. The second
to fifth floors house the apartments and the top floor
contains the mechanical installations and an urban
Figure 7: Birdseye rendering (see appendix A)
farm. In the atrium and the shared spaces, inhabitants of
LINQ and the neighborhood are connected to each other.
Three structural and mechanical cores run through the
building. In these cores, the technologies are connected
to each other. The inhabitants are connected to the
technologies in the core modules by means of a smart
system. The inhabitants of LINQ will be diverse in times
of age, household composition (single, couple, family)
and income (middle- to high income). All the households
have their own private space, but they also share a lot of
facilities. Because these different people have different
daily routines, LINQ will be used throughout the whole
Figure 8: Eye level rendering (see appendix A) day. This minimizes the presence of empty spaces and
therefore it maximizes the efficient use of space.
4.1.5 LINQ, THE APARTMENT
COMPLEX
LINQ is a small, human scale apartment complex with
eleven apartments and many shared spaces for the
inhabitants of the apartment complex and the rest of
the neighborhood. Minimum energy loss is determined
Figure 9: Schematic section of LINQ the apartment complex
by the shape of the building. The roof and south façade
are tilted 15 degrees to provide for roofed PV panel 4.1.6 LINQ, AT THE SDME
efficiency and to create a shadowed south façade in the To fit the context and climate of the city of Dubai, the
summer months. (see figure 9 and 10) home that we build at the Solar Decathlon Middle East
Figure 10: Section of the apartment complex in the neighborhood (see appandix A)
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VIRTUe PROJECT MANUAL #5
is a cut-out of the apartment building, representing on every level. In LINQ at the SDME, a cut-out of this
one entire apartment on the top floor, a section of a curved green atrium is built. It is both the entrance and
neighbouring apartment and part of the curved green exit and connects the home to the Solar Hai. The ground
atrium. (see figure 11). All three parts of the concept level curve is facing north west, the roof level is facing
of LINQ are specifically placed areas inside the team’s north. Next to receiving guests and visitors, it is a place
lot, to show as much as possible of its bigger urban intended to inform, talk and discuss sustainability.
design. The people to people space is the curved green Different species of plants are used in order to create
space, people to technology is the apartment itself and diversity in flora. Furthermore, sustainable finishes are
technology to technology is the core in the middle of the applied like 3d-printed concrete from the Eindhoven
apartment. University of Technology, Neowood and Resysta (a
material made out of rice, salt and mineral oils). The
This apartment is also designed to fit the context atrium is directed northwest and is partly shaded by the
of the Solar Decathlon Middle East 2018, in which it apartment. It can be directly seen from the entrance of
respects the wishes of the public. An important aspect the Solar Hai, in which the curved green atrium will play
is visibility, that visitors immediately are drawn to the a role in drawing visitors. The entrance of the apartment
home and once in the home, instantly know where to go. is accessible through a curved ramp. Visitors who have
Another important aspect is contact, that visitors come done the tour through the apartment, are led back to
into contact with either each other or VIRTUe members the atrium. In this way acquainted and unacquainted
to talk about sustainability. visitors can meet.
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The atrium
The binding factor in the apartment complex is the +3245
curved green atrium. It has a vertical garden to improve
the quality of the living environment and mental 0
health. (Van den Berg et al., 2016) As said before, it
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connects the outside street with the shared functions
Figure 12: Elevation of the green wall in the atrium
and ultimately, the apartments. The vertical garden is
curved horizontally and vertically to achieve a more
garden-like situation. Because the curved atrium The core
changes continuously throughout the apartment In order to make home technologies and installations
complex, the position and size of the curves are different work more efficient, all systems come together in the
Figure 11: The three areas (f.l.t.r. people to people, people to technology and technology to technology)
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VIRTUe PROJECT MANUAL #5
cores that run through the apartment building. They are technologies and installations among inhabitants and
more efficient because losses due to distribution are the effects of them on the environment. In other homes
minimized. The cores are the centre of all electrical, nowadays, most home technology is hidden.
plumbing and HVAC networks. The networks lead up
to parts of the home which need to be connected. In Apartments are bound by the perimeters of the
LINQ at the SDME, a single core will form the junction complex’s shape itself and are adjusted to the curves of
point of all technology. It is located in the centre of the green atrium inside. This causes all apartments to
the apartment and is provided with build-in kitchen, have a different floorplan. On the contrary, the concept
technical room, bathroom and home entertainment of all apartments is the same: continuous space
unit. All ducts, pipes and wires go through the core. around a core. This concept allows space to be used for
To view it as a piece of furniture, rather than normal multiple functions. To ensure a comfortable transition
rooms and walls, the entire core is finished off with from the curved green atrium to the residence,
natural grey felt. The inhabitants live around this piece functions are placed from public to private around
of furniture. The corners are circular to make walking the core. Consecutive functions are entering, cooking,
around easier. All recessed parts of the core have a dining, living, bathing and sleeping. The kitchen and the
specific spectrum of green colours. The deeper the bathroom have multiple supply and waste connections
recess, the lighter the use of colour. The bathroom is a and are therefore placed inside the core. In LINQ at
recess and when unused, acts as a corridor to move from the SDME, different tilted walls and roofs are used for
the living room to the bedroom. When the bathroom is both passive energy saving and energy collecting. The
in use, the recess can be closed off from both sides positioning of these constructive elements is based on
and the corridor space can be used as bathroom technical reasoning, but that does not prevent them
space. This multifunctional space is more efficient in from strengthening the design architecturally. Instead
its space usage, thereby contributing to economic and of using walls to divide spaces, different ceilings heights
environmental sustainability. Sustainable materials are used to create a sense of being in one space or the
like felt, low-emission wood plating and stone made other. The south wall contains two large windows. One in
out of pet-bottles are used. Lighting is only placed in the living room and one in the bedroom. A large floor to
recesses. All three rooms have integrated ceiling lights. ceiling window closes the gap between the west wall and
NO. IN-301-ISO SEP.PP. 17. 2018.
the curved green atrium wall. Because of its position,
this window is shaded from the west sun. At night time,
1:25 the resident can make use of the integrated ceiling
lights. The lights can be adapted in strength and colour
temperature. The interior finishes are light in colour,
because finishes with light colours will make the room
look relatively bigger than dark colours. Sustainable
finishes are applied like a cork floor, a white-coloured
aluminium ceiling. White-coloured wooden plates are
used to finish the walls. The exterior façade is covered
connec
onnected
ed to
o improve
imp e
with light coloured bio composite panels. Outside air
25 50 100 325
can flow freely under these panels.
Figure 13: Exploded view of the core module (see appendix F) The routing in the apartment is very simple. There is
a continuous route through the house, which circles
The apartment around the core module. There are no dead-ends, so
The core is located in the centre of the apartment obstructions cannot occur. When entering the hallway
to create more sense and awareness for home of the apartment, the route follows the transition from
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public to private, back to the hallway. The apartment and densifying old neighborhoods, while keeping old
tour continues to the neighbours’ apartment and ends buildings and construct new, buildings in between is
in the curved green atrium. new in Dubai. Also, creating walkable neighborhoods
The core is with its felt finishing the most important and promoting cycling and public transport within and
piece of “furniture” in the house. It yields the kitchen, in between different neighborhoods and city parts are
technical room and all bathroom fixtures. This is all ideas that are not yet existing in Dubai on a large scale.
compacted together to make keep oversight in all The following quote of Ogaily (2015) perfectly describes
building installations and to minimize wiring and the goal that we pursue by our urban design choice of
ducting. Architecturally, the design of the appliances renovating an old neighborhood instead of building a
and fixtures in the core are based on their accessibility, new neighborhood at the border of Dubai: ‘’not to create
since a lot of equipment is included in just little space. sustainable places, but to make the places sustainable’’.
The corners are rounded off to make walking around (Ogaily, 2015)
easier. All recessed parts of the core have a specific
spectrum of green colours. The deeper the recess, the Another innovative concept for Dubai is that we not only
lighter the use of colour. The bathroom is a recess and focus on environmental sustainability, but also on social
when unused, acts as a corridor to move from the living and economic sustainability. There already exist many
room to the bedroom. The core module also forms the plans to make Dubai more environmentally sustainable
structural core of the apartment, to make sure that the by building huge solar parks, but we believe that this
remaining walls can be as light and flexible as possible. should not be the only point of focus. The environmentally
A A’
sustainable measures should go hand in hand with for
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example enlarging the offer of affordable housing in
1230
the city and mixing locals and expats and people from
different income classes to achieve a more balanced
+2460
and social society in the city.
2610 2410 2340 3230 2250
level = 0
With our apartment building concept in which we
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combine private and shared spaces we aim to create
Atrium Kitchen Livingroom
a new way of using spaces and functions in order to
Figure 14: Section of LINQ at the SDME increase social interaction. In short, our concept is
based on creating small, affordable but comfortable
spaces for the private dwellings, while the emphasis
4.1.7 INNOVATION IN URBAN &
lies on the shared spaces. Since the climate of Dubai
ARCHITECTURE does not allow for lush outdoor greenery, we created a
New spatial and functional concepts green design within the atrium, where the lush greenery
As mentioned before, the quick growth of Dubai is located in a controlled environment that is protected
resulted in much urban sprawl at the borders of the from the heat of the outside. This green design provides
city. While the city is already implementing sustainable the people within the atrium with a more comfortable
housing projects, these often come in the form of living environment which also benefits their mental
totally new ‘cities within the city’, which are isolated health (Van den Berg et al., 2016).
(sometimes even walled) and often located in the Innovative materials
outskirts of Dubai. An example is ‘The sustainable
city’, a newly built city part that is mainly focused on LINQ at the SDME includes a 3D printed concrete bench.
environmental sustainability. Additionally, some old, 3D printed concrete is the latest innovative way of
central parts of the city are demolished to create space making concrete elements. It was originally developed
for new neighborhoods. The concept of renovating and is still heavily researched at Eindhoven University
17
VIRTUe PROJECT MANUAL #5 of Technology. This method of printing concrete allows LED’s that are tunable white which means that the color us not only to realize organic shapes that cannot be temperature can be adjusted to improve the comfort made with conventional methods, but also allows level for people in Dubai. We will make use of cooler for a material reduction of 50% during the process color temperatures in the indoor areas and warmer (Marijnissen & van der Zee, 2017). For the facade color temperatures at the outdoor areas, this is done cladding we use ‘bio composite’ by NPSP. These panels because lighting can greatly impact the emotions of are completely made out of organic materials. Next to the inhabitants and cooler indoor color temperatures that, they can be fabricated in any shape, allowing us will help create the feeling of a cooler environment in to design the panels in such a way that the efficiency contrast to the heat that is present outdoors. We are of the shading and cooling of the house is further also taking into account task based lighting into the increased. Our wall system is an alternative form of design to ensure that sufficient illuminance is available timber platform method. This method uses EPS and in areas where specific tasks need to be performed. In Finn joist without plating, which makes it extremely contrast to traditional luminaire design, the luminaires light and reduces the amount of wood that the structure used have been designed as a system that is compatible would initially have required. The walls can be so with a direct current infrastructure, thereby expanding lightweight, because the core module of LINQ absorbs the lifetime of the products. Furthermore, occupancy all constructive forces. We designed and built this core and daylight control strategies are implemented in an module ourselves, so that it could be prefabricated effort to further reduce energy consumption. and it would exactly fit in a container. This makes shipping and installing on the building site way easier and cheaper. Integration of solar system Due to the passive cooling solutions that are implemented in the shape of the apartment, the energy demand for cooling is reduced and less solar panels are needed. Also, the angle of the roof results in the maximum yield of solar energy by the solar panels. Normally, solar panels decrease the aesthetic value of a house. So instead of placing solar panels randomly on the roof the photovoltaic technology is integrated into the roof using the energy roof of ‘Schiebroek’ so that the roof can be aesthetically pleasing, even with the PVT system. Because the solar panels are very thin, a combination with solar collectors (underneath the solar cells) is possible, which maximizes the use of solar energy. Lighting solutions Lighting influences the way in which a space is perceived. Lighting in homes is quite functional in nature. It is important to find a balance between the energy consumption due to lighting and the expected welcoming ambience of a home. LINQ will make use of 18
VIRTUe PROJECT MANUAL #5
References environment on city and neighbourhood level (pp. 41).
Alawadi, K. (2016). Rethinking Dubai’s urbanism:
Generating sustainable form-based urban design
strategies for an integrated neighborhood. Cities No 60,
p 353-366. Elsevier.
Dubai Statistic Center. (n.d.). Estimated Population
Number by Nationality –Emirate of Dubai (2016- 2014).
Government of Dubai
Said Zahlan, R. (1978). The origins of the United Arab
Emirates: Political and Social History of the
Trucial States. Routledge Library Editions: Society of
the Middle East.
Salama, S. (2015, 7th of October). Shaikh Rashid,
the father of modern Dubai. Retrieved from http://
gulfnews.com/news/uae/government/shaikh-rashid-
the-father-of-modern-dubai- 1.1597090
Heijne, S. (2013, 2nd of November). Dubai weer in full
swing na stevige crisis. Retrieved from https://www.
volkskrant.nl/archief/dubai-weer-in-full-swing-na-
stevige-crisis~a3537678/
Dempsey, N., Bramley, G., Power, S., Brown, C. (2009).
The social dimension of sustainable development:
Defining urban social sustainability. Sustainable
Development Vol 19, Issue 5, pp 289-300.
Jacobs, J. (1961). The Death and Life of Great American
Cities. Random House
Leyden, K.M. (2003). Social Capital and the Built
Environment: The Importance of Walkable
Neighborhoods. American Public Health Association.
Ogaily, A. (2015). Urban Planning in Dubai: Cultural and
Human Scale Context. Hill International.
Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
Andriessen, L. & Tax, S. (2017) Design guidelines to
improve social interaction and connection between
expats in Dubai by making interventions in the built
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4.2 ENGINEERING AND CONSTRUCTION
REPORT
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space where ducts and pipes are entering or exiting the
4.2.1 INTRODUCTION
house.
As stated in our main vision, LINQ is all about
connecting. One of the three aspects is connecting and
Directly above the foundation module, in the middle of
integrating all the different systems in the house. The
LINQ, the central technical module is located. On top of
design of the engineering and construction system lets
this, another steel module is placed which is bearing roof
all implemented systems work together to make the
loads. Essential is their structural function, providing
house as efficient as possible.
stability of the entire structure, as core of the house.
All horizontal forces are guided to the module by the
After building LINQ in Dubai at the competition, the
rigid panels in the walls, roofs and floor. Connected to
house will be rebuilt as an educational exhibition in
the foundation through the floor by steel threaded rods,
the Netherlands. Therefore, the house is designed to
the technical module is transferring the loads to the
endure both climates. Next to the challenge of designing
foundation. These modules are completely integrated in
a sustainable self-sufficient solar energy house, the
the architecture, since they are providing a clear route
competition in Dubai comes with extra challenges like
through the house and finished as closets.
the climate differences, transporting the entire house
by sea and the short building time. Together with
Next, all structural floor, wall and roof elements
maximum reduction of material usage and enforcing
consist of I-profiled Finnjoist timber beams which are
efficient use of materials, innovative building strategy
40% lighter than traditional timber beams. Together
lead us to the solutions for challenges stated above. The
with Biofoam Inside insulation in between the beams
core principles regarding construction and engineering
and plywood finishing the panels are integrating and
design of LINQ are reduction, efficiency and innovation.
combining the advantages of the different materials. The
Finnjoist beams provide the strength and the Biofoam
4.2.2 STRUCTURAL DESIGN Inside is the pressure-resistant insulation and prevents
Multiple solutions to keep to the core principles are buckling of the beams. By applying plywood plates on
applied in the current structural design. First, the top of the Finnjoist beams, the panels will work as rigid
foundation is designed to be as flexible for demounting, plane elements which benefits the stability of the house.
transporting and rebuilding, which means it can easily Using this box principle, which leads to more equal load
be disconnected into manageable parts. Consisting of distribution, the big cantilever of the canopy roof can be
steel beams, footings and central foundation module, constructed. In addition, each panel is designed to fit
the system is providing stability and functions as a solid the standard shipping containers.
base for the house.
Integrated with the architectural and urban concept
of LINQ, the footings are specifically not placed at
the edges of the house. Foundation beams are also
decreasing in height towards the edges of the house.
These aspects are designed to show the fact LINQ is an
Figure 1: Basic construction of envelope panels, example of
apartment within an urban apartment building.
typical wall section.
Each footing can be adjusted in height, for easy Then, the sloped roof and canopy roof of LINQ are
adaptation and installment of the foundation level connected by one timber beam, the ‘north beam’. This
regardless of the subsurface. This module fits in total beam is designed to transfer all loads from the roofs
in a shipping container and is therefore also providing to the modules. It consists out of Kerto LVL Q-panels,
21VIRTUe PROJECT MANUAL #5
which are strong, dimensionally stable and able to have technical modules are connected to the foundation. All
holes for equipment in the house. duct- and pipework underneath the floor is then placed
and connected. One of the most important parts of the
Innovations in Structural Design house is the central technical module, locating almost
To summarize the innovation aspects, the applied all installations and systems including the kitchen
box principle in all floor, walls and roofs elements is and bathroom. It is designed to benefit transportation
innovative design because it reduces the amount of of the house and to reduce the building time at
material and combines the characteristics of applied the competition. At the test phase of LINQ in the
materials to create a lightweight and efficient load Netherlands all systems, installations and equipment
bearing structure. The technical module is used as already have been installed in the module.
center of the house, locating kitchen, bathroom and
technical room and therefore integrating structure, When the rest of the floor elements are placed and
systems and architecture. Both modules are designed connected to the foundation, the walls are placed.
to fit in shipping containers for transport. Almost all The south wall is tilted and therefore has a critical
systems and complex connections are installed within connection with the other elements. The north
or around the module, which makes all other structural beam and roofs are placed upon the module. In the
elements rather simple and fast to install. meantime, connection work between systems and
ducts is done to complete installation work. The house
The innovative Finnjoist timber I-beam consists of is finished with bio composite façade panels, façade
an upper and lower flange made of Kerto laminated finishes made of rice, salt and oil and a double curved
veneer lumber (LVL), which is incredibly strong due to green wall. In Dubai and other large cities, traffic noise
the homogeneous bonded structure. The characteristic is said to be a large concern, so noise barriers such as
bending strength, flatwise and parallel to grain, vegetated barriers as well as insulation materials are
of average Kerto-S beams is 50 N/mm2 and their applied.
characteristic compressive strength, parallel to grain,
is 35 N/mm2 (Metsä Wood, 2017). The web of the profile Innovations in Construction Systems
is made of a slender oriented strand board (OSB3) The construction method of LINQ is adapted especially
which reduces the thermal bridges in the panels to a to the challenge of building at the Solar Decathlon
minimum. Middle East within 15 days. By using lightweight
materials and prefabricated elements, the method
Biofoam Inside is insulation material made of recycled aims to reduce the building time, create a comfortable
expanded polystyrene and a percentage of the innovative workspace and improve flexibility for transporting
Biofoam, which is made of biopolymers, consisting and demounting. Moreover, the structural system and
of raw vegetable material. The material is pressure construction details are designed to make the house
resistant, moisture insensitive, resistant to pests, easily and repeatedly demountable.
fungus and bacteria and has a lightweight structure.
Essential is the fact that the material is sustainable, Most of the construction work in the module is done
recyclable and cradle-to-cradle. before the competition. Tasks like installing plumbing,
electrical work, connecting wiring and ducts are
thus kept to a minimum. Therefore, it is preventing
4.2.3 CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM
construction mistakes by human-error. Risks can be
After placing and levelling the foundation elements
controlled, since less and simpler tasks are left for
and ground anchors, two of eight timber floor
construction at the competition.
elements are placed. Through the floor, the central
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4.2.4 PLUMBING SYSTEM recycling of shower heat and water with the innovative
The plumbing system includes the domestic cold and water treatment system of the Upfall Shower. Re-using
hot water that is used daily in residential buildings, the cleaned water for showering does not only save
which includes showers, dishwashing, clothes energy and water, but also reduces costs. Next to other
washing, and normal faucet use in bathrooms and water efficient appliances, we make use of renewable
kitchens. In the Middle East, specifically in gulf energy in the form of heat by using solar thermal
countries such as the United Arab Emirates, water collectors combined with a storage vessel.
preservation is highly needed due to the water
scarcity in the arid climate of the region. Households
4.2.5 MECHANICAL SYSTEM
in the UAE, consume around 44% of the total water
Most of the required energy in buildings in the UAE
consumption. Our water-saving measures include
is by cooling the indoor environment. One of the
the Trias Hydrica, by first reducing the water use as
mechanical systems employed in LINQ is the radiant
much as possible. With the use of Altered’s Nozzle
cooling system. Chilled water stored in a 500-liter
Dual flow, a low-cost quick installation to faucets that
buffer tank is pumped into the radiant panels in the
enable a mist- and spray-mode which significantly
East, West and part of the North external walls, which
reduces the flow rate to around 0.2 and 2.5 litres per
then absorb heat through radiation and convection
minute respectively as opposed to typical faucets at
from the indoor space. The return water flows back
6 litres per minute (Altered, 2018). Faucets account
to the buffer tank throughout the entire day before
to around 34.28% of water use in UAE households
being cooled overnight using the existing PV-T system.
(Waterwise Regulation and Supervision Bureau, 2013).
The principle by which the water is cooled is called
Furthermore, one of the largest uses of water in UAE
“nocturnal sky radiant cooling”. The heat from the
households are in showers, which account for 21.13%
“warm” water in the buffer tank is rejected to the night
of water-use (Waterwise Regulation and Supervision
sky using longwave radiation since in some cases the
Bureau, 2013). In LINQ, the Upfall shower was chosen
effective sky temperature may be 10°C lower than
as a packaged shower unit, which recycles heat and
the ambient temperature. This measure may save
water from the shower and requires 31.1 litres of
up to 45% of cooling energy during the typical month
combined hot and cold water and delivers 127.1 litres
of November based on computer simulations using
of water due to continuous recycling (KIWA, 2016).
TRNSYS.
In households, hot water is needed for end-uses
as aforementioned, therefore a combined solar
thermal system with a water-to-water heat pump was
utilized to achieve in order to minimize the electricity
consumption needed to heat the water. Furthermore,
value engineering (VE) was executed in order to
minimize the required pipe accessories that increase
the booster pump’s energy consumption. The toilet,
wash basins and the shower in LINQ are all placed
close together to reduce piping distances and isolates
all the supplies and drains within a single structural
module.
Innovations in Pluming Systems
Figure 2. Multi-Valent PV-T System of LINQ
The innovative aspects to the plumbing system are the
23VIRTUe PROJECT MANUAL #5
The main part of the HVAC system uses indirect Innovations in Mechanical Systems
evaporative cooling and heat recovery to cool outdoor The use of indirect evaporative cooling with water
air for conditioning the indoor spaces. The system does makes the cooling system more efficient, since it only
not reuse or recirculate the foul air from the rooms uses energy for the air circulation and water pumping
and thus provides 100% fresh air into the conditioned for the sprays, reducing the house’s energy demand
space. The OxyCell system employed uses water to significantly. Furthermore, the indoor air quality is
wet a specially designed mesh of material. Hot air is increased due to the supply of 100% outdoor fresh air
then passed through this mesh to cool it to the desired as opposed to recirculation methodologies by typical
temperature. Since the air is being indirectly cooled, systems.
better efficiency in temperature drop is achieved.
4.2.6 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
We currently depend on fossil fuel to generate
energy that must meet our increasing demands.
To work towards solving this issue, more owners
are switching to on-site renewable energy and
large-scale solar or wind farms. This will add
stress on the current structure of the distribution
grid. There is an increasing mismatch between the
energy generation and consumption in our current
distribution grid, where the power plants are
struggling to serve the demands simultaneously,
resulting in overproduction of electricity supply. As
more electronics are being developed and used in
Figure 3. Overview of Oxycom cooling system society and with mobility shifting towards electrical
vehicles, the distribution network currently is unable
to handle the capacity from a top-down approach
The diffusers employ underfloor air distribution
while solving the carbon emissions problem. Most of
(UFAD) with displacement ventilation. The walls of
today’s electrical equipment, appliances and devices,
the central module have return vents at the highest
especially solar energy generating technologies
point, which exhaust out the return air. The advantage
and energy storage technologies already use direct
of the UFAD system is two-fold. Firstly, the thermal
current (DC), thus having to transform the generated
stratification reduces the cooling energy since only
energy to alternating current (AC) would result in an
the breathing zone (up to 1.80 meters) is cooled
unnecessary energy loss.
whereas the upper zone is relatively hotter air that is
exhausted. Secondly, displacement ventilation avoids
Self-sufficient and sustainable districts is a growing
mixing of air using low velocities, which as a result
topic and is a very promising solution that is time-
effectively removes indoor contaminants. It must be
effective in achieving the Paris Agreement carbon
noted however, that this is the case when humans
target. As aforementioned, more owners are switching
are the source of contaminants only. The return air
to on-site renewable energy sources, which are proven
is channeled through the air handling unit to recover
to be cost-effective and environmentally friendly. The
“coolness” by absorbing heat only from incoming
concept of creating district-scale utility grids where
outdoor air before being exhausted, meaning there is
renewables serve the energy demands and stored in
only sensible heat that is transferred.
electrochemical storage systems (ESS) is achievable
24VIRTUe PROJECT MANUAL #5
and, according to recent studies, solves mismatching which would require additional efforts for stability
problems in net-zero energy concepts (self-sufficiency) and maintenance. DC does not carry signals that
(Lopes, Martins, Aelenei, & Lima, 2016). Furthermore, can otherwise interfere with communication units
this removes the dependency on single electricity installed around a building circuit. Less infrastructure
plants that lack storage capabilities and are becoming requirements suffice to guarantee stable electrical
more stressed due to increasing demands. It must be communication between the source and the load.
further noted that the electricity plants generate AC
power and are required to convert to DC at the end- As a result, grid management is reduced compared
uses by most electronics. Electricity in AC switches to maintaining the 50 Hz fundamental frequency in an
direction 100 times a second (thus 50 Hz), which AC system. Since LINQ concept aims for a modular
results into temporary loss of energy in the form of installation/infrastructure practice, DC allows direct
heat, electromagnetic radiation. communication between energy source (solar panels)
and electronic loads.
In LINQ, the renewable energy source of electricity
and an electrical storage system are designed and
implemented to meet the finalized load requirements
of our building concept. An inverter that interfaces
the renewable energy source to the AC-loads and the
Solar Hai AC grid was necessary due to regulatory
restrictions.
The PV system is designed to supply above the
maximum demand load due to competition
requirements in being net-zero energy over the
competition duration. Miasolé’s FLEX-02NL model
Figure 4. Hybrid Power System of LINQ solar panels are used, which supply as much as 7700
watt-peak of electricity.
Using DC compared to AC involves less variables for
building power distribution due to lack of frequency The inverters are designed with nameplate power
variation, leaving only voltage and current as main ratings that are compatible for 80% of the total supply
quantities, therefore less losses. In addition, DC from PV array. Therefore, any inverter that is rated
saves on materials costs due to lesser insulation at least 6 kW is compatible for the PV array designed
requirements, lower cable, tower, poles and and implemented. Our final circuit is wired to two
insulators costs. Furthermore, the current levels inverters: A primary inverter that only outputs energy
determine the “state of charge” of the distribution from PV array to the AC-loads and Solar Hai grid, and
grid in DC. Every load and telecommunication units a secondary inverter that interfaces both PV array and
(especially in the controls engineering industry) energy storage system (ESS) with the AC-loads in the
operate in DC, a common medium for loads. Since house.
in telecommunication (control) systems these units
can communicate with each other, they operate in the The electrical ESS is satisfied with Lithium ion (Li-ion)
same medium, which is DC. The rotational/angular batteries, where 3 units of Li-ion batteries rated 50V
nature of AC makes AC generators and motors (loads) and 50Ah each are used. With parallel connection, the
susceptible to phase differences and harmonics, ESS is rated at 3 times the current of a unit battery,
25VIRTUe PROJECT MANUAL #5
resulting into 150 Amp-hour or 7500 Watt-hour integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) panels. The cumulative
system. Lastly, the inverter dictates how much of the solar irradiance on the East façade is 1278 kWh/
load can be supplied by the batteries. A secondary m2/year, therefore approximately 192 kWh/m2/year
inverter that is compatible with the batteries is added may be generated in addition to the 262.5 kWh/m2/
to the power system. Since this inverter is designed to year. VIRTUe is currently performing building energy
operate during off-grid mode, it will be enabled only simulations for the whole residential complex and
when the primary inverter turns off at insufficient the results will follow on the net electrical balance
sunlight. including the payback time.
Innovations in Electrical System With around 15% of the total irradiance used up by the
In addition to saving energy from conversions between photovoltaic modules, there is still 85% that can be
components, a direct current (DC) electrical grid is: harvested. To reduce installation costs and maintain
aesthetics, a building-integrated photovoltaic-thermal
• Easier to manage and more efficient system is used to capture heat and store it in water
• Requires less material due to multifunctional use for domestic use. The panels are unglazed, with
of a single cable and redundancy of equipment to an efficiency of around 8.4% during the month of
maintain AC grids. November. Therefore, the PV-T system has a combined
• More flexible than a traditional alternative current 22.4% efficiency.
electricity grid since the current levels
Innovations in Solar Systems
To summarize, the ‘thin film photovoltaic panels’,
4.2.7 SOLAR SYSTEM
which are generating green electrical energy, will
The sun is the main source of energy for Earth. On
fully meet the house’s energy demand. These solar
average the irradiance from the sun in Dubai is
panels are flexible and generate more Wh per Wp in
approximately 500 Wh/m2 per hour. This shows that
comparison to the use of conventional a-Si solar cells.
a soccer grass field (~7400 m2), can generate 3.7
MWh per hour. On average LINQ consumes 108 kWh/
m2/year in electricity, whereas the irradiance is 1750 4.2.8 CONTROLS AND
kWh/m2/year. This shows the massive potential of
AUTOMATIZATION SYSTEM
energy that can be harvested. Photovoltaic modules
The operation of systems is crucial to serve their
are currently the leading renewable resource for
respective functions. These functions in the case
electricity with prices on average being 5.5 AED/
of a residential building are achieving indoor
Wp. The average efficiency of thin-film PV systems is
environmental comfort conditions and hot water
around 15% at standard test conditions (25°C @ 1000
delivery for typical residential end-uses. In addition,
W/m2). Using the efficiency and annual irradiance
it is essential to optimize this process by minimizing
flux, approximately a total of 262.5 kWh/m2/year
energy consumption and maximizing comfort. With
may be generated. This value shows that there is an
that in mind, the systems in LINQ are controlled
~140% surplus of energy available. The challenge
independently per system in the apartment.
however, remains that when a building becomes
more demanding within the same surface area as in
There exist seven controllers in total. Three for
the case of high-rise buildings for example. In LINQ,
cooling, one for ventilation, two for solar energy
we present the concept of an apartment as part of a
(PV and energy storage) and one for the boiler. The
mid-rise residential complex. To tackle this problem,
controllers for cooling are split into building-side and
we use the East facade by proposing to install building
exterior-side. The building side is the control of the
26VIRTUe PROJECT MANUAL #5
indoor environment by two basic thermostats for each References
of the two cooling systems. One main air-based IEC Altered. (2018). Altered: Nozzle Dual Flow. (Altered)
system and one supplementary radiant cooling system. Retrieved from https://www.alteredcompany.com/the-
These have set-points different from each other with nozzle-1/
the supplementary having a lower set-point (21°C)
in order to avoid the air-based cooling system (23°C) Behne, M. (1999). Indoor air quality in rooms
from dominating that will cause the radiant system to with cooled ceilings.: Mixing ventilation or rather
never function. On the exterior-side, the PV-T system displacement ventilation? Energy and Buildings, 30(2),
being unglazed has a high emissivity and therefore is 155-166.
used during the night when the sky temperatures are
adequate to cool water and store it in a 500 L buffer KIWA. (2016). Verklaring Stortdouche met hergebruik
storage tank. Furthermore, the water heater, which is van warm water. KIWA.
a water-to-water heat pump, is used as an alternative
to cool down the water by using the evaporator as a Lopes, R., Martins, J., Aelenei, D., & Lima, C. (2016).
heat sink and the 500 L buffer tank as the heat source A cooperative net zero energy community to improve
thereby cooling the water down. load matching. Renewable Energy, 1-13.
The FSP solar charger is an inverter that connects Metsä Wood. (2017). Kerto Manual, Mechanical
a part of the PV system and energy storage system Properties. Metsäliitto Cooperative.
(ESS) as and distributes the energy to charge the ESS
or export it to the house/grid. The priority depends Waterwise Regulation and Supervision Bureau. (2013).
on the time of day and state of charge of the ESS. The Summary Report: The Residential End Use of Water
priority is to be off-grid during the peak or shoulder Project. Abu Dhabi: Waterwise.
hours and therefore the ESS and PV system will supply
the house during those hours. The priority function
allows the control to remain at a higher level in terms
of the operating the system. This achieves the goal of
demand response and maximizing self-consumption
of renewable energy as well as simplifies the control
scheme to be implemented.
The last controller is of the boiler which utilizes a
water-to-water heat pump. The controller is built-in
that maintains minimal requirements for the boiler to
function. This includes limiting the water temperature
to a maximum of 65°C and flow detection to avoid the
condenser from reaching freezing temperatures.
27VIRTUe PROJECT MANUAL #5
4.5 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
VIRTU/e
44VIRTUe PROJECT MANUAL #5
to guarantee a project’s sustainability. These pillars are
4.5.1 SUSTAINABLILTY NARRATIVE
environmental sustainability, social sustainability and
Climate change and its negative effect on our
economic sustainability as can be seen in figure 1.
environment have become a reality rather than a future
possibility. It has therefore become imperative to
introduce sustainability into every aspect of our lives to
4.5.2 ENVIRONMENTAL
prevent further environmental degradation.
SUSTAINABILITY
One of the sectors that has a tremendous impact on Environmental sustainability can be defined as “meeting
our environment is the building industry. The UN the resource and service needs of current and future
Environment (2016) states that “energy use in buildings generations without compromising the health of the
and for building construction represents more than ecosystems that provide them” (Morelli, 2011).
one-third of global final energy consumption and
contributes to nearly one-quarter of greenhouse gas Within the ‘environment’ pillar we use the Trias
emissions worldwide”. If we broaden our scope to the Ecologica (see figure 2) as a basic decision tool which
built environment we even see that cities emit up to was developed in 1996 by the ‘Dutch Organization for
80% of all greenhouse gases (UN-HABITAT, 2007). Energy and Environment’ and has become an important
building strategy in the Netherlands. We first minimized
These numbers reinforced our decision to put the the demand and prevented unnecessary use. Then, we
emphasis of our concept on sustainability and to design used sustainable, renewable and infinite sources and
the most sustainable apartment for the Solar Decathlon finally, if necessary, we used finite sources as sensible
Middle East 2018 in Dubai. as possible.
However, assessing sustainability is not a
minimize the use sustainable,
straightforward process and requires a lot of research, demand and prevent renewable and
unnecessary use infinite sources
data gathering and foresight. To guide us and to help
us make decisions on the basis of sustainability we 1 2
therefore first set up a framework including several
well-known models to assess possible options.
3
use finite sources as
sensible as possible
Sustainability
Figure 2: Trias Ecologica
Environmental
Economical
Social
We applied this principle to three different fields; the
energy demand of LINQ (Trias Energetica), material
demand during the production phase (Trias Hylica) and
water demand (Trias Hydrica).
Figure 1: The three pillars of sustainability Trias Energetica: the Trias Energetica is used as a
guideline for energy management. The demand for
Sustainability can be divided into several criteria. We energy is minimized by using passive and active design
used the ‘three pillars of sustainability’ - set up by the strategies (such as an innovative HVAC system, radiant
United Nations (2005) - that all need to be addressed panels, clever lighting solutions, a water treatment
45VIRTUe PROJECT MANUAL #5
system, an energy saving architectural design, natural which allows for a 50% material reduction during the
and cross ventilation and a green wall), highly energy- manufacturing process (Marijnissen & van der Zee,
efficient appliances and a smart system that not only 2017).
allows the user to turn the light on and off from a
distance but also educates the inhabitants of LINQ on Trias Hydrica: The demand for water is minimized by
their real-time energy consumption via an interactive using native low-water plants, highly water-efficient
WebApp and monitors the energy use of each appliance appliances and fixtures such as water saving faucets
to allow the user to distribute the energy demand as well as an innovative water treatment system called
more evenly throughout the day. The remaining energy Upfall Shower that recycles and then reuses shower
that is used in LINQ is generated by the solar cells on heat and water. This recycling of water guarantees
the roof of the building. LINQ does not require finite a much smaller water demand as well as a smaller
sources to satisfy its energy demand because the solar impact on the sewage system in a country where water
cells generate enough energy to cover the apartments is scarce.
energy consumption. To be more precise, the energy
generated by the thin film solar panels covers nearly The water consumption is furthermore regulated by
200% of LINQ’s energy demand making LINQ energy the smart system which measures the amount of water
positive building (see 5. Simulation Report). used and gives feedback to the inhabitants on how to
use water more efficiently. Where necessary, clean and
To satisfy energy demand throughout the whole day, ‘new’ water is used as efficiently as possible.
batteries and water storage vessels will store the
energy surplus during the day and supply energy during To make sure that the phases within the lifecycle
the night. of LINQ, namely the production, use and disposal
phase, are as efficient and sustainable as possible, we
Trias Hylica: The Trias Ecologica can also be applied furthermore conducted a life cycle assessment (LCA)
for material choices, called the Trias Hylica. Here the to discover hidden impacts on the environment so that
demand for material is minimized by prefabricating we could adjust the design of LINQ. The categories
elements in a factory, using sustainable, reusable or considered were the type of materials used, the amount
recycled materials, providing shared facilities within the of materials used, their impact on the environment, the
apartment complex building like a theater and a shared lifespan of LINQ, the duration of the material used, and
kitchen, and using space efficiently. To name a few of the emissions emitted during the production, use and
the innovative and sustainable materials that are used disposal phase.
in LINQ; the biocomposite façade cladding is completely
made out of organic materials sourced locally; the wall The results of the LCA conducted by Andriessen
system uses an innovative plating method that reduces (2018) showed among other, a high sensitivity to the
the amount of wood needed by adding more recyclable certification of wood. Because LINQ is made out of a
isolation material; and the material that is used to timber framework, it became very important to only use
isolate LINQ is in part made out of biofoam which is certified wood. Therefore, the timber that was used to
C-2-C certified, bio-based, recyclable, biodegradable construct LINQ is FSC-certified.
and even edible while remaining as strong as EPS
(expanded polystyrene) isolation. An unexpected outcome was that while solar cells lead
to a smaller environmental impact during their use-
If it is necessary to use non-sustainable materials, phase, they are very pollutant during their production
this will be done in a clean and efficient way by for and disposal phase. To compensate the impact that
example using 3D printing techniques to print concrete our PV panels have during these two phases, first the
46VIRTUe PROJECT MANUAL #5
materials required to make solar cells, were reduced neighborhood.
by using thin film solar cells which require much
less silicon for production than standard panels.
Furthermore, we will make sure that when we do not
need the solar panels anymore, we will first seek a new
purpose for them or if this is not possible because they
have for example become outdated or damaged, the thin
film solar cells will be properly stripped and recycled.
A sensitivity analysis showed that the lifespan of
LINQ is a very important factor when calculating the
environmental impact of our apartment. The longer
LINQ ‘lives’ the smaller the impact becomes. We have
therefore been looking into re-purposing LINQ after
the SDME competition and several options were found
that will give LINQ a permanent purpose and extend its
lifespan.
Figure 3: ‘Social Sustainability Framework’ by the Berkley
While the highest impact of traditional buildings on Group
the environment occurs during the use-phase (Abd
Rashid & Yusoff, 2015), the results of the LCA also To reach social sustainability three key dimensions of
showed that LINQ barely has any impact during its use- the framework have to be satisfied. These three key
phase, supporting our claim that LINQ is indeed an dimensions are ‘social cultural life’, ‘voice and influence’
environmentally sustainable apartment compared to and ‘amenities and social infrastructure’.
traditional buildings.
The first key dimension ‘social cultural life’ considers
what it is like to live in the apartment complex and in
4.5.3 SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
the neighborhood. The second dimension, ‘voice and
The second pillar of sustainability is social sustainability.
influence’ evaluates how and if people can influence
Before discussing this second pillar it is important to
what goes on in their neighborhood and building. The
first understand what social sustainability actually is.
last key dimension is ‘amenities and infrastructure’
which looks at the design and facilities of the building
“Social sustainability occurs when the formal
and the neighborhood.
and informal processes, systems, structures and
relationships actively support the capacity of current
To be able to further evaluate social sustainability
and future generations to create healthy and livable
within our project, we also took into consideration the
communities. Socially sustainable communities are
research of sociologist Ferdinand Tönnies (2012), Georg
equitable, diverse, connected [...] and provide a good
Simmel (1990) and Henry L Tischler (2007) on why
quality of life” (McKenzie, 2004).
social alienation is increasingly emerging in the built
environment. To prevent social alienation we looked
Here we use the ‘Social Sustainability Framework’
towards the renowned urbanist Jane Jacobs (1961) and
by the Berkley Group (2012) (see figure 3) as a way to
concepts such as ‘de wijkgedachte’ (which translates
direct LINQ’s concept and to measure people’s quality
into ‘the neighborhood thought’) and ‘New Urbanism’
of life and wellbeing within our apartment complex and
to find a solution on how to stimulate social interaction
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