Research Assistant w/Andrew Scott, Eran Ben-Joseph & Adele Santos, MIT
MIT has fostered an ongoing relationship with Sekisui House in the search for more sustainable housing prototypes for the future of mid-to-high rise housing in Japan. My involvement began in the fall of 2009, when I was brought in to research renewable energy technologies for residential application as well as overall energy efficiency and carbon neutrality. From there, my research expanded into the development of high-rise prototypes for the benchmark targets of 2030 and 2050. What makes this project interesting and extremely relevant is the challenge associated with such a dynamic set of desired improvements. Sekisui wants to produce a zero-net energy and zero-carbon community, while maintaining the density of a high-rise development. Through an investigation into anticipated improvements in solar energy technologies, we were able to explore various strategies for the roof and facade of the buildings, while trying to decrease the overall energy demand of the residents by considering natural ventilation, adequate daylighting, and integrated agriculture and transportation models. To achieve the targets Sekisui has established, we reconsider ed housing at a number of integrated scales. First and foremost, the buildings themselves needed a radical improvement in operation. Energy systems had to be integrated into the envelope and the massing of urban forms. The social and environmental needs of the residents had to compliment energy efficient and aesthetically pleasing residential architecture.
The high-rise prototype looked at a standard bar block with tapered south slope to accommodate solar access. The circulation corridors are pushed to one side of the building and skip-floor units allow for cross ventilation between floors. The depth of the units are designed for adequate sun penetration and each apartment is given access to outdoor space. The urban massing of these buildings accommodates agriculture as well as wind energy farms between block corridors.
research team: Buck Sleeper, Lisa Pauli, Andrea Love, Sole Mendez & Ryan Maliszewski
siobhan rockcastle 