Contents
Engineering Design Coursework: Disaster Design Project
Brief
You are a team of interns doing a summer placement at Arup, a global engineering consultancy firm. Your Team has been tasked with proposing designs or retrofits to remaining infrastructure to support the rebuilding effort in a disaster zone somewhere in the world. The nature of the challenges faced in the selected disaster zone can be natural or man-made. Your proposed design must reduce greenhouse gas emissions with the aim of achieving net zero in line with the Paris Agreement.
Purpose
The purpose of the Design Project Report is for you to present your design project in its entirety. Assume you are presenting the culmination of your work to the Client who commissioned it. You are showcasing your Team’s work over the semester, so make it shine. There are individual components and a Team submission, so please follow the instructions you are given during our seminar sessions and via QMplus.
Background
To cap global warming at 1.5°C – as called for in the Paris Agreement – greenhouse gas emissions need to be reduced by 45% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. The built environment generates 40% (27% operation and 13% construction) of annual CO2 emissions. Although there was an increase in energy efficiency investment of 16% in 2021 (compared to 2020), the global sector’s emissions increased by 5%. Couple this fact with the projected doubling of global built floor area by 2060, it is no surprise COP27 agreed the gap between the climate performance of the sector and the 2050 decarbonization pathway is wideninga. This is the problem we will tackle on this project.
Scope
Your Team may explore innovative architectural designs using biogenic and other regenerative building materials that will reduce the embodied (structural) and operational CO2 emissions of the built environment. Your Team can choose to consider single homes, multiple dwellings and other building types (e.g. commercial or industrial). Your Team may choose to consider new-build or retrofitting existing infrastructure. Teams will also choose a specific geographical location for their design and may incorporate ideas from traditional building methods, architectural designs and self-sufficient (off-grid) living. Ultimately, for any new design to be adopted, it must serve an unmet need or reduce cost. User experience (UX) and aesthetics are critical design attributes.
Data sources: International Energy Agency (IEA), UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and Architecture 2030.
Potential Design Areas
We will work on these during our seminar sessions. Please ensure you attend your timetabled seminar and schedule additional team meetings for the weeks in which you do not have a seminar session in your timetable. You could use the Tuesday ‘lecture’ session – all students are available then.
Ensure you keep notes for every team meeting.
The project proposal should include:
i. A general description of the location and proposed design. ii. Bullet point answers to the 5Ws (i.e. rationale for the project).
ii. A versus table of weighted design attributes.
iii. The design concepts that you propose to address the brief – include annotated sketches and a brief explanation of each concept (one per Team Member).
iv. A decision matrix to evaluate the proposed concepts against the weighted attributes.
v. A potential refinement step to your winning design concept including (where necessary) a final proposed design after the refinement step.
vi. Engineering drawing/s and CAD model of your final proposed design.
Hints: Present an aesthetically pleasing document. You are “selling” something here. Consider the main stakeholder; the Client – they are paying! Write short sentences with ideas that flow in a logical manner. Explain any ambiguity. Present neat annotated concept sketches.
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Location and proposed design
The location selected is a disaster prone area affected by typhoons and flooding and it is Coastal Philippines.
Design: The proposed design is a climate Resilient home using biogenic materials and renewable energy systems with the objective of achieving net zero emissions.
5Ws
What: The project is to achieve net zero disaster resilient housing.
Why: To ensure minimum effect on the environment and addressing post disaster housing shortages.
Where: Tacloban, Philippines
Who: The project will be carried out with the assistance of NGOs, local communities and government housing agencies.
When: It will be carried out on an immediate basis post disaster to ensure long term climate resilience.
Weighted design attributes
The highest weight is given to the carbon reduction and disaster resilience whereas cost efficiency, user comfort and aesthetics are given medium importance. Ease of construction is given the lowest weight.
Design Concepts
The concept proposed considering the purpose of the project is to frame a bamboo laminated modular housing which can be built up quickly and ensures limited carbon emissions. In addition to this, another important concept is to utilise retrofitted concrete structure with solar system installation. These concepts are likely to address the issue of emission reduction and ensure high resilience.
Design Matrix: The application of design matrix leads to the selection of hybrid Timber bamboo design because it is highly effective in terms of strong carbon sequestration, and highly resistant to flood and cost effective as well.
Refinement step
The major refinement that needs to be carried out includes optimising structural joints, improving ventilation and integrating rainwater harvesting.
Engineering drawings and CAD model
The drawing is included in the appendix which provides clear indication of floor plans, sections and elevations. It also includes structural framing and 3D CAD model clearly showing the spatial layout and energy systems.
| This model answer is reviewed by Aisha Mahmood, Civil Engineering expert from University of Sheffield Disclaimer: This answer is a model for study and reference purposes only. Use it for your learning to do your assignment on your own. Please do not submit it as your own work. |
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