Design of Sustainable Urban Cities and Green Buildings

Introduction

Sustainable Green Design is referring to the practice of creating design and using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from site-planning to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and deconstruction. This practice complements the traditional building design concerns of economy, utility, durability, and comfort. Although new technologies are constantly being developed to complement current practices in creating greener buildings, the common objective is that green buildings are designed to reduce the overall impact of the built environment on human health and the natural environment by:

• Efficiently using Embodied Energy (EE) in the manufacturing of building material.
• Efficient use of water, power, and other natural resources.
• Reducing  Energy in Use (heating, lighting, ventilation, and air-conditioning)
• Protecting occupant health and improving employee productivity
• Waste minimization and reduction.
• Recycling and Reuse of Building Materials.
• Reducing Pollution.

The concept of sustainable design has evolved from the need for more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly construction practices. In the essence of Green building is an optimization of one or more of these principles. Also, with the proper synergistic design, individual green building technologies may work together to produce a greater cumulative effect. However, modern sustainability initiatives call for an integrated and synergistic design for both new construction and when refurbishing existing buildings. 

Green building, by and large, encompasses a whole array of practices and renewable resources which are abundantly available in the Gulf Region including using sunlight through passive and active solar photovoltaic techniques and using plants and tree and roof garden and for reduction of rainwater run-off. Many other techniques, such as using packed and permeable gravel instead of conventional concrete or asphalt to enhance the replenishment of groundwater, are used as well.

 While the practices or technologies, employed in Sustainable and Green Design are constantly evolving and may differ from one region to another this training program will primarily focus on the problems and challenges facing the Gulf region. It seeks to provide further understanding and dissemination of the fundamental green and low energy design issues and will device future design trends. It further highlights construction principles, methods, and regulations that can be used to achieve sustainable and green design buildings.

Objectives

The main objectives of this program are:

• To develop in-depth understanding of the issues related to Sustainable and Green buildings.
• To develop analysis, critical thinking, and evaluation skills of alternative design, layouts to minimize energy cost during the life span of buildings.
• To develop assessment skills in relation to the technical specifications of materials and methods of construction of Green Buildings to enhance good practice through effective design, planning, management, and commissioning.
• To provide practical insight into real-life Sustainable and Green Design schemes both in the Gulf and the UK.

Training Methodology

This is an interactive course. There will be open question and answer sessions, regular group exercises and activities, videos, case studies, and presentations on best practice. Participants will have the opportunity to share with the facilitator and other participants on what works well and not so well for them, as well as work on issues from their own organizations. The online course is conducted online using MS-Teams/ClickMeeting.

Who Should Attend?

This training course is suitable for a wide range of professionals but will greatly benefit: 

• Researchers and Practitioners in Traffic Engineering
• Professionals in Urban Planning
• Architects involved in Urban Design
• Project Managers
• Technology Engineers, Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) and Chief Information Officers (CIOs)
• Strategic Development Personnel
• Transport Engineers and Researchers

Course Outline

Sustainable/Green Design- setting the scene-contextual issues

• What is sustainable/ Green Design (SGD)?
• What are the rationale and justifications for SGD?
• What are the main benefits and advantages of embracing SGD? Planning, design and construction issues and principles. Life cycle costing issues (cradle to grave approach)
  • Environmental, economic, and social benefits (the triple bottom line concept)
  • Health and  Well-being of end-user
  • Productivity
• Selected Case studies and Real-Time Presentation of SGD with particular focus on the UK and the Gulf Region

Design and Environmental Characteristics of SGD

• Site-planning and Design Issues:
  • Conceptual stage
  • Early design stages

• Design impact on cost and performance
• Life Cycle Costing (LCC)
• Buildings are complex multi-faceted products.
• Energy Efficiency (Low-cost energy vs low-cost design)
  • Thermal Insulation of the Envelope
  • High-Efficiency Lower Emissive Windows
  • Passive Solar Design
  • Solar water heating
  • Biomass
  • Hydro and wind power
• Construction materials embodied energy and efficiency Off-site manufacturing and recycling
• Renewable plant materials
• Eco building blocks
• Compressed earth blocks
• Dimension and recycled  blocks
• High  and ultra-high concrete

• Waste Minimization
• Indoor environmental enhancement
  • The Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)
  • Comfort, well-being, and productivity of occupants
  • Indoor air quality (IAQ),
  • Internal finishing zero emission
  • VOC and Formaldehyde
  • Thermal quality
  • Lighting quality
  • High performance luminous environment

Operational and Management Characteristics of SGD

• Low carbon services plant and systems
• Operation and maintenance optimization Workplace efficiency and effectiveness
  • O & M indoor  air quality and temperature
  • Practices enhancement and improvement
  • Management of Green Strategy
•  
• Environmental Impact Assessment
• Current  Methods and Approaches
• Carbons sink
• Greenhouse emission

 Initial Capital Cost and Cost in use of SGD

 Initial design and construction cost

• Factors affecting initial   capital cost Energy and running cost (comparison of traditional vs green design)
  • Building type
  • Design Layout:
    • Economic Plan Shape
    • Structural Form
    • Flexibility
    • Internal Layout
    • Buildability
• Maintenance and operational cost
• Life Cycle Cost  (LCC)- (Practical Task-a whole day exercise)