Tag: Alison Kwok

Air paths in Lewis

Presenter: Petro El Hage

Co-Presenters: Lenore Wan, Caitlin Vanhauer

Mentor: Alison Kwok

Poster: 13

Major: Architecture 

We studied how the air handling system functions in Lewis Integrative Science Building (LISB) atrium and whether or not the relief air vents are utilised effectively. The complex, which opened in October of 2012, is located between 13th avenue and Franklin Boulevard on the University of Oregon campus, and consists of offices and science laboratories that are joined by an unconditioned atrium. After a visit to the building, we were curious about the vents we saw on the wall and how they were utilised to heat the atrium. We wondered if the existing relief air vents are effective. We hypothesised that the air handling system in the LISB atrium releases air that travels upward toward the skylight rather than being distributed throughout the overall space. If our hypothesis were proven correct, this would prove that the relief air vents are not utilised effectively. In order to decipher if the exhaust heat is dispersing the air throughout the atrium, we decided to study where the air is moving through the space and what the difference in air temperature is throughout the atrium. This study was intended to determine where the heat from the air vents is flowing and whether or not they are the main heat source. Our methodology consisted of visually testing the air path and quantifying temperature differences in the atrium. Overall, we determined that the relief vents in the Lewis atrium were not utilised effectively because the general air flow in the atrium, detected by the bubbles, is pushing the air toward the eastern end of the atrium. We have concluded that the relief air vents are not the main heat source for the atrium. Since the atrium is surrounded by labs on the north and south side and borders Streisinger on the west end—the atrium is well “sandwiched” between insulating layers—the building’s heat loss is significantly low. Also, an efficient thermal envelope is achieved by having triple pane LEED certified windows on the ceiling and the glass curtain walls. Overall, our analysis shows that the main heat source of the atrium is the solar heat gained from the skylight and the south-facing window.

An Opportunity for Comfort: Temperature and Humidity Control in Portable, Low-Income Housing

Presenter: Charles Ekblad

Co-Presenters: Clare Stockwell, Andrew Ashby

Mentor: Alison Kwok

Poster: 9

Major: Architecture

This project called for an investigation of a testable thermal condition, and our group decided to take the project one step further. We seized the opportunity, and attempted to use the experiment to benefit someone else’s life. This philanthropic ideal ultimately directed our team to the Conestoga huts at Opportunity Village Eugene to conduct our research and gain enough insight to develop a method to passively heat the huts. Opportunity Village’s use of a consistent module, the Conestoga hut, was an optimal condition with regards to the testing process. Through interactions and interviews with residents, we found that Conestoga Huts are a fleeting mode of housing. Therefore, a temporary solution, as opposed to a retrofit solution, seemed to be the most efficient and beneficial method of increasing thermal comfort for the occupants. By manipulating temperate and humidity, we will develop two different ways (the Terracotta heating system and the Salt Rock dehumidifier) to create a more comfortable living environment. We will test three different huts, all under different thermal conditions, and collect quantitative data for one week. At the end of the week, we will interview the occupants for qualitative data and compare the results between the two types of data. Due to the assumption that a heating source will both increase temperature and decrease humidity, addressing two issues simultaneously, we hypothesize that introducing a heating solution into the Conestoga hut will create an environment that is closer to the comfort zone, as defined by ASHRAE (an association that defines quantitative standards regarding thermal comfort), than a dehumidifying solution. We arrived at this hypothesis because as the temperature of the interior of the hut increases, humidity levels will fall bringing the interior condition closer to the thermal comfort zone.

Heat Gain is Not Retained

Presenter: Haley Davis

Co-Presenters: Robert Kiesler, Matthew Decker

Mentor: Alison Kwok

Poster: 7

Major: Architecture 

It is our responsibility at the University of Oregon to build buildings on our campus that do not require massive heating and cooling because it utilizes nonrenewable resources and costs the school a lot of money. During winter term 2014 we studied the John E. Jaqua Center for student-athletes to determine whether it is possible to have a fully-glazed facade that does not result in significant heat gains and losses. The John Jaqua Center, designed by ZGF Architects in Portland and completed in 2010, is one of the first large-scale double glass facade systems in the Pacific Northwest. The building is 40,000 square feet and has a facade made of 85% glass (ZGF Architects, 2010). Theoretically, temperature swings are controlled by the buffer that the five-foot air gap in the double glass cavity provides. This study focuses on testing the effectiveness of this system at regulating temperatures inside the Center to determine whether the double glass facade is a viable solution as a thermal barrier in the Pacific Northwest’s mild climatic variations. We have determined that this facade system is not functioning effectively and thus is resulting in high heating and cooling costs for the building. At this point we have concluded our primary research, but we are interested in continuing these studies in the future to generate a more comprehensive report that can be presenting to the university to ensure these types of inefficient buildings are not built again on our campus.

Where the Wild Things Grow: A Case Study of Ventilation in Bathrooms

Presenter: Hannah Ward

Co-presenters: Alex Collins and Julia Frost

Mentors: Alison Kwok and Tom Collins, Architecture

Poster: 64

Major: Architecture

According to the City of Eugene’s website, newly constructed bathrooms must either have an operable window or “a venting system capable of 50 cubic feet per minute” controlled by “a dehumidistat, timer, or similar means of automatic control.”1 Spaces that do not provide enough ventilation can often be susceptible to damage such as mold growth and dry rot if humidity levels reach a certain point and stay there consistently. As Eugene is a mild and humid climate, many buildings have issues with mold growth because of high humidity levels. This study will assess which ventilation strategies are supportive in reducing humidity levels and ultimately preventing mold growth in a damp climate, such as Eugene. Specifically, this study will test the hypothesis that apartments with continuous bathroom ventilation systems are more capable of maintaining 50% RH [relative humidity] than apartments with non-continuous bathroom ventilation systems. To test the hypothesis, the study used a two-phase approach, which included four HOBO data loggers2 to record the relative humidity of three different apartment bathrooms using three different styles of ventilation, before testing the capacity of airflow from the two bath fans. Our results show that active ventilation techniques are not the only effective way to ventilate a space and, in fact, one of the bathrooms using an active fan actually performed worse than a comparable, passively ventilated bathroom.

Recycled Insulation for Resource Scarce Regions

Presenter: Katrina Tran

Co-Presenters: Kyle Plata and Alex Weaver

Mentors: Alison Kwok and Mathieu Deraspe, Architecture

Poster: C7

Major: Architecture

This experiment sought to assess the efficacy of using excess trash as a solution to resource scarcity in the developing world by testing the thermal efficiency of glass bottles as an insulating material. The glass bottles were packed densely with shredded paper and then laid on their sides into a rough wall assembly. The general thermal efficiency of this recycled insulation was tested inside a thermal hotbox using HOBO data loggers, which measured the temperatures inside the “hot” and “cold” sides of the hotbox for twelve hours. The hypothesis was that the recycled insulation could sustain a temperature difference greater than 5°F for at least three hours after applying heat to the “hot” side of the hotbox. The data collected showed a temperature difference greater than 5°F for four hours after the heating period. Once the original hypothesis held true, further testing was conducted using a heat flux transducer in order to calculate an exact R-value for the recycled insulation. The transducer data showed that the recycled insulation has an R-value of 15 hrft2°F/Btu. The results of this experiment indicate that this insulation may be suitable for mild to moderate climates.

The Stellar Apartments: Dynamic Stories from Passive Buildings

Presenter: Lindsay Rasmussen

Co-Presenter: Erik Schmidt, Ashley Tuffo, Annie Chiang

Mentor: Alison Kwok, Architecture

Oral Presentation

Major: Architecture

In August of 2013, the first affordable, multifamily housing project in the United States to reach Passive House (PHIUS) certification was completed in the outskirts of Eugene, Oregon. The 54-unit Stellar Apartment complex was funded by the Saint Vincent de Paul Society of Lane County (SVdP) as part of their community development and outreach in the Eugene-Springfield region. Each of the complex’s 12 buildings complies with Oregon State’s Earth Advantage (EA) standards, except one, which reaches further and meets Passive House (PH) certification. It was hypothesized that the PH units would perform 60% better than the EA units. The Stellar Research Team consists of a group of undergraduate and graduate researchers who have been monitoring and evaluating the energy use and indoor environmental quality of two buildings in the complex over a two year period. This project offers an analysis of the first year-and-a-half of energy and heating performance outcomes for the PH and EA buildings. Early findings show that occupants of the PH units are using approximately 50% less space heating energy than occupants in the EA units. There was a lag time of about one week before PH occupants turned on their space heater as compared to their EA neighbors in the colder season. Additionally, the overall energy use averages are of similar proportion, with PH units using 35% less energy in total. Throughout the research process data were reported back by the student research team to SVdP and the architects to better inform their future projects.

Venting About Ventilation

Presenter: Kelli Kimura

Co-presenters: Yang Lv, Hanzhao Huang

Mentors: Thomas Collins and Alison Kwok, Architecture

Poster: 36

Major: Architecture

The focus of this study was to better understand the effectiveness of natural ventilation in dormitories. We questioned if natural ventilation through two dorm room windows provided adequate ventilation. Mechanical ventilation systems and the combination of different “leak factors” that were potentially bringing in and taking out air were sealed since the focus was solely on the performance of natural ventilation. We predicted that the windows of a dorm room would be sufficient in naturally ventilating a room to exceed ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2013, which would mean achieving a ventilation rate greater than 5 cfm/person. CO2 was used as a proxy for ventilation rate per person. Indoor and outdoor CO2 levels were measured so that a CO2 differential could be found. Comparing the CO2 differential to a corresponding ventilation rate per person value allowed us to see if the standard was met. Another part of the study involved mapping bubbles to understand a dorm room’s air movement. Unexpectedly, it was found that not only does naturally ventilating a room greatly exceed the standard, but the standard was also met when no windows were open and all known mechanical systems and air leak factors were blocked. The unpleasant environment in rooms when the latter condition was tested certainly did not meet our subjective comfort standards, which led to questions about whether the ASHRAE 62.1-2013 standard needs reevaluation.

The Darker Side of the Dark Room: Ventilation and Volatile Organic Compounds in the Craft Center’s Dark Room

Presenter: Davis Carlisle

Co-Presenter: Laurel Sleeper

Mentors: Alison Kwok and Mathieu Deraspe, Architecture

Poster: 8

Major: Architecture

The Craft Center at the University of Oregon was rapidly built during the renovation process of the new Erb Memorial Union (EMU). Due to the quick construction of this space, there have been issues with the ventilation in the Craft Center. Some components of this ventilation system either are not completely finished or aren’t functioning yet including the dark room. Chemicals and open flames are often used in the studio spaces of the Craft Center, so it’s important that the ventilation is operating properly. One room that poses a possible health concern is the dark doom where photo chemicals are often used. Although the ventilation system appeared to be working in the Photo Studio, the effectiveness of the system is questionable because of the reoccurring problems with the Craft Center’s mechanical systems, according to Craft Center employees. The following study determines if the dark room’s ventilation system is working properly. A CO2/VOC data logger was placed in the dark room in order to monitor the air quality during a three day period. When looking at the VOC results from the three day period were inconclusive however, it is reasonable to assume that the VOC levels are safe and below ASHRAE Standard 62.1 because of the CO2 levels in the Dark Room which stayed well below the 5000 ppm of CO2 set by the ASHRAE standard (ASHRAE standard 2007, 5).

Achieving Zero-Net Energy in Doha, Qatar

Presenter: Jericho Bankston

Co-Presenters: Joey Moser, Abdulhadi Almumen, Brad Phillips

Mentors: Alison Kwok and Tom Collins, Architecture

Poster: 2

Major: Architecture 

Working with American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) standards we were tasked to design building components and systems to effectively meet zero-net energy standards for a Junior College in Doha, Qatar. The building site needs to be determined as well as systems to implement to meet zero-net energy, reduce site and building water use as well as maintain comfortable interior spaces relative to natural day lighting, humidity and air temperature. It is crucially important to implement RES in a manner that takes into consideration the life expectancy of the building and the maintenance that goes into the systems needed to attain zero-net energy. Through minimizing solar heat gain and using passive house standards the cooling load can be reduced. This allows the use of PV arrays to reduce heat island effect and offset the on-site energy that is used. Upon preliminary solar gain calculations it is believed that more energy than necessary can be produced for the Junior College allowing excess renewable energy to be sold back to the city of Qatar.

”Thinking Inside the Box”: Comparative Analysis of Post-consumer Cardboard Building Insulation

Presenter: Nathaniel Leigh

Co-Presenters: Gianna Prather, Alexa Thornton

Faculty Mentor: Alison Kwok

Presentation Type: Poster 23

Primary Research Area: Design

Major: Architecture

In an age where efforts to conserve natural resources and limit greenhouse gas emissions are more critical than ever before, it is vital to reduce waste and use already harvested resources as effectively as possible. Creating products from post-consumer material is one way to greatly reduce the amount of waste making it into landfills. The authors of this study explore the use of post-consumer corrugated cardboard as building insulation. Two methods for insulating with cardboard were assessed – stacked and shredded. The authors hypothesized shredded cardboard would be a better insulator than stacked cardboard. A second hypothesis was tested; fiberglass batt insulation would be a better insulator than stacked and shredded cardboard. R-13 fiberglass batt insulation was used to represent the minimum insulation requirement for a residential building located in the United State Zone 4 climate as defined by ASHRAE standard 90.1. Three identical boxes were constructed, each with a different insulation. Interior and exterior temperature data from each box was collected using HOBO Pendant 001 data loggers. Differences in interior and exterior temperature were compared across each box in order to determine effectiveness. Comparative analysis was used to assess the performance of the cardboard insulation types against each other and the fiberglass batt. All hypotheses were proven incorrect; the findings show that both types of cardboard insulation perform comparatively to R-13 fiberglass batt insulation.