Tag: Architecture

Architecture-Focused Case Study on the Erb Memorial Union Atrium’s Environmental Performance

Presenter: Mauricio Underwood

Co-Presenters: Jiawei Mai

Mentor: Alison Kwok

Poster: 32

Major: Architecture

The Erb Memorial Union acts today as the center of the University of Oregon Campus and is subjected to the most diverse and frequent student traffic. Yet it is one of the oldest, largest, and most poorly insulated buildings on the University of Oregon campus. This research studies the southeast atrium, where many students tend to congregate. The space is well lit due to the expanse of windows covering the entire southeast side of the building and most of the roof. While this allows for plenty of natural light, the single-paned windows also cause enormous amounts of heat loss in the atrium. But does the amount of heat gain through solar-oriented windows compensate for the heat loss during winter months? The result of the temperature data analysis shows that the solar gains in Btu/Hour through the atrium windows is about twelve times greater than the heat loss to the exterior. However, the steam profile of the building indicates that the atrium is still being heated. Our finding suggests infiltration to be the primary source of heat loss, which was initially overlooked in the study. This further indicates the importance of airtightness in the passive cooling/heating of architecture.

Soundproofing in the Residential Halls

Presenter: Francisco Toledo

Co-Presenters: Amanda Mensch, Kristina Ames

Mentor: Alison Kwok

Oral Presentation

Major: Architecture 

Privacy is an important part of everyone’s life. The focus of our research is to determine what could be done to reduce the amount of sound transmission through a wall in the resident halls. We choose to test and compare two different insulations (wool and rigid). We hypothesized that natural sheep’s wool insulation will reduce the amount of sound transmission by 50% compared to that of rigid insulation. The insulations were placed inside a reconstructed wall to resemble a section of the interior walls inside the Walton residential hall and tested in a sound control room to avoid other factors such as temperature and exterior sounds that could alter our data. We choose five activities, talking, laughing, vacuuming, playing video games, and listening to music, based on their occurrence in the halls. To record data we used a sound meter app from the apple store to determine sound penetration into the box. In our findings, we concluded that when comparing the peaks from each individual activity there was about 8 % more efficiency using wool insulation in terms of sound penetration, but in general the average peak was reduced significantly by around 10-20 decibels. From our understanding, our results make sense because wool has fibers that are able to absorb sound waves while rigid insulation is highly compact hence why is able to transmit sound in the form of energy. The significance of this project is to help university housing enhance the living environment students live in. We believe privacy is an issue when living with 70 other students. Our recommendation, based on our results, is that wool is a better soundproofing material and therefore should be used within the residential halls to provide a greater sense of privacy. University housing on campus has communicated with us that they are preparing a five year renovation plan and would love for us to present to them our findings because it would help them create the most economic and effective plan.

CO2 Got Me Feeling So Blue?

Presenter: Lindsay Rasmussen

Co-Presenters: Katie Bushman, Parisa Motahari-asl

Mentor: Alison Kwok

Poster: 27

Major: Architecture 

This case study measures the carbon dioxide levels in the Architectural Design Studios of Pacific Hall, focusing on room 223. The current number of occupants in this room exceeds the original design intent; nevertheless, the original variable-air-volume ventilation system continues to be used. This case study investigates whether a larger occupancy number raises the carbon dioxide levels past the ventilation system’s capacity to function at ASHRAE Standards. For a contextual comparison a control room in a newly renovated building was also studied. The principal hypothesis for this case study is that the amount of CO2 in Room 223 of Pacific Hall exceeds the maximum levels as defined by ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2010. Three CO2 monitors were placed directly at the primary vent, at desk level, and outside at the air-intake system. CO2 levels were recorded at the same time for 30 minutes in 30-second increments. This experiment was repeated twice per room, once with high-occupancy and once with low-occupancy. Our results show that CO2 levels did not exceed maximum levels in either room. Instead of being an air quality issue, we found there to be a thermal comfort issue in Pacific Hall. However, due to the state of the building and its prior use as a chemical lab, we still believe there to be an air quality issue that we could not account for in this experiment. Carbon dioxide is measured as an indicator of building air quality; however, the results of our experiment lead us to question whether or not CO2 is an accurate representative of overall indoor air quality. This experiment serves as a strong foundation for further research into indoor air quality.

Heating Up Gerlinger

Presenter: Matthew Moyano

Mentor: Alison Kwok

Poster: 23

Major: Architecture 

This study investigated the thermal conditions of Gerlinger Hall’s south façade Sun Porch. Ellis Lawrence intended for the hall to be passively heated most of the year. The authors believe that the gallery space of Gerlinger has enough direct sunlight through its windows that it can passively reach thermal comfort levels during winter without excessive mechanical heating. However, it is currently unable to do so. Damaged and sealed windows do not allow airflow. Outdated radiators cause heat to be continuously released, much more than needed. Hobos, small indoor temperature recorders, collected the data over the span of three days and calculated the heat changes over time. Raytek Lasers identify the heat released and stored in different materials. Variables that affected the data collected were: use of the building, opening of doors, use of central heating, opening of windows, and drafts created by infiltration through historic, single-paned windows. Results of the research show intense heat released from radiators, around 140 deg. F. Walls and floors reach 100 deg. F. The average heat of the area is near 80 deg. F, going in and out of the ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-conditioning Engineers) comfort zone. In response to the data, recommendations for more efficient heating practices will be made in order to make the space more efficient. Such recommendations are: rehabilitation of historic windows and updating and correcting of heating system.

All Out the Window: A Study of Infiltration in Deady Hall

Presenter: Russell McIntire

Co-Presenters: Rebecca Fletcher, Lisa Sparks

Mentor: Mathieu Deraspe

Poster: 21

Major: Architecture

For this project we chose to study a building that did not provide adequate thermal comfort for its occupants, as well as had problems with air-leakage. After talking to University of Oregon students, we found that the historical Deady Hall fit the bill. Complaints ranged from an overly warm third floor, to frigid temperatures in the basement.
We considered these issues and developed the hypothesis: The top floor of Deady Hall loses a high amount of heat energy through air-gap infiltration and radiation, and thus is overheated to maintain that difference (equivalent to $6 of heat energy per day for the top floor). After placing HOBO sensors in one classroom and the hallways on each floor, conducting a blower door test, and analyzing the data with a few calculations, we found that the heat lost through infiltration was equal to $7.26/day, money just flying out the window. Upon more calculations, we discovered that if the findings for infiltration and heat radiation could be applied to all the windows in Deady Hall, the entire building is losing $10,464 per year to heat energy flying out the window. That is more than one student’s tuition, which we feel is important for the University community to know about if renovations are ever to be made.

Concrete: Redefining an Identity

Presenter: Amanda McCaffrey

Mentor: Christina Bollo

Oral Presentation

Major: Architecture

Concrete is the most used substance on the planet second only to water. This thesis explores the trajectory of concrete as a material and how its physical properties, use, and treatment are scantily established among non- designers, resulting in a confused identity. It is a mixture, at the most basic level, of aggregate, cement, and water that when cured, has incredible structural capabilities. As a result of its compressive strength, concrete is widely used for that purpose alone, but it is an incredibly malleable material that new technologies have only begun to explore in recent years. High performance concretes range from lightweight and thin concretes to light transmitting concrete. Concrete as a material is valued by most designers, but there tends to be a disconnect in appreciation and understanding with most non-designers. Concrete’s broad applications as a material and misinformed history have resulted in a lack of a set identity. I began my research by understanding the true history of the material including its accurate origin with the Pyramids of Giza. Categorizing different aspects of its identity developed into a way of explaining and better understanding ‘who’ concrete is. Throughout the research process, it became apparent that a gesture to the public and architectural field, beyond a written essay was needed. That gesture developed into a book which exposes concrete’s true nature as a malleable and diverse material. The book’s format is designed distinctly to appeal to a broad audience with varying levels of interest and knowledge with the goal of redefining an incredibly misunderstood and underappreciated material: concrete. The book demystifies concrete by laying out its process, how and why it’s used, and it’s development as a material.

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.