Ecology.Design.Synergy

Venue:	Loyola University Museum of Art (LUMA), Chicago, USA
Duration:	18 March - 17 May 2009
Organizer:	ifa (Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations) Stuttgart
Accompanying publication:	Paperback, 71pages ISBN: 3937093745
Reviewer:	Robert Lau, CTBUH Journal Associate Editor
	Learn more about this event here

Photo Credit: Frank Ockert, Stuttgart

Introduction
Green Technology has been with us for many years now. Some projects are more ‘green’ than others, as rated by LEEDS in the United States and other rating systems throughout the world. Instead of thinking within a rating system this exhibition of works by Behnisch Architekten and TranSolar looks at the holistic approach to building design. They base their designs around the five themes of Light, Sound, Temperature, Air, and Materials. The projects displayed are designed in an organic method as opposed to adding Green Technology to existing forms and solutions. They are assisted by computer simulations to arrive at these solutions. What the designers have produced is a synergy of ecological design.

Solutions for People
Although the projects displayed vary in their programs and functions, the architects have a continuous theme; all are holistic to the people who use them. One of the main themes is Light, which is sunlight and all of its benefits to the human psyche. We need and sometimes crave sunlight on a daily basis. However, too much of the sun’s heat and glare makes for a poor work environment. Channeling the best from the sun while also controlling its side effects has been a major concern for designers. Another theme is Air, which can also be beneficial to people in the right temperatures and proportions. Ventilation, like sunlight, must be controlled in the built environment. Throughout the low-rise and high-rise projects exhibited, the designers have found green solutions to these problems. Instead of the mechanical HVAC systems that have become our standard in past years, new solutions are available for filtering in the sunlight and natural ventilation without increasing our carbon footprint.

A Sense of Urban Place
In our urban cities, we sometimes do not feel connected to a ‘place’. The sense of a neighborhood is not always felt within our urban centers. RiverParc in Pittsburgh and Harvard Allston Science at Harvard University are two of the exhibition’s projects that reconnect to the urban fabric. These are multi-use projects to address the community’s diverse needs. The projects tend to be unique to the site-specific traits of the climate and established social patterns. As in any thriving city there is a lively streetscape along with quiet residential living. The focal points of the neighborhood provide places of congregating and community identity, such as a park or recreation center. Walking or biking instead of the automobile provides the main circulation. These projects reinforce urbanism as a green planning solution as opposed to our past dependence on fossil fuels.


Photo Credit: Frank Ockert, Stuttgart		Photo Credit: Frank Ockert, Stuttgart		Photo Credit: Frank Ockert, Stuttgart

Green Building Technology
Two office projects included in this exhibit are the Norddeutsche Landesbank in Hannover and the Genzyme Headquarters in Cambridge. The synergies of these projects are the sunlight controlled for workers, the natural ventilation through the buildings, and the material finishes. Vertical interior garden courtyards create a sense of ‘place’ and connection throughout. Sounds of water are introduced into these spaces for the positive white noise it produces. These projects have been designed not to the success of commerce but for the work environment of the people.

Exhibit Space
Though this exhibit occupies just several rooms, it covers much ground through drawings, photos, models, videos, and text. What comes into focus is not the style of the designers but the overall results. What is it that our final buildings should be? Is it the form that is important or the sense of place, interior comfort and well-being, and energy use? This exhibit of Behnisch Architekten and TranSolar’s work reflects that the productivity of the workers and the comfort of the residents is how to judge a successful project. Green Technology is more than just rating systems. In many ways, we need to reassess our views on design and building in this new era of conservation and site-specific solutions. The one-size-fits-all prototype for office design and multi-family residential units no longer applies. Diverse cultures and climates require unique solutions. Studying and planning these differences can produce surprising results. The synergy displayed in this exhibit is to the human spirit and what our ecological future may become from it.

Upcoming Exhibition Dates and Locations
If you missed Ecology.Design.Synergy and are interested in finding out more, the exhibition is coming to the following locations:

Monterrey, MEX	12 June - 15 August 2009
Canberra, AU	1 August - 30 August 2009
Mexico City, MEX	1 September - 15 October
Auckland, NZL	1 October - 30 October 2009
Mexico City, MEX	12 November 2009 - 28 January 2010
Guadalajara, MEX	15 Jauary - 15 March 2010
Shanghai, CN	February - March 2010
Kanton, CN	April - May 2010
Hanoi, VN	July - November 2010
Abu Dhabi, UAE	1 January - 30 April 2011
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More information is avaliable at the exhibition website here.