december 2009 chow hill sustainablity quaterly

8/9/2019 December 2009 Chow Hill Sustainablity Quaterly

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chow:hill

sustainab

ility

quarterly

u p d a t e s

o u t t h e r e

p r o j e c t s + p e o p l e

c o n n e c t i o n s

c o m m u n i t y

s m a l l s t e p s

r e s o u r c e s

# 0 4 d e c e m b e r2 0 0 9

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Monthly emission breakdown

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4.5

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

January

February

March

tCO2e

Electricity line losses Gas Coal Petrol Diesel Waste Flights Refrigerant losses

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.. . . . .

imagesource:nzgabrielwww.f

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c o m p a n y s u s t a i n a b i l i t y r e p o r t ( c s r )

With our engagement of graphic design company HUSK we are on programme to begin the concept designof our CSR. The report intent is in place and to be further story-boarded and rened in December. Gathering

of content is ongoing youll see evidence of this, for instance, in our client interviews, staff engagementsurveys, in our collection of environmental performance data (see our piece on ACE below) and our focuson our re-investment in our business and community relationships. These are all intrinsic with our People-

Planet-Prosperity model and are framed by our reporting structure.

We

ta

ke

respons

ibility

for

lea

d

ing

the

trans

for

ma

tion

of

our

en

viron

ment

s

in

the

purs

uit

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a

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future

g r e e n s t a r

The numbers in our Green Star Accredited Professional team continues to grow with Malcolm joining Lyn, Tony

and Maurice in successfully completing the OFFICE Tool training and examination. Were looking forward to Fionaparticipating in the INTERIORS Tool training in early 2010 and we plan to be involved in the EDUCATION Tooltraining at a similar time. Beyond raising our own awareness, skill levels and knowledge in sustainable design weare looking to be prepared as our clients thinking moves increasingly to adopting Green Star certication. Wed

welcome further participation from each ofce.

c h o w : h i l l s c o2

f o o t p r i n t

Chow:Hill have adopted Catalyst R&Ds ACE( Annual Carbon Emissions) software to record andtabulate the CO

2footprint of each of our three ofces, giving us also the ability to understand

our total company performance. Given that 17% of New Zealands CO2

emissions are estimated

to come from buildings and 20% from transport its valuable to examine our own performanceand act on it. Based on a number of simple metrics petrol/diesel use, air-travel, waste tolandll, electricity and refrigerant losses from air-conditioning systems - we can now understand

in absolute terms and view graphically our performance monthly and annually, review and setfuture targets. Figures for the seven months from April to October for the Auckland ofce can beseen in the graph on this page. Contact Maurice for more detailed information and comment.


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p a r a s i t i c h o m e s t a k e r o o t o n e m p t yw a l l s

by Bridgette Meinhold, 09/25/09

As more people lter into the city, open land to build on will become more and morescarce, and we may have to use every available bit of space we can, including empty barewalls, bridge pylons, and retaining walls. The Prefab Parasite, designed by Australia-based Lara Calder Architects, is such a structure aiming to turn previously empty

vertical surfaces into livable and attractive private space. Mimicking parasitic qualities,

the home is designed for durability and adaptability, evident in its construction out ofprefabricated panels so that the home can be afxed onto any wall or pylon large and

strong enough to hold it.

Each dwelling would be specically designed for each site. Its basic constructionbegins as the prefabricated panels are secured onto the wall with a mounting plate.

Afterward, the oors and the internal ribs are installed, and nally the paneling is laidon top to provide lateral bracing and tie the building together. The paneling is an eco-solid surface material made of compressed bamboo and recycled paper.

Accessed via a retractable staircase, the dwelling is placed about 3 or 4 meters abovethe street level. Depending on the needs of the residents, the width could be wide ornarrow, but would maintain a cross sectional area of 36 square meters (387 sq ft).

Residents walk up to their one-bedroom home, and are rst greeted by a home ofcelocated on the rst landing. Next comes the bedroom, then the living area, the kitchenand dining, and nally on the top terrace is an open air balcony.

Since none of the structure really touches the ground, the footprint of the house consistsof the service shaft that connects it to power, sewer and water. Dont think too hardabout the details yet or how it would all work, but do think about the potential of such a

concept especially how it might play into the movie version of your favorite graphicnovel. The Parasite Prefab is a fascinating concept for hyper-dense and prefabricatedhousing, and could be the future of urban living.

Source:http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/09/25/prefab-friday-parasitic-homes-take-root-on-empty-walls/#

urban

activism:gre

en

plant

sleeves

forcity

walls

http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/08/29/urban-activism-green-plant-sleeves-for-city-walls/


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imagesource:BrianRastrick

w a i k a t o d i o c e s a n s c h o o l f o r g i r l ss p o r t s p a v i l i o n c o n c e p t 2 0 0 9

Initially the sports pavilion was to be located adjacent to the Piki Mahuta Centre (PMC), above theexisting changing rooms and between the existing Gym and Hall, linked by a suspended bridgethrough the foyer. Due to the nature of the surrounding structures the costs were unacceptable.

This along with the client revaluating their needs made the client & design team rethink theproject location.

Green eld space within the school is at a premium however an area adjacent to the existingarticial hockey turf was identied as a possible location. The value and scarcity of green spaceis a key driver for the concept of this project.

At an early stage it was proposed that approx 100 sqm of changing rooms be buried, this ensuresless green space is occupied and the cantilevered rst oor form appears to oat above naturalground.

e c o t r o n s Chow:Hill have been invited toprovide advice to the Waikato

Museum on their next majorsemi-permanent exhibition:Ecotrons. Ecotrons follows the

story of an inventive and eco-friendly familly living in futureHamilton. Mr and Mrs Ecotron,

daughter Sustainable Susie,son Recyclable Ryan and pet

Chook Chook will take peopleon a guided journey around

their ultra sustainable houseand environment, lled withinteractive systems and gadgets

geared to being super friendlyto the environment. Livingsustainably to protect the futureof our planet is the central theme

of the exhibition. Ecotrons isdesigned to be an educationalfamily experience and is due to

open in October 2011.

Chow:Hill have been asked tosponsor the design and build

of an actual house within theMuseum building, providing thisin kind and by way of hands-on

advice and planning.

Chat to Nathan Edmondstonor Brian Squair if you would

like some information and / orinvolvement.

Having multiple benets, the earth bank allows an elevated viewing platform over the elds andfence, integrates the building with the landscape, while increasing green space that without

would have been lost to service areas, plant areas etc. Socially the bank will become a gatheringspace for Saturday sport, or another area the students can have their lunch. This along with thedevelopment / incorporation of the landscape design under the mature trees will integrate thenew complex into the surrounding school campus.

Other sustainability initiatives are also being explored these include; passive / stack effectventilation, solar, mass insulation, thermal mass and exible use of space - classrooms that cantransform into pavilion space.

Currently the project is being costed, initial signs are looking promising.

Contact Brian Rastrick for more information and/or to share your thoughts - any comments

greatly received.


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s h i g e r u b a n p a p e ra r c h i t e c t

On the 17th of September Christina, Doug, Vatra, Miranda, Aneela

and Fiona attended an inspirational talk titled Shigeru Ban - ALecture on Architecture.

Shigeru Ban is a contemporary internationally recognised Japanesearchitect and pioneer in applying the principles of sustainabledevelopment to architectural design. Shigeru seeks to challenge

the existing construction method by using easily obtainable,standardised non-architectural products and off-the-shelf materialsin innovative and unprecedented structural/construction systems.

Sometimes called the paper architect for his incredibly creativeuse of paper and cardboard as a structural material. Ban is attractedto using paper because it is low-cost and recyclable. His underlyinginterest and passion is the development of the paper tube as the

main building structure. The tubes are made by wrapping stripsof recycled paper covered in glue around a short metal rod. Thepaper tube structures are low-tech, replaceable and reusable,

which makes them a perfect material for temporary pavilions andrefugee housing.

Projects include:

DIY refugee shelters used in Japan after the Kobe earthquake,Turkey, Rwanda and around the world.

The Japanese pavilion at the Hannover Expo 2000, a 72-metre-long grid-shell structure made with paper tubes. After theexhibition the structure was recycled and returned to paper

pulp.

The Nomadic Museum, a temporary museum housing a large-

scale exhibition, constructed with paper tubes and 148 shippingcontainers. The journey of the Nomadic Museum began in NewYork in 2005, and later traveled to Santa Monica in 2006 andthen to Tokyo in 2007.

The Paper Church, a community center that was built by churchvolunteers whose house of worship was destroyed by Kobeearthquake in 1995. Materials were donated by a number of

companies, and the 160 volunteers completed construction inonly ve weeks. After 10 years it was disassembled and all thematerials were sent to a city in Taiwan.

Source: www.shigerubanarchitects.com/

c h o w : h i l l / u n i t e c s t u d e n t

e x h i b i t i o n

The annual C:H / Unitec StudentExhibition was held in the Auckland

ofce on the 19 November, wherewe proudly showcased ourstudents work. Students friends

and families, along with many of our

clients joined us in the celebrationof all the students work.

It was an exciting night for us aswell as the students. For most ofthe students, this was the rst time

their work is in an exhibition. Ourclients also enjoyed seeing thework and talking with the students.With one of them very much keen in

becoming the client in our DesignStudio next year!

On the night, the C:H Total DesignStudent Award went to Philip Williswhose design revolved around the

reuse of existing buildings and oldmaterials for the redevelopmentof the Lion Nathan brewery site inNewmarket.

l e a r n i n g c o n n e c t i o n s


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c o m p e t i t i o n : s h o w u sy o u r c i t y

The British Councils Creative Cities project is

currently running an exciting competition:

Calling urban dwellers: we want to experience yourworld. Take us on a journey through the streets and

social spaces of your neighbourhood, tell us whatinspires you, what frustrates you, and what youthink makes your part of the world unique.

Show us your city this month and youll be inthe running to win a trip to London to experiencethe 2010 London Festival of Architecture, to be

awarded to one outstanding blog contributor at theconclusion of the Creative Cities East Asia blogproject in January.

What are we looking for?

We invite you to take us on a virtual walk throughthe streets of your neighbourhood, or a part of yourcity that interests you. You can do this throughwords, images, tagged maps, sound or video itsup to you and keep in mind that were looking

for the most interesting contributions from peoplewho have stories to tell about their relationship tothese places. In other words, its your message, and

not the quality of your photos or video, that well bethinking about.

Were interested in discovering your favourite

places; from busy streets and bustling markets togreen oases, welcoming cafes where you can whileaway an afternoon or check your email, steps, malls

and monuments where you meet friends, to artgalleries, performance spaces and transport hubs.By documenting these places with personality in

each city, we hope to develop connections aroundthe region, and to highlight what factors make aplace a social space.

http://www.creativecities.org.uk/call-out-show-us-your-city/

c h o w : h i l ls h o w u s y o u r c i t y

c o m p e t i t i o n

Drawing inspiration from the Show Us Your City competition wechallenge all Chow:Hill urban dwellers to respond to the samebrief.

All you need to do to enter is take six snap shots of yourneighbourhood over the holidays, and add captions identifyingwhats special about your turf!

Due- 1st February 2010 via email to maurice@chow:hill.co.nz

Prize- a mystery Urban Living KitThe winner will be announced in the March 2010 issue of seed

c h o w : h i l lc o m m u n i t y d a y s

Friendly reminder, everyone has one paid day a year that they

can dedicate to doing something for their community.

This is something you initiate, you can do it as an individual

or you can gather a group of interested Chow:Hillians and dosomething together.

Past Community Days have included Habitat for Humanity,

construction of picnic tables for a public park and releasingplants and beach grooming in a new regional park.

So we invite you to take up this opportunity, have some fun andmake a difference to someone elses life - and dont forget to tellus all about it!

m


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a c r o s s o u ro f f i c e s

Across the ofces we have takensteps to reduce our waste to landll

and improve our management ofthe waste stream and by-products:use of biodegradable (corn-starch

based) waste bags, reduction inthe number of personal wastebins, greater sorting of recyclables,

introduction of composting,replacement of paper towel andtoilet paper types, friendliercleaning products and shortly,battery-return stations. Our aim

by early new year is to have thesealigned and consistent across ourthree ofces. Thanks to Bonnie,

Chryseis and Tony for working withus on these initiatives.

l e t y o u r s p e n t b a t t e r i e sh a v e a n e w l e a s e o f l i f e .

r e u s e a n d r e c y c l e t o ag r e e n e r f u t u r e !

New Zealanders use thousands of disposable batteries everyyear. What should we do with them when they go at?

As part of our sustainability programme, Chow:Hill has decidedto help you with the recycling of your batteries! Chow:Hill is going

to provide a Battery Recycling Service. This means that you canbring in all your household batteries, they are going to be collectedand then taken to The Battery Clinic in Otahuhu.

The Battery Clinic partners with the Auckland Regional Council toreuse and recycle spent batteries. These are rst reconditioned forreuse. Unreconditionable batteries are sent to Exide in Wellington

for traditional battery recycling.

As of next year we are going to provide a Battery Recycling Boxhere in the Auckland ofce to collect your batteries.

Batteries make power portable, by converting chemical energyinto electricity-and theres no denying how handy that is. Problem

is, batteries contain toxic heavy metals such as mercury, leadand cadmium that, if dumped, can pollute soil and groundwater,endangering humans and wildlife. Cadmium is a known humancarcinogen; long-term exposure can cause liver and lung disease.

Mercury can also cause damage to the brain, spinal system,kidneys and liver. Sulphuric acid in lead acid batteries can causesevere skin burns. Batteries are so toxic, its incredible were

allowed to simply biff them when were done.

Rechargeable batteries, such as nickel cadmium, lithium-ionand nickel-metal batteries, can be recycled. You cant recycle AA

batteries in New Zealand, but there are still better things to dowith them than throw them in a landll.

Contact Christina Schregel for any further questions, commentsand ideas!

m


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techno

logy

ecology

culture

t o i n p u t , c o m m e n to r d e b a t e p l e a s e

c o n t a c t t h e e d i t o r i a l t e a m . . .B r i d g i t , M a u r i c e ,S u s a n o r S i m o n e

magesource:

rate

onnywww.

c

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w h a t s u s t a i n a b l e t h i n g s h a v e y o u b e e n u p t o o r c o m e a c r o s s ?w e ' d l o v e t o

h e a r f r o m y o u f o r t h e n e x t

i s s u e o f s e e d . . .

t h e g r e e n s t a r -o f f i c e i n t e r i o r s

The Green Star - Ofce Interiors 2009 ratingtool is now available. Projects can now registerto achieve a rating for their interior t-out

achievements.

http://www.nzgbc.org.nz/main/greenstar/elaboration/ratingtools/interiors

for anyfurther questions,commentsandgreen ideas!

c e n t r e f o r s u s t a i n a b l e c i t i e s

The Centre for Sustainable Cities is an inter-disciplinary research centre dedicated toproviding the research base for innovative solutions to the economic, social, environmentaland cultural development of our urban centres.

87% of New Zealanders live in cities.The health and well-being of a signicant proportion of our population is reliant ondeveloping environments that take into account the connections between transport,

design, energy, health and governance and other issues.

http://sustainablecities.org.nz/

w e b s i t e s

a website suggested by KevinHarty

http://www.passivhaus.org.uk/

and a christmas website from the

mfe

http://www.mfesummer.thechurch.co.nz/

b o o k s

New book in Auckland ofce:Architecture of Change 2: Sustainability and Humanity in the Environment

Architecture of Change 2 presents an unrivalled collection of the most innovativearchitecture that makes a considerable contribution to a sustainable future. Over forty

exemplary projects by internationally renowned architecture practices such as RenzoPiano and OMA founder Rem Koolhaas are featured in addition to social initiatives suchas Brad Pitts Make It Right Foundation. From a zero emission ice station facility inAntarctica to the High Line public promenade in New York, it represents a broad range of

environmentally mindful concepts that are outstanding architectonically and also devotedto regional environmental and social conditions as well as their global impact.

http://www.gestalten.com/books/detail?id=ceaea7651fc964c301225ac46ae802b5

december 2009 chow hill sustainablity quaterly

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