Design Report: Environmentally Conscious Suburban Structure, Analysis

This report details the design process of a sustainable, environmentally conscious building suitable for suburban residential setups. The project aims to minimize environmental impact through careful consideration of site selection and construction materials, advocating for a more sustainable approach compared to traditional building methods. The report covers various aspects including background information, objectives, problem definition, and conceptual design. It explores system operation requirements, MEP systems (including electrical and plumbing), and maintenance strategies. Key features include the use of sustainable materials like timber and concrete with coal fly ash, energy-efficient systems like solar panels and greywater systems, and fire protection systems. The design adheres to LEED standards, emphasizing energy efficiency, conservation of resources, and improved quality of life. The report also includes preliminary system design, documentation, analytical models, and design review processes, offering recommendations for the adoption of such structures in both commercial and residential settings.

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ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS DESIGN FOR A SUBURBAN STRUCTURE
By Name
Course
Instructor
Institution
Location
Date

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Executive summary
This report entails the design process of a sustainable building that is best suitable for urban or
residential setup. The chief objective of this design project is to construct an environmentally
friendly building in the suburban locations which have fewer effects on the ecosystem. The
construction of an environmentally conscious building will entail the consideration of various
aspects ranging from the site of selection to the material used for construction. When compared
to the traditional method of building construction, the critical analysis presents a more
sustainable approach towards conserving the environment and its inhabitants. Hence, this paper
recommends the adoption of such structures both commercially and residentially to help in the
conservation of environment (Maldonado, 2014, p. 643).

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Table of contents
1.0 Title page …………………………………………………………………………………1
2.0 Executive summary……………………………………………………………………….2
3.0 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………….4
3.1 Background information………………………………………………………….5
3.2 Objectives………………………………………………………………………....5
3.3 Scope………………………………………………………………………………5
4.0 Problem definition and need identification……………………………………………….5
5.0 Conceptual design………………………………………………………………………...6
5.1 System operation requirement……………………………………………………8
5.2 MEP system……………………………………………………………………….9
5.3 System maintenance………………………………………………………………10
5.4 Technical performance measures …………………………………………………10
5.5 Preliminary system design ………………………………………………………..10
5.6 Documentation…………………………………………………………………….11
5.7 Analytical models …………………………………………………………………11
5.8 Design review……………………………………………………………………...11
6.0 Recommendation and conclusion………………………………………………………….12
7.0 References…………………………………………………………………………………13

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Introduction
There is an increasingly high demand for green buildings particularly for the commercial and
residential constructions and this kind of need calls for a more thoughtful universal
consciousness geared towards the environmental sustainability. The green structures despite
having a shorter lifetime as compared to the traditional buildings, they significantly offer a
greater reduction in the utility costs and bills. Hence, the economic condition will certainly
favour this kind of need.
In 1998, the United States green building council designed a rating system known as LEED
which is the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design that basically provides regulations
for attaining a sustainable green structure (Norimoto Kashino, 2008, p. 747).
Among other features comprising the regulations are construction materials selection, energy
sources and site selection. Thus, the aim of this project is to come up with a design that takes into
account various environmentally conscious methods as defined by the LEED standard. The
building is an assumed one-story home having seven rooms, two full bathrooms, and a two-car
garage and employs new technology and practices to meet the minimum certification by LEED
standards for green design (Buch, 2006, p. 868).
A fire protection system will also be developed and implemented within the design. In 2007,
there were 399,000 house structure fires in the United States. The fires caused 2,865 deaths and
$7.4 billion in property damage. Due to these high statistics of fire losses, the International Code
Council members unanimously passed a motion of implementing residential fire sprinkler
requirements for all new homes. Thus, this project will not only entail the design of a safer home
by providing sprinklers but also prove its sustainability in any type of building (Thomas, 2006, p.
985).

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Background
The need for constructing environmentally conscious building has resulted in the change of
various design and construction aspects to favour the compliance of sustainability. For instance,
a green design incorporates the environmental impacts generated by construction materials, the
lifetime of the products, and the waste that is generated during the whole process of construction.
The basis for the construction of the green buildings is the layout, framing and the cost
(Santamouris, 2013, p. 635).
Objectives
The main goal of this project is to come up with an environmentally conscious building that is
more sustainable and cost effective than the conventional traditional one. Additionally, there is
need to make the earth more sustainable by avoiding the disruptions of the natural resources
within it (Graham, 2009, p. 342).
Moreover, an aim of this project is to reduce the overall expense of energy usage and creation of
a positive impact on the environment.
Scope
The scope of this project is to design an environmentally conscious building that is sustainable as
compared to the traditional buildings. It also includes a fire protection gadget that lowers the
risks of accidents arising from fire faults (Goncalves, 2010, p. 322).
Problem Definition and Need Identification
With the rise in the universal environmental and economic standards, there is a need for coming
up with structures which are environmentally conscious. Sooner, the earth will be unsustainable
such that over the years, certain resources that normally occur naturally and required by the

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human for survival shall get depleted hence there is need to make the earth more sustainable by
avoiding the disruptions of the natural resources within it. Disruption of natural resources results
in the overall impacts on both the environment and the wildlife.
Below are some of the factors which will be taken care of when environmentally conscious
buildings are put into place (Moubray, 2009, p. 535).
Environmental Benefits:
 Reduction in wastage of water
 Conservation natural resources i.e. water, air
 Improved quality of natural resources i.e. air, water
 Safeguarding of plant and animal life
Economic Benefits:
 Minimized operating costs
 Improved human output and health
 Creation of market for green products and services
Social Benefits:
 Improved quality of human life
 Reduced stress on indigenous infrastructure
 Improved human health and productivity
Conceptual system design

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This is a pre-life cycle activity which is potentially projected to address a suitable solution to a
specific problem identified. It involves the design of a system which offers a prior basis and also
introducing the primary planning and assessment of various high-tech methodologies with the
aim of proper implementation the system. A system is designed with various sub-systems,
components and attributes that are technically integrated to provide a sustainable and an
environmentally conscious state (Alexander Kossiakoff, 2012, p. 532).
System Operational Requirements
The materials required for the construction of a green building can be manmade or obtained
naturally. They include tiles, pipe, glass windows, wood studs, polyvinyl chloride and sheets of
plywood (Wolter J. Fabrycky, 2008, p. 552).
Timber
Timber is renewable and available naturally and most preferred due to its strength and reduced
cost. There are various wood types such as girders, plywood, joists and studs .wood can be made
into structural insulated panels SIPs which are best suited for the green building since they are
very versatile thus providing room for expansion and the presence of the insulating material in
between the wooden boards which provide greater thermal protection. In the end, they help to
reduce the rate of energy consumption (Benjamin S. Blanchard, 2013, p. 524).
Enclosure
Protection of various elements is aided by roofing’s, windows, framings, insulation and the
doors. The windows are made of double paned glass to allow natural light and air to pass through
thereby promoting environmental conscious. This is dictated by the insulating glass material,
solar orientation, frame and the glass spacers. The double paned windows mean that there are
two panes of glasses separated by air which acts as a buffer by keeping the house cooler during

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summer and warmer in winter seasons. The air used is inert which provides a lower thermal
conductivity.
Concrete
Concrete is a mixture of water, cement and aggregate and is used during the setting up of
foundations, paved surfaces and the columns. However, for the green building, a coal fly ash is
used instead of the cement since the later requires a high amount of energy to produce.
Additionally, the coal fly ash provides an environmental advantage by preventing landslides
hence environmental conscious (Fred K. Geitner, 2008, p. 522).
MEP systems
 Electrical systems
Most home appliances generally rely on electricity for their operation. Conventionally, the main
way of generating electricity is by burning coal which lowers the level of fossil fuel and also
emits carbon into the atmosphere thereby promoting …. The green building will utilize carbon
free means of electricity generation and specifically the solar energy which involves the tapping
of the solar radiation by means of solar panels and converting them into electrical energy.
The energy is taped in a direct current form and then converted into an ac form by the aid of
inverters which makes them possible to be used by the appliances. Since solar energy may
sometimes fluctuate, there is a provision for storage of the direct current electricity by the help of
batteries (Frank A. Tillman, 2012, p. 323).
 Fire protection system
The risk of fire accidents is common in every part of the states and according to NFPA, in 2007,
residential fires took place after every 79 seconds. Thus a need to suppress these accidents

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before spreading further is of great significance. Thus a residential fire sprinkler systems will be
connected to the green building. This system has a deflector which has the potential of spraying
water to large distances. These fire sprinkler systems are ideal for green structures since they
detect the possibility of fire outbreaks earlier thereby preventing the emission of carbon into the
atmosphere and thus promoting environmental conscious. Below is the diagram for the sprinkler
 Plumbing systems
The plumbing systems are geared towards conserving both water and money. A grey water
system that involves a connection from the sinks, showers, washing machines and dishwashers is
utilized in the flushing system or irrigation. According to American Water Works Association,
toilets consume 44% of the residential water annually, hence installing the grey water will help
conserve the amount of water usage.
Nonetheless, the application of a polypropylene pipe which does not emit toxins into the water
will greatly promote environmental conscious (Oliver, 2011, p. 161).
There is also the installation of the solar water heater which utilizes the solar radiation to heat up
water and not relying on the electrical heating. It is comparatively cheaper and requires little
maintenance. Below is its configuration

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The project is intended to operate in any kind of environment both commercially and
residentially by providing a safe and effective work atmosphere acquiescent with all significant
and relevant safety standards and regulations and also focuses on conservation of the ecosystem.
System Maintenance and Support
Any product or system requires maintenance so as to prolong its lifetime and ensure
sustainability. The various maintenance practices that may be included for the green building
includes regular painting and replacement of worn out items such as washers.
Technical Performance Measures
These refer to the quantitative processes which define the various measures of a system. They
may include reliability and maintainability technical measures which also determines the correct
attributes of a system. The above technical measures influence the conceptual design of a project.
(Buch, 2006, p. 854).
Preliminary System Design

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The preliminary design has a direct influence on the final developed project. It is a prototype
which undergoes various tests to ensure that it saves time and also correct various faults that may
arise with the main design project. Various computational tools and software’s are applied to
ensure there is reduced risks of failures with the final system (Fred K. Geitner, 2008, p. 775).
Documentation
The documentation of this project is dependent on the software which assures appropriate quality
control checks and is created in Adobe Acrobat Professional and availed electronically. Various
tools and software including Microsoft Word, Project, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and Achi-
CAD. Achi-CAD PID and Adobe Acrobat Professional are used to develop the reports and the
presentations. These software’s provide a 3-dimensional outlook of the design (Frank A.
Tillman, 2012, p. 976).
Analytical Models and Modeling
The evaluation of the design process is key to every project. This evaluation process is aided by
certain models and methodologies. For instance, the evaluation of the green building is made
possible through the use of mathematical and analytical methods and tools which are compilable
with a macro-CAD OBJECTIVE. These mathematical models provide major advantages. Several
considerations are made based on the system application. For instance operational
considerations, support and logistical considerations, and finally recycling and disposal
considerations. Further, they compare and contrast various possibilities which help to obtain the
relationship between dissimilar structures (Alexander Kossiakoff, 2012, p. 853).
Design Review and Feedback

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A design review and feedback is necessary for any corrections that may arise due to inaccuracies
or alterations .the review process will greatly give a reflection on the performance of the design.
At this particular stage, the commencing of the project is determined and initiated.
Recommendation and Conclusion
The designing of a system and its practical implementation requires different aspects and phases
which it has to pass through for it to be successful. An organized planning and thorough analysis
of various components and their characteristics at the initial stages will thus help to alleviate any
impulsive modification in the future. Similarly, the efficiency and performance are only
optimized when a dedicated teamwork that entails a majority of personnel, technicians,
stakeholders and effective communication is ensured.
In conclusion, the project is highly designed and its execution is practical and sophisticated. The
need to protect the environment and its constituents in a cheaper and sustainable way is of great
significance and should be of priority otherwise the earth will soon be unsustainable (Graham,
2009, p. 554).

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References
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Benjamin S. Blanchard, W. J. F., 2013. Systems Engineering and Analysis. 2nd ed. Westminister:
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Southern Gulf Islands. 4th ed. Columbia: Islands Trust,
Frank A. Tillman, D. T. C., 2012. A Professional's Guide to Decision Science and Problem
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