Wednesday, February 9th, 2011

The Lawrence Tech team of Ryland Phelps, Amy Schwerdtfeger Keyser and Carolyn Lamb won first place in the Integrated Design category of the 2010 student design competition held by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). The three students accepted their awards and exhibited their project poster at the ASHRAE winter meeting held in Las Vegas in January.

ASHRAE challenged student teams to create an integrated sustainable building design (ISBD) for the Ginsburg Tower, a 15-story patient tower, at Florida Hospital in Orlando, Fla.

In the last seven years, Lawrence Tech students have taken awards in ASHRAE’s international competition six times.

The students participated in a Sustainable Design Studio taught by Associate Professor and Interim Department Chair Dan Faoro during the spring 2010 semester, during which time they designed a 320,000-square-foot addition to an existing hospital in Orlando, Fla.

“I have never worked in a group that was so cohesive or driven to produce the best work possible,” Lamb said. “Even at four in the morning, after little sleep the whole week, we still loved working on this project and the building we designed.”

In an effort to minimize energy utilization, provide alternative energy supply and maximize water conservation, the students aimed for USGBC’S LEED 2.2 Platinum level recognition while creating a significant work of architecture for the enjoyment and service needs of patients, staff and visitors.

They also used the proposed draft of LEED for health care and the new Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings, ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Standard 189.1-2009 for guidance in meeting their goals.

The proposal responded to patterns of energy use and resource usage based on case studies of high-performance buildings, climatic analysis, and data of building types in the Florida climate zone. Reduction of air conditioning demand was achieved through an efficient building form, optimum building orientation, and appropriate insulation selection and placement.

Special shading devices on the west-facing elevations reduce the effects of solar radiation and overheating while simultaneously producing energy. They incorporate recyclable fabric, solar evacuated tubes and photovoltaic (PV) panels.

The building’s design is augmented by efficient pond-assisted geothermal heat pumps, direct outdoor air supply (DOAS), and off-peak-produced ice storage to support lower cost electrical cooling. The winning project utilizes a modular plan to systemize design of spaces and building systems and takes advantage of amenities including preferred views to the east and pedestrian connections to the lake.

Additionally, circulation corridors serve as thermal buffers on the west-facing exposed surfaces to reduce overheating during the afternoon periods.

The structure responds to site and context issues by employing materials and proportions based on the pre-existing building, as the structure was reduced in mass and height to mimic the building to the north.

The hospital design was influenced by current research in evidence-based design (EBD) concepts.

Class advisors Rick Hall, Anne Bernardini, and Kevin Myshock provided support by sharing the latest in the design of heath care facilities. Lawrence Tech Assistant Professor Anirban Adhya shared his research in space syntax studies and its application to way-finding concepts in hospital space planning and circulation.

The students enhanced their skills in using REVIT software under the guidance of Adjunct Professor Kim Lapinski. The computer models were produced using the whole building energy analysis software, Green Building Studio®.

John P. Cole, PE,  of Albert Kahn Associates, a past president of the Detroit chapter of ASHRAE, provided assistance to the class in selecting energy efficient HVAC systems for hospitals.  Associate Professor Janice Means, project co-advisor, coached students on integrating the HVAC and alternative energy systems into the building design.

Professionals, educators, and members of the Lawrence Tech Center for Sustainability participated as jurors for the various project teams prior to the submission of the projects to the regional and international competition and assisted in the quarterly and final reviews. Jurors included Professor Will Allen, Associate Professor Edward Orlowski, LEED® AP, and Adjunct Professors Kevin Myshock, AIA, Anne Bernardini, RA, and Rick Hall, FAIA, of Harley Ellis Devereaux.

Associate Professor Janice Means and Filza Walters, director of the architectural engineering program at Lawrence Tech, serve as co-faculty advisors for the Lawrence Tech student ASHRAE branch.

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