Friday, October 14, 2016

Sustainable Neighborhoods and Communities

A sustainable community is simply as a neighborhood, town, or city that finds their own ways to use their resources as efficient as possible. Not only do sustainable cities help reduce environmental stress, but cities with strong government support for green practices will see money pumped into smaller communities, improving the educational system and walkability aspect in one fell swoop. Individual contributions to sustainability are great for home value, but communities that engage on a more comprehensive level will see sustainable efforts improve individual and neighborhood circumstances. We also have to take a stand on where we have communities where families, schools, neighborhoods, and workplaces minimize biologically and socially toxic events, richly reinforce social behavior, and  foster psychological acceptance. Such interventions also have the potential to make neighborhoods more sustainable. If you’re looking to embrace modern housing trends, fostering a sustainable neighborhood should be one of your priorities.

Rainfall Collection

Rainwater harvesting is the gathering, or accumulating and storing, of rainwater for small irrigation and a way to increase ground water levels. The benefits of implementing the rainwater harvesting system is that it reduces water supply, and reduces run-off, erosion, and contamination of surface water.The best thing about rainwater is that it is free from pollutants as well as salts, minerals, and other natural and man-made contaminants. In areas where there is excess rainfall, the surplus rainwater can be used recharge ground water through artificial recharge techniques. The water can essentially be used for fire defense, landscaping, wildlife and livestock, used in residential homes. According to the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension service, rain water is calculated by:
-Catchment area (ft2)
-Collection efficiency (%)
-Initial tank volume (gal)
-Tank size (gal)
-Plant water use coeff.
-Irrigated area (ft2)
-Monthly indoor demand (gal)
-Average monthly rainfall (in.)
-Average PET (in.)
-AC condensate (gal)


To calculate rain water collection, here is a link to the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension service calculator: http://rainwaterharvesting.tamu.edu/files/2011/08/AgriLife-Ext-RWH-Calculator.xlsx

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Sustainable Building Diagram

Here is an example of a sustainable section diagram on an Energy Efficient Home that I did my sophomore year in design III.