Appalachian Mountain Club Highland Lodge and Education Center Crawford Notch North Conway, NH

Location:

Located on 26 acres of AMC-owned land bordering the White Mountain National Forest, and just minutes from Crawford Notch State Park in New Hampshire.

Architect: Carlone Dick LaFleche Architects

Over View:

The Highland Center is a model of how education, environmental principals, and outdoor recreation can work in harmony. Completed in 2003, the Highland Center is the area's newest all-season lodge, and offers a broad range of accommodations, educational programs, and access to a variety of outdoor activities. The Highland Center is an ideal starting point for day hikes, paddling, cross-country skiing, snowshoe treks, and longer backcountry trips in the White Mountains.

Structural System:

• Steel frame is 95 percent recycled steel fabricated 45 miles from the site• Dining room timber framing from a pier in Oregon• Crushed existing asphalt used on new parking lot and roadway

Mechanical System:

• Biomass central boiler by Garn• Heat recovery boilers and water heaters• Two biodiesel backup boilers• Low- fl ow toilets in Highland Lodge

• Composting toilets in Thayer Hall and railroad depot

Materials:

• Insulspan structural insulated panels (SIPs) on roof and walls• Nu- Wool cellulose wall insulation at Thayer Hall• Triple- glazed low- emissivity (low- E) fiberglass windows• Thermally broken aluminum entry doors• Polyurethane foam sealant on doors and windows• Mineral wood sound bats• 89 percent recycled content carpeting by Shaw• Coated steel standing seam roofing by Integris• Low volatile organic compound (low- VOC) paint in guest rooms• Gypsum wall board, 95 percent recycle content

SUSTAINABLE FEATURES IMPLEMENTED IN THE PROJECT:

ANALYSIS/HOW CAN WE ADOPT THESE FEATURES OF THE CASE STUDY W.R.T OUR CLIMATE.

Highland Lodge has 61⁄2-inch wall and 81⁄2-inch roof wrap of panelized insulation and triple- glazed fiberglass single hungWindows.

Triple glazed windows are appropriate to use in Pakistan due to its extreme warm climate. As we can see here New homes and new commercial buildings are featuring larger and larger glass areas. While spectacular, they can be uncomfortable. Cost may be 5% more than Double Glazing but 80% less radiation heat transfer between glass and room from triple glazed windows.

Roof wrap panelized isulation incorporate structure, and possibly the interior and exterior finish materials

Minimal risk of moisture problems Durable with at least a 50-year life. Potential for incorporation of factory-installed solar systems into the

panel Lowest possible costs

A centralized Garn biomass boiler, which cleanly burns locally harvested cord wood,scraps, and pallets, is the heart of the hot water in the multiple building heating system.

Garn Biomass Boiler is a flexible heating systemIt can be practical in Pakistan’s Northern Areas as it Generates heat and hot Water. The system is designed for temperatures around thirty degrees F below zero, fitting for cold winters.It is designed to be heated entirely with renewable wood harvested on the site and burned in a Garn storage boiler.

The ventilation system is designed to maximizefresh air intake,

The ventilation system incorporates both natural ventilation and an air-handling unit. Ventilation is major issue in Pakistan especially in warm regions like Lahore , Karachi.

All interior finishes contain no volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

These kinds of solutions are very easy and effective means of creating building sustainable. In our region we can use terracotta paving tiles for exterior available in light colors. Tuff tiles and concrete pavers are also locally available in many colors.

Efficient building lighting augments good daylighting, which is achieved through a shallow building depth,inteior windows, and an east–west orientation. .

This technique is highly recommendable for our climate. Light is the major crises found in our country now a days so Day lighting is needed to be maximize in order to have energy efficient building but the location of

windows in a building, must be designed in such a way as to avoid the admittance of direct sun on task surfaces or into occupants’ eyes. 

The complex uses state- of-the art septic and nitrogen removal systems.

It helps homeowners, farmers and municipalities pay for ways to reduce the excess nitrogen polluting the sea. All new and replacement septic systems in environmentally critical areas (defined as 1,000 feet from tidal waters) must include nitrogen removing technology. Department of Environment would cover the cost of replacing a failing septic system with one that includes nitrogen removal technology. This is unaware technology in Pakistan. Regions including water areas could implement this technology.

wood is a locally produced fuel; thus, both transportationcosts and the transportation- related use of fossil fuels are reduced

Using local materials and natural resources helps in reducing transportations expenditures. This practice should be implemented in Pakistan in order to be more sustainable. Usage of local materials is sustainable and environmental friendly. This practice can solve many issues faced in Pakistan.

Construction waste from demolition, construction, and land clearing was diverted by means of recycling.The total project materials and products were made from recycled contents materials.

During the process of designing the building and selecting the building materials, we should look for ways to use materials that can themselves be recycled. This preserves the energy embodied in their manufacture.

Steel and timber can easily be easily recycled. Concrete can be crushed

And used as aggregate in new pours. We should get people aware of reusing existing buildings material and infrastructure.

Wood using sustainably harvested wood, in concert with replanting trees in a managed forestry operation, moves toward carbon neutral energy production as opposed to adding to CO2 levels utilizing fossil fuels.

Local material for achieving sustainability is always preferable. We need to use indigenous materials such as mud, brick, in response to climate and indigenous building tradition. 

Choose materials with a lifespan equivalent to the projected life of the building. Its to be said consuming and Producing natural Resources in sustainable way.

The Carriage House restoration transformed a decaying 11,400- square- foot, timber- frame carriage house into an energy efficient, light- filled, multiuse building.

The idea of Restoration is very vague and needed to be highly implemented

The Practice of Biomass Boiler in the Project:

There are a number of reasons why a biomass boiler is appropriate for the Appalachian Mountain Club. First, using sustainably harvested wood, in concert with replanting trees in a managed forestry operation, moves toward carbon neutral energy production as opposed to adding to CO2 levels utilizing fossil fuels. Second, in New Hampshire, wood is a locally produced fuel; thus, both transportation costs and the transportation- related use of fossil fuels are reduced. The initiative is dedicated to addressing regional economic and ecological needs through outdoor recreation, resource protection, sustainable forestry, and community partnerships. Specifically, it develops markets for sustainably harvested forestry products. Finally, the biomass boiler is a practical, dependable, and proven sustainable energy technology. The Highland Center heating plant is a nonpressuized, energy storing wood- burning boiler called a Garn boiler. The combustion chamber, which can burn split wood and logs as well as scrap wood, is sealed and surrounded by a nonpressuized jacket of water that is heated and distributed to heat exchangers in the various buildings it serves.

Conclusions:

In this Project new technique is being introduced which can be implemented in our cold regions where there is heating issues.Biomass Boiler can be used in the location, given the area’s high snowfall, high wind, and low winter temperatures.

The incorporation of specific sustainable design practices, including day lighting, locally accessible construction methods and materials, minimal impermeable site development of the project which gives building its own identity.

It sets a standard for others to actually learn from the development and implementation of the sustainable means efficiently. Keeping the environment in view it achieves maximum building’s energy performance. We should try to build projects that set to its surrounding and environment through sustainable measures. The central concern should be on controlling the climate by natural means.

Sustainable building is a financially, health, and most importantly environmentally responsible idea that more people need to adopt. Many building materials and renewable energy sources are easily available which suits our environment.  Through educating, making environmentally products more readily accessible and reliable, and by providing government incentives it is possible to encourage more people to adopt sustainable building and all of the benefits that come along with it.

Case Study:

APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINCLUB, HIGHLAND LODGEAND EDUCATION CENTERCRAWFORD NOTCH, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Submitted By:Sadaf Raja.Roll # 19M.Arch