©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley
The Eco Block
University of CaliforniaBerkeley
China Sustainable Neighborhood Project
Connected Urban Development Global ConferenceAmsterdamSeptember 24, 2008
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley
At current growth rates, the built area of China will double within 25 years.
China is building 11 million new ‘Superblock’ housing units each year tomeet this rate of growth.
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley
Gated Communities in ChinaCurrent development patterns (both urban and suburban) are dominated by gated “Superblocks” with arterial roads, at .5 - 1 km intervals.
This development model is highly efficient at providing urban housing, but creates many negative unintended consequences.
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley
Mass-replicated SuperBlocks place significant demands on China’s infrastructure.
power plant
landfill
sewage
potable water
SuperBlock traffic
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley
To reduce demand on China’s infrastructure and natural resources, Superblocks must become self-sufficient with respect to energy, water, and waste.
energy
water
EcoBlock
waste
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley
Goals:• Mass replicable
• Economically viable
• Resource self- sufficient (water, waste, energy)
• 100% wastewater recycled on site
• 85% reduced potable water demand
• 100% on site renewable energy generation
• Encourage journeys by foot, bicycle and transit
• 40-60% site area to be green space
The EcoBlock: Project Visualization
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley
Desired City Characteristics
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley
High-level of pedestrian accessibility and connectivity
Dedicated off-street
paths
Primary Sidewalks
Secondary Sidewalks
BRT StationBRT Station 10 min. walk5 min. walk
Transit -Oriented Development
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley
600600
600
600
600600
1200
300
EcoBlock Prototype: Program Details
EcoBlock• 600 units per EcoBlock• Eco-block = 3.5 hectares • 1,800 residents per
EcoBlock• 171 units per hectare
Prototype Site• EcoBlock replicated 8
times• 5,100 units at the Qingdao
site• Increased density near
transit
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley
Energy Demand Reduction Strategies
Building shading
Daylighting
High performance glazing
Reflective pavement
Natural Ventilation
Shaded walkwaysEnergy efficient equipment
Passive solar heating
Shared
Efficient lighting
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley
Creating a Sustainable Supply of Energy
Canopy integrated photovoltaics
Roof mounted photovoltaics
Building integrated wind turbines
Anaerobic Digester
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley
0
200,000
400,000
600,000
800,000
1,000,000
1,200,000
1,400,000
1,600,000
Net
Ann
ual E
nerg
y fro
m G
ridpe
r Eco
Blo
ck (B
uild
ings
Onl
y) k
Wh/
year
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Reducing Reliance on Grid Based Energy
Conservation and Efficiency On-Site Generation
100% residual energy demand met by on-site renewables
Optimized facade
Natural ventilation
Daylighting
Efficient equipment & lighting
Passive heating
Photovoltaics
Wind turbines
Digester
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley
Reducing Demand for Potable Water
Recycled water for irrigationXeriscaping Low flow equipment Low flow equipment
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley
Alternative Sources of Water Supply
Constructed wetlands
Porous pavingRain gardens
15% of potable water supply from off-site
Rainwater storage
Reverse Osmosis Chlorination and UV treatment
Rainwater Harvesting
Gray water treatment
Swales
Wastewater Treatment
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley
AdvancedTreatment to
Potable Standard
AdvancedTreatmen
Tertiary Treatmen
Rainwate
Water Efficien
Baseline Developme
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
Wat
er D
eman
d fr
om
Grid
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
85% savings on potable water demand overall
Reducing Reliance on the Grid
Conservation and Efficiency On-Site Treatment
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley
Whole Systems Design: Integrated systems that are mutually beneficial
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley
A Smart EcoBlock
Opportunities for ICT Collaboration with the EcoBlock:
• Integrate designs for “the fourth utility” from the outset
• Provide a digital ‘nervous system’
• Provide technologies to help influence residents’ behavior
How to Make Whole Systems Design Successful?
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley
A smart grid needs to collect:• The right information
• At the right time
• Deliver it to the right people
• In the right way
In other words, utility systems and appliances need to be able to:• Communicate with each other
• Communicate with operators
• Communicate with external information providers
Digital Nervous System for the EcoBlock
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley
appliances / load shifting
digester
photovoltaics
wastewater treatment
grid
wind turbines
Digital Nervous System: Communicate with Each Other
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley
maintenance
quality control and alarmsbilling
trend analysis / planning
Digital Nervous System: Communication with Operators
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley
Digital Nervous System: Communicate with Information Providers
Weather data
Real time transit info
Voice, data, TV
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley
Smart panels encourage:• Load shifting
• Energy and water consumption reduction
• Increased transit use
Technologies to influence sustainable behavior
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley
The Bottom Line
Delta between business-as-usual and EcoBlock:
• Sustainability initiatives are estimated to increase cost of development by 5%-10%.
• 10 year IRRs range from 2% for Base Case Scenario to 6% for a Double Utility Rate Scenario (an increase of 7.5% annually for 10 years) to 10% for Private Operator and Energy Import and Export Scenarios.
• Payback periods range from 10 years for Base Case Scenario to 9 years for a Double Utility Rate scenario (an increase 7.5% annually for 10 years) to 7 years for Private Operator and Energy Import and Export Scenarios.
• While an added cost, ICT systems are cost effective and not prohibitively expensive.
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley
Eco Block Cost / Benefit Redistribution Model
Who owns, operates and maintains the neighborhood infrastructure?
Primary Land Developer and Secondary Builders• Incremental investment on ‘eco’ infrastructure for district
• Incremental management / operation cost
• Incremental investment on ‘eco’ infrastructure for buildings
Government • Reduced need on infrastructure investment
• Financial subsidy
Users• Reduced fees payable on utilities and services to Government
• Finance operation and pay back investment
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley
1,422 people 12,087 people
Reduced number of people drinking polluted water
Reduced volumes of waste to landfill or urban dumps
Reduced volume of untreated sewage discharged to rivers
Reduced CO2 emissions to the atmosphere
90 million liters
415 tons
1,404 tons
765 million liters
3,500 tons
11,934 tons
ECOBLOCK ECO-SITE
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley
13 Drinking-water plants
11 Wastewater treatment plants
9 Coal fired power stations
8 Ledu County landfill
$9 Billion
If 25% of Superblocks built in the next year were replaced with EcoBlocks, China could save:
$
12 SuperBlocks are built every day in China
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley
Why China?
The World’s Worst and Best Hope
BUT…….
• With its top-down and bottom-up political system, China can change its development practices almost overnight.
• With a few successful models of whole-systems sustainable development, China could leap-frog away from a reliance on centralized infrastructure, reducing environmental degradation, leading the world to a more sustainable future.
China now leads the world in CO2 emission (<30%) and is among the worst environmental polluters.
©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley
The EcoBlockA model for sustainable development throughout the world