1. Read the reading 1 on ‘BedZED’, list all sustainability building feature.
2. Do you agree ‘BedZED’ can solve the global warm and the fossil fuel crisis? Can we classify this type of design as sustainability building? Describe your answer in detail.

The Architecture of Hope

With global populations rising, and with half of us living in ever-larger cities, is there any hope of maintaining a decent quality of life, while reducing our consumption of land, energy, and other resources? Green designers, architects, and builders-who com-bine artful design with clever strategies to conserve resources might have the answer. Architects and urban designers are not where most of us would look first to resolve our environmental dilemmas, but they are providing some of the best new ideas for improving our cities, our environment, and our quality of life, all at the same time.

One of the most exciting recent Green architecture projects is BedZED, short for the Beddington Zero Energy Development. Built on the grounds of an old sewage plant in South London, BedZED's green strategies begin with recycling the ground on which it stands. Designed by architect Bill Dunster and his colleagues, the complex demonstrates dozens of energy-saving and water-saving ideas (lig. 22.1). BedZED has been occupied, and winning awards, since it was completed in 2003.

Most of BedZED's innovations involve the clever combination of simple, even conventional ideas. Expansive, south-lacing triple glazed windows provide abundant light, minimize the use of electric lamps, and provide passive solar heat in winter. Thick, superinsu-lated walls store solar energy and reduce heat loss. Rotating "wind cowls on roofs turn to catch fresh breezes, which cool spaces in summer. In winter, heat exchangers use the heat of stale, outgoing air to warm fresh. incoming air. Energy used in space heating is nearly eliminated. Building materials are recycled, reclaimed, or renewable, which reduces the "embodied energy" invested in producing and transporting them.

BedZED does use energy. but the complex generates its own heat and electricity in a small, on-sile, superefficient plant that uses local tree trimmings for fuel. Thus BedZED uses no fossil fuels, and it is "carbon-neutral" because the carbon dioxide released from burning wood was recently captured from the air by trees. In addition, photovoltaic cells on roofs provide enough free energy to power 40 solar cars. These small energy sources are sufficient because the sile has so much energy efficiency built into its design. Fuel bills for BedZED residents can be as littie as 10 percent of what other Londoners pay for similar-sized homes.

Water-efficient appliances and toilets reduce water use. Rainwater collection systems provide "groen water for watering gardens, flushing toilets, and other nonconsumptive uses. Reed-bed filtration systems purity used water without chemicals. Water meters allow residents to see how much water they use, and just knowing about water use encourages conservation. Residents use about half as much water as other Londonors.

BedZED residents can save money and time by not using, or even owning, a car. Office space is available on-site, so some residents can walk to work, and the commuter rail station is just a ten minute walk away. The site is also linked to regional bicycle routes to encourage bicycle commuting. Car pools-groups that share ownership of several cars, in which users pay according to mileage driven-save pool mombers about £1.500 per year (nearly $3.000 U.S) compared to conventional car ownership. Car pools also reduce the amount of space needed for parking in BedZED.

BedZED is designed for humane, healthy lifestyles and community Interiors are flooded with natural light, ceilings are high, and most residences have rool gardens to grow their own food. which incidentally provide extra insulation. Community events encourage a sense of ownership and help people to know their neighbors The approximately 100 housing units are designed for a range of income levels, and child care facilities, sops, and entertainment facilities are available. Prices are lower than many similar-sized London homes-and few others in the city have abundant sunlight and private roof gardens.

Based on BedZED's success, larger projects are being developed in London and other cities in the United Kingdom Architect Dunster argues that BedZED-ke structures on cleaned up brownfields, at similar densities, could provide all of the 3 million homes that the U.K. expects to need in the next decade, with no sacrifice of open space. And as green building techniques. designs, and materials become standard, he argues they will cost no more than conventional, energy-wasting structures.

Does eco-living necessitate a lower quality of life? Dunster points out that for most people, quality of life is already degraded: An average American spends the equivalent of 11 40-hour work weeks per year driving to and from a suburban home, and commuting is a major source of stress. While average home sizes have doubled in 40 years, the cost of energy to heat, cool, and light those homes are climbing steadily. Many middle income households meet their rent and fuel bills with difficulty. With so many hours spent behind the wheel, we ruin our health, spend too little time with our families, and lose touch with our communities. BedZED designers insist that we can expect better than this, for ourselves, our cities, and our environment.