Water Cycle

ARC-452 DESIGN VI: INTEGRATION

A5 ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEM

BURGENER SIMON

YANGCHUAN SUN

Table of Content

• Overview

• Protect and Conserve Water

• Sustainable Drainage System

• Green Roof

• Green Wall

• Rain Garden

• Bioswales

• Reference

OVERVIEW --- SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

Building construction and operations can have extensive direct and indirect impacts on

the environment, society, and economy, which are commonly referred to as the 3 P's

('People', 'Planet', 'Pocketbook'). The field of sustainable design seeks to balance the needs

of these areas by using an integrated approach to create win-win-win design solutions.

Buildings use resources (energy, water, raw materials, and etc.), generate waste

(occupant, construction and demolition), and emit potentially harmful atmospheric

emissions. Building owners, designers, and builders face a unique challenge to meet

demands for new and renovated facilities that are accessible, secure, healthy, and productive

while minimizing their impact on society, the environment, and the economy. Ideally,

building designs should result in net positive benefits to all three areas.

PROTECT AND CONSERVE WATER

In many parts of the country, fresh water is an increasingly scarce resource. A

sustainable building should use water efficiently, and reuse or recycle water for on-site use,

when feasible. The effort to bring drinkable water to our household faucets consumes

enormous energy resources in pumping, transport, and treatment. Often potentially toxic

chemicals are used to make water potable. The environmental and financial costs of sewage

treatment are significant.

One component of these water conservation measures, amongst many others, is to use

rainwater and greywater (water from sinks, baths and showers), as a source of water to

reduce the use of, or reliance upon, the mains water supply.

SUSTAINABLE DRAINAGE SYSTEM

A sustainable drainage system (SuDS) is designed to reduce the potential impact of new

and existing developments with respect to surface water drainage discharges.

By mimicking natural drainage regimes, SuDS aim to reduce surface water flooding,

improve water quality and enhance the amenity and biodiversity value of the environment.

SuDS achieve this by lowering flow rates, increasing water storage capacity and reducing

the transport of pollution to the water environment.

SUSTAINABLE DRAINAGE SYSTEM

You can use the following SUDS techniques:

• Green roofs / walls

• Permeable surfaces

• Infiltration trenches filter drains and filter strips

• Swales - shallow drainage channels

• Detention basins, purpose built ponds and wetlands

GREEN ROOF

Green roof system is an extension of the existing roof which involves a high quality

water proofing and root repellant system, a drainage system, filter cloth, a lightweight

growing medium and plants.

Green roofs can contribute to landfill diversion by:

• Prolonging the life of waterproofing membranes, reducing associated waste

• The use of recycled materials in the growing medium

• Prolonging the service life of heating, ventilation, and HVAC systems through

decreased use

GREEN ROOF

Increasing biodiversity can positively affect three realms:

1. Ecosystem: Diverse ecosystems are better able to maintain high levels of productivity during periods of environmental variation than those with fewer species

2. Economic: Stabilized ecosystems ensure the delivery of ecological goods (e.g. food, construction materials, and medicinal plants) and services (e.g. maintain hydrological cycles, cleanse water and air, and store and cycle nutrients)

3. Social: Visual and environmental diversity can have positive impacts on community and psychological well-being

GREEN WALL

The term "green walls" encompasses all forms of

vegetated wall surfaces. However, there are three major

system categories that fall under this term's rubric: green

façades, living walls, and retaining living walls.

Research shows that living walls reduce the amount

of water that drains into the sewer system, as the plants

consume some of the rainwater and also absorb and

evaporate water. Because showers are becoming heavier

all around the world due to climate change, reducing the

burden on sewer systems is a major advantage.

GREEN WALL

Onsite Wastewater Treatment

• Several water-recycling systems can be

applied to green walls. These systems pump

grey water through a green wall, which then

passes through filters, gravel, and marine

plants.

• Treated water is then sent to a grey water

holding tank for household or irrigation use or

released into the public water treatment system

(Shirley-Smith 2006). Some of these systems

also collect storm water, which is filtered for

household use or irrigation purposes.

RAIN GARDEN

A rain garden is a shallow, constructed depression that is planted with deep-rooted native

plants & grasses. It is located in your landscape to receive runoff from hard surfaces such as

a roof, a sidewalk and a driveway. Rain gardens slow down the rush of water from these

hard surfaces, holds the water for a short period of time and allows it to naturally infiltrate

into the ground.

RAIN GARDEN

A rain garden can mimic the natural

absorption and pollutant removal activities

of a forest, or a meadow or a prairie and

can absorb runoff more efficiently,

sometimes as much as 30% - 40% more

then a standard lawn. Capturing rainwater

in a rain garden, holding the water for a

short time and then slowly releasing it into

the soil can reduce the rush of a large

storm – quickly, neatly and naturally.

BIOSWALES

Bioswales are storm water runoff conveyance

systems that provide an alternative to storm sewers.

They can absorb low flows or carry runoff from heavy

rains to storm sewer inlets or directly to surface waters.

Bioswales improve water quality by infiltrating the first

flush of storm water runoff and filtering the large storm

flows they convey. The majority of annual precipitation

comes from frequent, small rain events. Much of the

value of bioswales comes from infiltrating and filtering

nearly all of this water.

BIOSWALES

On Site benefits:

• protects sensitive areas

• protects local and regional water quality

by reducing sediment and nutrient loads

• reduces stream bank and channel erosion

by reducing the frequent surges/bounces of

higher flows from storm sewer discharges

• reduces frequent high and low flows

associated with surface runoff, stabilizing

stream flow volumes by restoring ground

water discharges into receiving waters Valley Hi / North Laguna Library

2011 Energy efficiency integration awards competition

Reference

http://www.greenroofs.org/

http://www.raingardennetwork.com/benefits.htm

http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs144p2_029251.pdfThe Urban Water Cycle

http://grhc.sclivelearningcenter.com/

http://www.wbdg.org/design/sustainable.php

http://web.stanford.edu/group/narratives/classes/08-09/CEE215/Projects/greendorm/water/GraywaterCD/greywater/pr80.pdf

http://wedgwoodcc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Rain-Garden-diagram.gif

http://content.yardmap.org/wp-content/blogs.dir/6/files/2011/12/RainGardenDiagram1.jpg

http://www.greenroofs.com/archives/images/energy-GRS_Day2_TMobile_1.gif

http://blogs.dctc.edu/architectural-technology/files/2011/12/future_living-a-570x510.jpg

http://www.sbdawards.com/submit/projImages/02_vhl_bioswales.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_Drainage_System

http://www.bgs.ac.uk/suds/

http://www.netregs.org.uk/library_of_topics/water/sustainable_urban_drain_system/what_are_suds.aspx