DIGI-12.2023
What would an aesthetic of building energy exchange look like?
Why do we conceal the way climate-technology works in our buildings in the first place?
How can an aesthetic of climate and energy interaction inform design and the architect’s agency in larger issues involving the current climate crisis?
Over the course of the semester we were asked to fabricate a design loop, in a group, that responds to how water changes and moves. Our final design for this charette involved a melting block of ice being captured and guided into a beaker sitting over a hot plate. The captured water was then distilled and condensed, collected in a water tray and forced upwards with a CPU water cooler pump where the process would restart.
From this exercise we then began creating systems that would translate more literally throughout a building. The four energy loops that were to be incorporated were as follows: energy, water, diet and exercise.
Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Lick Run Community Center is onthe Lick Run Greenway, a watershed project that manages rain and sewage.Programming for this community center includes a greenhouse, industrial kitchen, farmers market, short course olympic competition pool, basketball court, 100m running track, open workout, locker rooms, bike storage, public auditorium, reception and parking.
The three major components of this building:
1. Water redistribution from greenhouse to hydronic radiated flooring
2. Passive ventilation
3. Native gardening
The Lick Run Community Center is a place where health is not only defined by the diet and exercise of an individual but also the community body. This space is meant to be a gathering space that encourages activity during all season.