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Solarpunk Urbanism
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A community to discuss solarpunk and other new and alternative urbanisms that seek to break away from our currently ecologically destructive urbanisms.
- Henri Lefebvre, The Right to the City — In brief, the right to the city is the right to the production of a city. The labor of a worker is the source of most of the value of a commodity that is expropriated by the owner. The worker, therefore, has a right to benefit from that value denied to them. In the same way, the urban citizen produces and reproduces the city through their own daily actions. However, the the city is expropriated from the urbanite by the rich and the state. The right to the city is therefore the right to appropriate the city by and for those who make and remake it.
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The rest of the world is building subways like crazy. The U.S. has pretty much given up
(www.fastcompany.com)
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Greenery on walls can reduce a buildings heat loss by 30%, improve air quality, help absorb sounds, and can even reduce a cities temperature, so it is no wonder so many places are considering them.
Here are two options I think are interesting:
Vertical Meadows:
There is a bit of a terminology game here. Verticals gardens are sometimes found in wealthy office buildings, but they do nothing for local eco-systems and are often non-local tropical varieties of plants. Even for those found outside, the plants are often picked for appearance alone, instead of what would help local biodiversity.
In comparison, vertical meadows have a different goal. Vertical meadows (started in London, England) are outdoor vertical greenery walls that uses locally-grown native and seasonal plants, ensuring year-round options for wildlife like pollinators and birds.
The main problem with these setups is that they tend to require watering systems, which (even if rainwater collection is installed) can be rather costly.
More Info:
Moss Walls:
Companies like Respyre use upcycled bioreceptive concrete and a moss coating encourage moss-growth on any vertical surface without risk of damaging the buildings. Other companies(such as Green City Solutions) grow panels of moss, which can then be installed like tiles.
Due to moss being so inexpensive to incorporate, it is becoming a popular option.
For added benefits, moss is drought tolerant to a point, and can absorb 6x more C02 than other plants. Moss is basically a living filter, and can even filter arsenic out of water.
More info:
- https://youtu.be/cE02cQIVSAs
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tYG3MepUu0
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tYG3MepUu0
However, moss can be hard to grow commercially(mostly due to the fact that they release spores instead of seeds), so many of the mosses people buy, especially those used for craft supplies, are illegally poached from the wild. If a little is left behind, moss typically can regenerate, but many harvesters simply roll up huge blankets of moss, leaving nothing behind. It is estimated that the mosses can take 10-20 years to grow back.
So, please research where the moss is sourced if you plan on buying any. If the company does not grow it themselves or does not mention where they source it, do not buy any.
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Have you ever wondered why so many large chain stores have two sets of doors? No, it is not just to store shopping carts.
Where I live, any home that is around 100 years old (that hasn't seen any renovations) will very likely have two front doors. Putting it simply, you open one door, step into a small space, and there will be another door in front of you.
(Image Sources: Image 1 | Image 2)
The space goes by many names, including: arctic entry, mud room, breeze room, vestibule, airlock, foyer, and more. For sake of simplicity, I am going to call them "entry vestibules."
Entry vestibules create a buffer between the outside and the inside of the building, preventing drafts. This can help greatly with temperature regulation in both the winter cold and summer heat. I can't find number details on energy saving, but the fact that large chains still build them may hint of their importance for money-saving.
In homes, this space also typically serves as the mud room ( a place for shoes and jackets).
In the name of "first impressions," and open concept designs, vestibules are often the first thing to go during renovations, and I think that's a real shame.
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“How do you cool a building without air conditioning? Using an approach called biomimicry, see how architect Mick Pearce harnessed the ingenuity of termites to design a natural cooling system for the largest commercial building in Zimbabwe.”
Using the technology inspired by a termite mound, The Eastgate Centre in central Harare, Zimbabwe uses up to 35% less energy than other buildings.
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Have you ever heard the saying “it takes a village to raise a child?” Well, where I live, most people do not know the name of their next door neighbor.
This isolation can cause loneliness, but it is more than that. Having a community is helping people do jobs they can’t, it's lending tools, it's teaching someone something their parents never taught them, and more.
Luckily, there is a solution that is becoming common in both co-housing and eco-villages around the world. They utilize common areas or community centers, as well as outdoor spaces(such as courtyards or rooftop gardens). While you still have your private home with your own kitchen, you also have these spaces which are open to everyone.
Here are some ideas you might see in these common spaces:
- Indoor play area. In some, the retired senior citizens who like to keep busy volunteer to watch children in these areas while parents are at work.
- Dining room big enough to fit every person who lives there and guests.
- Community Kitchen. People take turns cooking, or they have occasional dinners together.
- Private office spaces (for work-from-home workers who still want to be around people).
- Tiny libraries.
- Outdoor play area.
- Outdoor sitting spaces.
- Community gardens and/or a greenhouse.
More Ideas:
- Window awnings which utilize passive solar, so the sun is blocked in the summer but not the winter
- A central courtyard for passive cooling. Examples: Skywells (China), Tsubo-niwa (Japan). Thevenin @beehaw.org adds that a retractable cover of some kind might be important to protect from wind pressure.
- Better insulation for better temperature control, and sound proofing.
- Bird-safe windows
- Rainwater collection for watering plants (or, the more expensive option: for piping into toilets)
- White roofs for cooling in hot climates, dark roofs for warming in cold climates
Recommended Video:
What else would improve apartment buildings?
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Prior to when electricity became common place, people were looking for other ways to make life easier. One of these inventions, the solar water heater, came in 1760, and boomed with popularity in the 1900’s for warm areas.
“In 1891, Clarence Kemp released the first ‘Climax’ solar water heater in Baltimore. He placed several water-filled iron elliptical tubes inside the box in series with cold water entering one side and warm water exiting from the other end. Multiple tubes avoided warm and cold-water being in close proximity, thus avoiding adverse heat exchanges.” PassiveHousePlus
These early models did have faults (such as heat lost, and poor resistance to frost, but continued to improve and build with popularity over time.
Eventually, for a complex number of reasons, solar water heaters disappeared and gas and electric took the show.
Today, this tech is making a comeback, though with modern touches.
Videos with More Info:
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((Note: this is post of mine from a different site that is about a year old, but thought I would share it here too in case it helps anyone))
Old technology is once again getting attention, and this time it’s air-conditioners made out of terracotta clay.
“She was inspired by the Palestinian Jara, a traditional clay water container that is hung from the ceiling to cool water and cool the air. Specifically, the water contained in the hollow internal structure moves outward through the porous clay walls. With the heat of the air, it evaporates and is transformed into water vapor. This reaction absorbs heat from the surrounding air, cooling the water, the material itself and consequently the air in the room.” Forbes India In regards to Yael Issacharov.
There are two unrelated people currently being mentioned for promoting their designs using this technology; Monish Siripurapu(from India), and Yael Issacharov(from Israel).
Monish Siripurapu’s design is based off a beehive and uses a small pump to create a beautiful water fountain that both cools the air and can be used for gardening.
Yael Issacharov’s design uses no electricity, and instead relies on the naturally porous nature of the clay.
For dry and hot climates, this old technology could provide cooler air at an affordable price. The clay is readily available almost entirely world-wide, making it accessible and inexpensive.
"The humid clay traps some heat the air and the surrounding air gets cooled down to around 6-10⁰ C due to the process of evaporative cooling.“ EcoIdeaz in regards to Monish Siripurapu
Videos with more info:
Based on this information, I am wondering if a terracotta pot and a fan would have the same effect for a small room. Here's a drawing of mine to help explain what I mean:
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^ (Image Source) ^
It is no secret that white reflects heat, and that is true for your roof as well. In fact, many hot climates around the world have been utilizing this knowledge for centuries.
“The darker the surface, the more the heating. Fresh asphalt reflects only 4 percent of sunlight compared to as much as 25 percent for natural grassland and up to 90 percent for a white surface such as fresh snow.” Yale
Other places have also started catching on. For example, even in 2012 in the USA, volunteers started painting tar roofs white in New York. However, this is not something trending everywhere. Some places are accustomed to dark colored roofs, so even in hot climates, they are slow to change.
This change will of course be easier in places where flat roofs are more common and ready to paint, but slanted roofs have options too.
For example, metal roofing is more environmentally friendly than shingles(100% recyclable), is more durable, and can last longer. What is more, the reflective properties of the metal can also help cool your homes. Some are now even made to look like tiles.
^(Image Source)^
There are other (more expensive) options as well, such as painted terracotta.
However, if these are not your style, solar panels on your roof may also reflect heat, so you could generate some power while you stay cooler.
“Solar panels “cool daytime temperatures in a way similar to increasing albedo via white roofs,” according to a study by scientists at the University of New South Wales. ”Yale
If you live somewhere cooler, I do not suggest a white roof, since the white can raise winter heating bills.
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This video by Technology Connections talks about how window awnings can greatly help cool your home.
Another thing I want to add is that window awnings can protect windows. We get pretty big hail here, and (wood or aluminum) awnings can save your window glass. I have also heard of “Clamshell Awnings” which are on hinges, so you can remove the poles and lower the awning to cover and protect windows in extreme weather.
Lastly, here are some old window awning ads for your entertainment (from Wikimedia commons)
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