22/02/2012

LEED Platinum orphanage in Haiti

HOK Architects HOK Architects has partnered with the U.S. Green Building Council to rebuild a Haitian orphanage devastated by the magnitude 7.0 earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010. HOK’s goal for the project was to create a facility with net zero water and waste. Using biomimicry, HOK and the USGBC are striving to meet requirements for LEED Platinum certification.
Haiti orphanage ( Foto: HOK Architects)
The Project Haiti Orphanage and Children's Center will be built with sustainability in mind and will “tell many of these children for the first time in their lives they are valued, they deserve to breathe clean air, they have the right to live in comfort, and they are cared about,” according to the USGBC. The Project Haiti Orphanage and Children's Center was inspired by the Haitian Kapok tree, which has a low-emissivity, heat-dispersing "second skin"; the center's unique deep-set balcony system was modeled after the Kapok tree's branching support system. The Kapok’s roots are represented by the facility’s below-grade area, which will clean and store water. The unique closed-loop system collects, treats, and stores water on site, providing clean water for residents and staff. The biodigester, which recycles nutrients from waste into biogas for cooking, will also be in the below-grade area. HOK utilized passive design principles to plan a facility that will consider the surrounding climate to maximize comfort while minimizing energy use. The facility’s power will be generated separately from the rest of the city, which will help increase independence and reduce the orphanage’s reliance on Port-Au-Prince’s often unreliable power grid. The excess energy will be used for street lighting and public charging stations. In addition to environmental considerations, security was a critical factor in the facility’s design. Areas within the facility will have limited access for various groups – public, semi-private, and private. A designated “safe zone” will provide additional protection in the event of a natural disaster. The project is a part of the Project Haiti Initiative, a relief effort to help those whose lives were impacted by the earthquake and help to rebuild Haiti’s infrastructure. Sources: U.S. Green Building Council, Buldipedia