Vital Design:
Our Ecological Design Process.

The aim of Vital Design at Solearth is to compose our projects as ‘vital’ systems; buildings and communities that are in tune with the planet’s natural energy material and feedback systems.

For now that means buildings that are healthy, delightful, self-powering, and self-cleansing ie creating projects that are in eco-balance.

In the future we see that this will mean buildings that will actually perform as net benefactors of nature in that they will produce more energy, cultivate more food, and harvest more water than they (and their inhabitants) use, building ‘systems’ that will clean the air and water that passes through them (and more besides), that are self maintaining and self repairing. This ecological architecture would be of benefit to nature during it’s life and on being assimilated back to the bio-sphere afterwards i.e it would be eco-beneficial. In this way buildings and human action may not just avoid doing harm to the planet but may actually be able to regenerate and repair nature. This is a cradle to cradle vision.

We see the (vital) building or community as a system modelled on living systems in nature. As such it has three parts: Lifeware- the sum of the biological aspects of the system, Hardware- the physical facilities, buildings, and infrastructure and Software- which represents the human aspects of a building or community. The aim, in our research, briefing, designing and construction, is always to compose these aspects into a system that is, at once benign (or beneficial) to nature, delightful to people and that is economically efficient and operates as a subtle teacher.

Lifeware –Nature (Ecological Sustainability)
All Living systems in nature are part of a complex fit. Organisms fit their host habitat, and ecosystems fit their biome. The complex interaction, of energy, nutrient, water, light and the constant transferring and transforming of these by living entities, from microscopic algae to large mammals, fungus to forest, plant play a crucial role in keeping the bio-region, eco-system and the site healthy and beneficial to nature and humans.

In Solearth the beginning of the Vital Design process is to study the site to discover it’s elements (the features, fixtures and flows of it as a place):

• what is there ? - flora, fauna, archaeology, heritage, water, air and sunlight patterns.


• what wants to be there ?


• what is fragile or robust about the site and it’s elements ?,


• what is it’s capacity for change ?


• what are it’s ecological opportunities ?


• where should new works and structures be located ?

We rely on our own experience and knowledge, the co-operation of specialist experts in various fields and local knowledge, as well as both desk research and intensive site investigation to inform this process. Using this knowledge we then ask ourselves how should the site’s elements be treated and interlaced with the new project so that the new and the existing combine to create a sustainable and delightful whole, enhancing and protecting habitats, the energy availability, water cycles, and waste assimilation capacity, of the site.
Lifeware is based on tuning the energy flows of the building to the spontaneous flow of energy from the sun on which all living systems derive their energy.

Hardware -Structure (Physical Sustainability)
Living systems in nature of course have a physicality. Their form is a direct outcome of trial and error experiments over millennia to arrive at a composition that makes the most optimum use of their materials and that is organised so as to efficiently utilise the energy and nutrient flows passing through them. In Vital Design we approach the design of the physical structures themselves by optimising:

Materials and Construction Method:
We select materials that ‘fit’ the local climate. High humidity is often the most challenging micro-climate aspect to address in Ireland. In this context materials that slow the flow of vapour through walls, and absorb excess humidity during periods of high humidity are favoured (‘hygroscopic’ materials). We draw from a material palette that combines the best of ancient skills and traditions with the most suitable modern and engineered building products, to create a building that is fit for purpose, healthy and environmentally light. Usually we prefer to use local and low energy (but durable) materials drawn from the bio-region and often use recycled or salvaged materials composed in the new building to be attractive and durable. Another aim is to have the building itself be recyclable in a 75 to 100 year horizon.

Energy:
We endeavour to use the energy opportunities from the site- the ambient energy of nature available on, over and under the site. Solar-, geo- or even hydro-thermal power can be harnessed for heat. Solar thermal energy can meet most hot water needs, while geo-thermal heat and wind power is often possible, as are renewable bio-energy approaches such as willow coppice and mini waste-to-energy systems. Photovoltaic panels can produce electrical power from sunlight and can be integrated into the building’s skin. Another aspect of designing for low energy is to minimise the demand for heat and power by super-insulating the building as well as by tuning the building to the passive solar energy coming from outside and by designing out unwanted heat gains in larger buildings.

Daylight and Health:
We also attempt to tune the building to the daylight available on the site. We design the window shape and the internal architecture of the spaces to admit the most beneficial quantity and quality of natural light. This is important in making the building uplifting and pleasant, while of course also saving lighting energy. Solearth’s partners are both building biologists and design to create buildings that improve the occupants health. This aspect is best addressed by considering the heating and ventilation aspects as architecturally challenges- the creation of comfortable conditions by using the building’s fabric itself as a radiant surface (mimicking the sun’s warmth), by integrating passive cooling forms where possible, and by sourcing and specifying only inert and safe finishes and healthful electrics.

Water:
We design to collect rainwater from the roof of the building and the site, and work with our services consultants to create waterworks within the building that use water as many times as possible while being exhaustive in our care for health and safety. This will often involve, rainwater harvesting, greywater collection, heat recovery from water and on site (or even in-building) treatment and re-use of greywater in WCs. Water can be designed into the building’s architecture to help moisten the air (for comfort) and into outside ponds for storage, light reflection and attenuation.

Waste:
We also design to minimise waste in construction and are particularly interested in integrating the most advanced recycling and composting facilities into the system.

Considering the buildings architectural composition in these nature-mimicking ways allows us generate forms that, as in nature, are a direct response to Nature’s flows and forces.

Software -Culture (Social and Financial Sustainability).
Any living system needs a sentience or management dimension, animals rely on instinct, while plants use the information coded in their DNA, to reproduce, adapt and thrive in their ecosystems. Human created systems must also have awareness, feedback and management.

Management:
We work with the client and users to identify a suitable brief, budget and consultation strategy to inform the design. Later we contribute to the development of management plans to make optimum benefit of the building’s ecological aspects throughout its life.

Costs and Funding
The greening of a building will not, if done in an anticipatory way, necessarily imply a substantially higher budget building. Nevertheless crucial extra investment at the capital stage of a building can reduce or design out many running costs from energy, refuse and water charges to healthcare costs- even maintenance costs can be reduced. In some cases the building can actually generate income from it’s energy installations. In many projects a proportion of the green costs may be covered by grants, others will pay for themselves within a short time.
Following the living systems model described above allows us consider the human side of our projects with genuine empathy for our clients and project users.

Vital Design
At Solearth we see ourselves as being both highly professional in representing our duties - to our client (to achieve an on-budget professionally realized building) - and to the environment (in designing to ecological precepts). We back this up by guaranteeing that we are highly knowledgeable on all aspects of ecological design and sustainability in architecture, by remaining current with advances in our profession and by identifying grants to support, and savings to justify, any innovations and extra investments required.
Ultimately we strive to create places that are healthy, delightful and good for the planet.