The Harvard Center for Green Buildings and Cities (CGBC) has completed the retrofitting of its 4,600-sf headquarters in Cambridge, Mass., built in 1924, into a living laboratory called HouseZero, whose design is driven by ambitious performance targets that include nearly zero energy use for heating and cooling, zero electrical lighting during the day, operating with 100% natural ventilation, and producing zero carbon emissions.
Snohetta was this project’s chief architect, and Skanska Teknikk Norway its lead energy engineer.
A prototype, HouseZero has been set up to address a chronic problem within the built environment: inefficient existing structures. The building inventory in the U.S. is estimated to account for 40% of the country’s energy consumption, with 25% of that usage attributed to housing alone. The annual costs of residential energy consumption are enormous: $230 billion for heating, cooling and powering the nation’s 113.6 million households.
CGBC, at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, has embedded hundreds of sensors connected by several miles of wiring within each component of HouseZero, from which it will draw data points that inform its researchers about the building’s behaviors. These data will be the basis of computational simulations for fuel research that could help the Center develop new systems and algorithms that promote energy efficiency, health, and sustainability.
The goal of HouseZero is to create a blueprint for reducing energy demands and increasing cost savings for property owners. “HouseZero challenged us to rethink the conventions of building design and operation to enhance lifelong efficiency and quality of life for occupants,” says Ali Malkawi, founding director of CGBC, and creator and leader of the HouseZero project.
An example of this rethinking is natural ventilation that is controlled by a window actuation system that employs sophisticated software and sensors arrays to automatically open and close windows to maintain a quality internal environment throughout the year. The building itself will strive for best possible comfort. However, Malkawi notes, a window can always be opened manually to ensure individual comfort.
HouseZero’s third floor features a flexible, highly-controlled and monitored experimental space—dubbed the LiveLab—that’s hardwired to the building’s energy exchange system. The space will allow for the testing, swapping, and optimization of new technologies. An immediate goal is to beta test new technologies that can eventually replace the building’s ground source heat pump for peak conditions.
HouseZero is naturally ventilated, and designed to use only natural lighting during the daytime hours. Image: Michael Grimm
The building will also be used to research how structures connect with and respond to its natural environment. Its envelope and materials were designed to interact with the seasons and the exterior environment. The building, according to CGBC, will adjust itself to reach thermal comfort for its occupants.
HouseZero will achieve zero net energy with the help of a rooftop PV array that provides renewable electrical energy for the heat pump as well as for energy required by user equipment. A battery system is employed for night time use and low-sun conditions.
To meet proposed emission cuts of the Paris agreement, HouseZero will offset the hidden emissions generated throughout the building’s anticipated 60-year life cycle, from the fabrication and transport of building materials and construction processes, to maintenance and decommissioning.
The rest of the renovation team on this project included Columbia Construction (CM), Silman Associates (SE), BR+A (MEP/FP/lighting), Bristol Engineering (CE), WindowMaster (BAS/Controls/Natural Ventilation systems), Brekke & Strand Akustikk (acoustrics), Jensen Hughes (code and accessibility consultant), Haley & Aldrich (geotechnical engineer), Syska Hennessy (vertical transportation), Kalin Associates (specifications), Siemens Building Technologies (security systems), Solect Energy (photovoltaic systems), Reed Hilderbrand (landscape architect), Harvard Planning and Project Management; CSL Consulting (project management), and Harvard Graduate School of Design (operations support).
Related Stories
Green | Dec 9, 2022
Reaching carbon neutrality in building portfolios ranks high for organizations
Reaching carbon neutrality with their building portfolios ranks high in importance among sustainability goals for organizations responding to a Honeywell/Reuters survey of senior executives at 187 large, multinational corporations. Nearly nine in 10 respondents (87%) say that achieving carbon neutrality in their building portfolio is either extremely (58%) or somewhat (29%) important in relation to their overall ESG goals. Only 4% of respondents called it unimportant.
Green | Dec 9, 2022
Newly formed Net Zero Built Environment Council aims to decarbonize the built world
Global management consulting firm McKinsey recently launched the Net Zero Built Environment Council, a cross-sector coalition of industry stakeholders aiming to decarbonize the built world. The council’s chief goal is to collaboratively create new pathways to cut greenhouse gas emissions from buildings.
Office Buildings | Dec 6, 2022
‘Chicago’s healthiest office tower’ achieves LEED Gold, WELL Platinum, and WiredScore Platinum
Goettsch Partners (GP) recently completed 320 South Canal, billed as “Chicago’s healthiest office tower,” according to the architecture firm. Located across the street from Chicago Union Station and close to major expressways, the 51-story tower totals 1,740,000 sf. It includes a conference center, fitness center, restaurant, to-go market, branch bank, and a cocktail lounge in an adjacent structure, as well as parking for 324 cars/electric vehicles and 114 bicycles.
Energy Efficiency | Dec 6, 2022
Washington state’s Building Code Council mandates heat pumps in all new residential construction
The Washington State Building Code Council has voted to require heat pumps for all new residential construction starting in July 2023. The new mandate has drawn criticism over concerns that it will add costs to housing construction, especially given current supply chain challenges for heat pumps.
Geothermal Technology | Dec 6, 2022
Google spinoff uses pay-as-you-go business model to spur growth in geothermal systems
Dandelion Energy is turning to a pay-as-you-go plan similar to rooftop solar panel leasing to help property owners afford geothermal heat pump systems.
75 Top Building Products | Nov 30, 2022
75 top building products for 2022
Each year, the Building Design+Construction editorial team evaluates the vast universe of new and updated products, materials, and systems for the U.S. building design and construction market. The best-of-the-best products make up our annual 75 Top Products report.
Legislation | Nov 23, 2022
7 ways the Inflation Reduction Act will impact the building sector
HOK’s Anica Landreneau and Stephanie Miller and Smart Surfaces Coalition’s Greg Kats reveal multiple ways the IRA will benefit the built environment.
Green | Nov 13, 2022
NREL report: Using photovoltaic modules with longer lifetimes is a better option than recycling
A new report from the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) says PV module lifetime extensions should be prioritized over closed-loop recycling to reduce demand for new materials.
Green | Nov 13, 2022
Global building emissions reached record levels in 2021
Carbon-dioxide emissions from building construction and operations hit an all-time high in 2021, according to the most recent data compiled by the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction.
Wood | Nov 1, 2022
A European manufacturer says its engineered wood products can store carbon for decades
Metsä Wood, a Finland-based manufacturer of engineered wood products, says its sustainable, material-efficient products can store carbon for decades, helping to combat climate change.
