©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

The Eco Block

University of CaliforniaBerkeley

China Sustainable Neighborhood Project

Connected Urban Development Global ConferenceAmsterdamSeptember 24, 2008

©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

At current growth rates, the built area of China will double within 25 years.

China is building 11 million new ‘Superblock’ housing units each year tomeet this rate of growth.

©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

Gated Communities in ChinaCurrent development patterns (both urban and suburban) are dominated by gated “Superblocks” with arterial roads, at .5 - 1 km intervals.

This development model is highly efficient at providing urban housing, but creates many negative unintended consequences.

©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

Mass-replicated SuperBlocks place significant demands on China’s infrastructure.

power plant

landfill

sewage

potable water

SuperBlock traffic

©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

To reduce demand on China’s infrastructure and natural resources, Superblocks must become self-sufficient with respect to energy, water, and waste.

energy

water

EcoBlock

waste

©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

Goals:• Mass replicable

• Economically viable

• Resource self- sufficient (water, waste, energy)

• 100% wastewater recycled on site

• 85% reduced potable water demand

• 100% on site renewable energy generation

• Encourage journeys by foot, bicycle and transit

• 40-60% site area to be green space

The EcoBlock: Project Visualization

©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

Desired City Characteristics

©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

High-level of pedestrian accessibility and connectivity

Dedicated off-street

paths

Primary Sidewalks

Secondary Sidewalks

BRT StationBRT Station 10 min. walk5 min. walk

Transit -Oriented Development

©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

600600

600

600

600600

1200

300

EcoBlock Prototype: Program Details

EcoBlock• 600 units per EcoBlock• Eco-block = 3.5 hectares • 1,800 residents per

EcoBlock• 171 units per hectare

Prototype Site• EcoBlock replicated 8

times• 5,100 units at the Qingdao

site• Increased density near

transit

©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

Energy Demand Reduction Strategies

Building shading

Daylighting

High performance glazing

Reflective pavement

Natural Ventilation

Shaded walkwaysEnergy efficient equipment

Passive solar heating

Shared

Efficient lighting

©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

Creating a Sustainable Supply of Energy

Canopy integrated photovoltaics

Roof mounted photovoltaics

Building integrated wind turbines

Anaerobic Digester

©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

1,400,000

1,600,000

Net

Ann

ual E

nerg

y fro

m G

ridpe

r Eco

Blo

ck (B

uild

ings

Onl

y) k

Wh/

year

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Reducing Reliance on Grid Based Energy

Conservation and Efficiency On-Site Generation

100% residual energy demand met by on-site renewables

Optimized facade

Natural ventilation

Daylighting

Efficient equipment & lighting

Passive heating

Photovoltaics

Wind turbines

Digester

©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

Reducing Demand for Potable Water

Recycled water for irrigationXeriscaping Low flow equipment Low flow equipment

©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

Alternative Sources of Water Supply

Constructed wetlands

Porous pavingRain gardens

15% of potable water supply from off-site

Rainwater storage

Reverse Osmosis Chlorination and UV treatment

Rainwater Harvesting

Gray water treatment

Swales

Wastewater Treatment

©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

AdvancedTreatment to

Potable Standard

AdvancedTreatmen

Tertiary Treatmen

Rainwate

Water Efficien

Baseline Developme

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

Wat

er D

eman

d fr

om

Grid

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

85% savings on potable water demand overall

Reducing Reliance on the Grid

Conservation and Efficiency On-Site Treatment

©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

Whole Systems Design: Integrated systems that are mutually beneficial

©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

A Smart EcoBlock

Opportunities for ICT Collaboration with the EcoBlock:

• Integrate designs for “the fourth utility” from the outset

• Provide a digital ‘nervous system’

• Provide technologies to help influence residents’ behavior

How to Make Whole Systems Design Successful?

©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

A smart grid needs to collect:• The right information

• At the right time

• Deliver it to the right people

• In the right way

In other words, utility systems and appliances need to be able to:• Communicate with each other

• Communicate with operators

• Communicate with external information providers

Digital Nervous System for the EcoBlock

©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

appliances / load shifting

digester

photovoltaics

wastewater treatment

grid

wind turbines

Digital Nervous System: Communicate with Each Other

©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

maintenance

quality control and alarmsbilling

trend analysis / planning

Digital Nervous System: Communication with Operators

©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

Digital Nervous System: Communicate with Information Providers

Weather data

Real time transit info

Voice, data, TV

©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

Smart panels encourage:• Load shifting

• Energy and water consumption reduction

• Increased transit use

Technologies to influence sustainable behavior

©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

The Bottom Line

Delta between business-as-usual and EcoBlock:

• Sustainability initiatives are estimated to increase cost of development by 5%-10%.

• 10 year IRRs range from 2% for Base Case Scenario to 6% for a Double Utility Rate Scenario (an increase of 7.5% annually for 10 years) to 10% for Private Operator and Energy Import and Export Scenarios.

• Payback periods range from 10 years for Base Case Scenario to 9 years for a Double Utility Rate scenario (an increase 7.5% annually for 10 years) to 7 years for Private Operator and Energy Import and Export Scenarios.

• While an added cost, ICT systems are cost effective and not prohibitively expensive.

©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

Eco Block Cost / Benefit Redistribution Model

Who owns, operates and maintains the neighborhood infrastructure?

Primary Land Developer and Secondary Builders• Incremental investment on ‘eco’ infrastructure for district

• Incremental management / operation cost

• Incremental investment on ‘eco’ infrastructure for buildings

Government • Reduced need on infrastructure investment

• Financial subsidy

Users• Reduced fees payable on utilities and services to Government

• Finance operation and pay back investment

©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

1,422 people 12,087 people

Reduced number of people drinking polluted water

Reduced volumes of waste to landfill or urban dumps

Reduced volume of untreated sewage discharged to rivers

Reduced CO2 emissions to the atmosphere

90 million liters

415 tons

1,404 tons

765 million liters

3,500 tons

11,934 tons

ECOBLOCK ECO-SITE

©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

13 Drinking-water plants

11 Wastewater treatment plants

9 Coal fired power stations

8 Ledu County landfill

$9 Billion

If 25% of Superblocks built in the next year were replaced with EcoBlocks, China could save:

$

12 SuperBlocks are built every day in China

©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

Why China?

The World’s Worst and Best Hope

BUT…….

• With its top-down and bottom-up political system, China can change its development practices almost overnight.

• With a few successful models of whole-systems sustainable development, China could leap-frog away from a reliance on centralized infrastructure, reducing environmental degradation, leading the world to a more sustainable future.

China now leads the world in CO2 emission (<30%) and is among the worst environmental polluters.

©2007 by the Regents of the University of California The EcoBlock Harrison Fraker, FAIA Professor College of Environmental Design, UC Berkeley

The EcoBlockA model for sustainable development throughout the world