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Abstract
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Despite many advantages may be offered including architectural expertise in the design and
delivery of industrial buildings and power plants, in recent times it has generally been excluded
from this process, probably because of the lack of clearly defined roles for architecture to play
in the formulation of these, typically complex and technical, buildings. As population densi-
ties increase, growing numbers of Waste-to-Energy (WtE) plants may be needed to cope with
mounting volumes of waste, particularly in urban areas. The two-year investigation on WtE by
the Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design: “Architecture and Waste: A(Re)Planned
Obsolescence” (2017), offers guidelines and tools allowing designers, the public and other ma-
jor stakeholders to reconsider the role of architecture in the design of industrial facilities and
demonstrate that architects’ contributions can be crucial to integrating WtE plants within their
context and counteracting negative public perceptions of such facilities. This paper provides a
detailed account of the development and application of these design tools to waste to energy
architectural projects.
Keywords
Waste to Energy, Industrial Typology, Associative Modelling, Parametric Design
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ban context, thus potentially strengthening the Associative modelling and design are a matur-
case for WtE plants in denser areas. ing area of exploration in architecture and are be-
Through our research and survey of existing pro- ing adopted widely by the professional field. These
jects at the WtE Design Lab, we found that in the tools and processes are often used to support the
rare occasions when an architect is involved in design of technically complex building types such as
these types of projects, their role can often be re- high rises or are also used to reverse engineer com-
duced to the scope of designing the envelope and plex forms for buildability. However, there are no
they are rarely involved with the interior organiza- known precedents of associative models developed
tion of these plants. We believe that this is partially specifically for the architectural design of waste to
due to a lack of tools and design handbooks/litera- energy facilities and the development of the first
ture that allows architects to engage with the tech- example of such tools by the WtE lab is the subject
nical complexity of the equipment associated with of this paper.
these buildings. The aims of this paper are to provide an account of
While several parallel lines of inquiry were pursued how this novel associative modelling tool for the de-
within the WtE Design Lab, this paper will specifi- sign of waste to energy facilities was developed.
cally cover the lab’s development of associative dig- The paper outlines the considerations, methods
ital models that are intended to operate as design and aims for the tool as well as reflections on its ef-
aids and tools for designers in the elaboration of ficacy in application.
waste to energy facilities. The research process included opportunities to track
The development of associative models1 for use in and evaluate the application of the tool in a few ac-
parametric or associative design can help to allevi- tual design processes. The paper will describe these
ate this technical hurdle for architects, particularly exercises and reflect on as well as evaluate actual
in the earlier stages of the design process. The tool practical applicability of these tools. Reflections on
has the potential to allow architects to generate the applicability of the associative models will be
other building configurations that allow these facil- framed by considerations on how seamlessly the in-
ities to be better integrated within existing urban or tegration of the tool in the design process was, how
suburban fabrics while still accounting for technical it functioned as a tool for collaboration with other
feasibility. parties involved in the design process (such as engi- 15
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Fig. 3-4 — Thermal Grove, project developed by Michael Clapp and Mike Jonhson at Harvard University, Graduate School of Design under
the supervision of Hanif Kara and Leire Asensio Villoria.
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Fig. 5 — Waste, Reuse, and the PARKspace, project developed by Felipe Oropeza Jr. at Harvard University, Graduate School of Design
16 under the supervision of Hanif Kara and Leire Asensio Villoria.
Kara, Asensio Villoria, Höglund
neers) and its capacity to allow for the development erational integrity of WtE facilities as well as the ca-
of schematic designs of novel WtE facility configu- pacity for real-time evaluation of the measurable
rations while allowing for real-time checks for tech- performance and potential transgression of these
nical feasibility and its effects on wider urban sys- technical limits of different design instantiations.
tems as well as contexts. This project focused on decoding the crucial oper-
ations and internal organization of these types of
Method and Materials plants as well as siting considerations. One consid-
In this paper, we will place specific emphasis on the eration adopted by the team involved the genera-
methods that we developed for integrating data tion of a manual/handbook that indexes each of
and parameters associated with WtE facilities in- the components that form these plants. The WtE
to a computational architectural and urban design Design Lab developed both an inventory of the dif-
generation as well as evaluation process. More spe- ferent components that form these plants, speci-
cifically, this culminated in the development of as- fying their spatial requirements (dimensions, dis-
sociative design models that link digital spatial tance to other components, accessibility and main-
models to parameters and limits that define the op- tenance needs, etc.) describing their function as 17
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well as dimensional and spatial constraints. These WtE plants in a series of urban and rural contexts,
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constraints were integrated into a spatial 3D digi- each of them with their specific population densi-
tal model as modeling limits that would allow archi- ties, urban fabric and thus varying typical urban
tects to test a variety of organizations while check- block sizes. The sites used for this test were Barce-
ing for technical performance in real time. A second lona, Beijing, New York, Boston, Stockholm, Phoenix
equally important consideration was the generation and Preston, CT.
of a tool that would allow to test the viability of dif- A second and third test was conducted in the con-
ferent scenarios for locating such facilities in differ- text of an upper level graduate design studio as well
ent sites (with their associated constraints) also in as a graduate seminar course offered at the Har-
real-time. vard GSD where the associative models as well as a
A parametric framework for design and analysis range of design strategies were handed to a group
was generated by integrating information from the of students to aid them in the development of WtE
inputs and outputs required and generated by these schemes that responded to a number of contexts,
plants as well as the technical handbook that de- two sites in the US, Preston and Bridgeport in CT,
scribes the dimensional and spatial constraints of and two sites in Sweden, Vasteras and Hogdalen
each of the plant’s components2. District in Stockholm.
The WtE Design Lab developed two associative mod- The associative models account for a range of plant
els to help designers test various options to better in- sizes as well as populations densities. The waste
tegrate a WtE plant in a given context. These tools collection catchment area, strength of the energy
were tested in a series of sites with a varying set of network and the diversity of waste delivery trans-
conditions and constraints, allowing us to assess the portation (such as road, train, boat, or ENVAC sys-
effectiveness of the proposed tools, offering insights tems) are greatly impacted by the size and densi-
and findings on their applicability and the extent of ty of the surrounding communities. These metrics
support it offers designers in devising design propos- of communities are also a major consideration for
als for specific WtE buildings. which plant size (physical footprint) and capacity
Within the WtE lab’s design research team, a series will work best.
of design explorations were conducted by using the The associative model developed in the lab ac-
18 associative models to test the implementation of counts both for the district-heating output display-
Kara, Asensio Villoria, Höglund
ing the area that would be served by the plant giv- Associative Model I - Measuring associations be-
en the urban density and programmatic distribution tween waste collection networks with electricity
as well as for the possibility of compensating with and heat distribution systems is possible at the city
a large energy-intensive program some of them al- scale. The waste inputs and energy outputs asso-
ready coded in the model. ciated with various scales of WtE plants are made
Because WtE facilities are much more effective at available to designers and stakeholders in real-time
generating heat than electricity, combined heat and through the associative model developed by the lab.
power (CHP) plants are considered the more efficient The model is constructed to offer users (such as an
and less polluting model rather than electricity pro- architect, city planner, engineer, plant operator) the
ducing boilers alone. In contexts where district-heat- capacity to define a range of inputs (urban density,
ing networks are available, WtE facilities are more desired WtE plant size and the projected programs
cost-effective and efficient sources of energy. to be serviced by the plant) that are then evaluated
When comparing two of the primary sites of study and return outputs such as waste collection catch-
adopted for this design research; Sweden and the ment area, urban area serviced in electricity and
United States, district-heating networks are found heat by the plant, and a datum for the maximum
to be far less prevalent in the US. Locating com- area that could be served by an associated vacuum
plementary programs near the plant is a strategy waste collection system (Fig.6).
that can compensate for this lack of district-heat- The platform used by the WtE Design Lab to devel-
ing networks in the US. Programs such as a large op this associative model is a plugin for the digital
energy-intensive facility like a stadium, hospital, three-dimensional modeling software Rhinoceros
or university could create a more localized heating called Grasshopper with additional customized com-
network and improve the plant’s efficiency. Various ponents scripted in the C# programming language.
forms of district-heating energy systems (usually The associative model is established to relate to a
run on natural gas but also related with local renew- given city’s population density, city fabric, urban
able fuels (Henning and Gabremedhin, 2011; Ulloa, density, parcel size, waste production, as well as
2007) are already located within central business heat and electricity consumption per capita. Howev-
districts, university campuses and medical centers er, it does not factor for geological barriers to district
in the United States. heating, potential losses in electric and heat trans- 19
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Fig. 7 — Scales of WtE Facilities by
Georgios Athanasopoulos and Felix
Raspall Gali, WtE Design Lab.
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mission, land values, transportation costs or house- waste the complex is providing to the plant and how
hold size. much of its energy needs are covered (Fig.8).
A range of existing urban density inputs based on Besides offering the capacity for locating these
model urban areas are already coded as defaults in plants in a variety of urban densities and fabrics, the
the associative model. While the input values are investigation into alternative plant configurations
variable and easily customized by the user, the urban was also framed by an ambition to allow for test-
densities of Barcelona’s Eixample, Beijing’s Ching- ing the feasibility of different WtE building volumes
wenmen, Boston’s Back Bay, Manhattan, Phoenix’s and configurations that may be more suitable for
Glendale, Preston in Conneticut and Södermalm in integration or hybridization with other programs.
Stockholm as well as three industry typical plant siz- This complementary or integrated relationship with
es; small (100,000 to 200,000 tonnes of waste), me- other programs has efficiency, environmental and
dium (300,000 to 400,000 tonnes of waste) and operational benefits while also establishing asso-
large (550,000 to 750,000 tonnes of waste) are es- ciations with these facilities that could potentially
tablished as default input options in the associa- positively address public perception of urban inte-
tive model (Fig.7). A series of programs that could grated industrial buildings.
be served by the plant such as residential, hospitals, More complex scenarios that associate WtE oper-
swimming pools, or malls are also established as de- ations with combinations of different hybrid us-
fault measurable options. This offers the user the es and programs are also integrated as capabilities
ability to measure and test the efficiency and general within the model. Through the associative model,
metrics of different scenarios. For example, one may realistic proposals for a complete WtE program is
investigate how many Empire State Buildings a me- made more accessible to designers while also allow-
dium-sized plant can feed and how that affects the ing for the study of comparatively different scenar-
input and output of the urban grid through the mod- ios to aid in the decision-making process related to
el. Another scenario could be the examination of an identifying optimum or most appropriate plant siz-
existing model such as the Mall of Americas, where es for specific locations and hybridization programs.
the model affords us the ability to see how much Two different notation or diagrammatic systems 21
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are established for representing or visualizing the Offering the user the ability to test different design
input and output data. For the first notation sys- scenarios with ease and allowing for the search of
tem, a planimetric interface is adopted to allow better integration of the plant into a given urban
for the clear visualization of the typical urban fab- context, all the information in the associative model
ric, size of the WtE plant, waste collection catch- can be modified and updated in real time. For exam-
ment area (green), urban area served electricity by ple, the ratios between inputs and outputs of each
the plant (blue), urban area served heat by the plant plant type size are similar, however when adapting
(red), and the potential use of vacuum waste collec- these ratios to different cities, we may see where
tion system (represented by a dashed line). some types may be more optimal than others.
Associative Model II - A second notation system A second associative model was developed to ad-
adopts a systems visualization format that reso- dress the more immediate and tangible spatial and
nates with the Odum diagram, which place the da- formal consequences of organizing the constitu-
ta and information variables into a flow diagram of ents of the WtE plant into different configurations.
associated or relational inputs and outputs. WtE The WtE Design Lab produced this model to allow
plant size as well as the size of other programs for the generation of a variety of possible configu-
served by the plant are linked by lines of varying rations that a WtE plant could adopt, while allowing
thickness that represent that value of the specif- for a real-time evaluation of each organizational in-
ic input and output. One graph visualizes the rela- stantiations technical and economic feasibility. This
tionship between the city and the plant in terms of model accounts for all the components that form
spatial ratios of inputs and outputs while the latter a WtE plant as well as all the constraints attached
22 translates it in a quantitative manner. to them. It allows designers to move components
Fig. 9 — WtE components in typical order by Daniel
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Fig. 8 — Hybrid inputs and outputs by Alkistis Mavroeidi,
WtE Design Lab.
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Fig. 10-17 — WtE associative model network comparisons
by Alkistis Mavroeidi, WtE Design Lab.
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Output and Data Analysis tem. However, in colder climates (such as Boston,
The associative model was used in testing the im- USA), the waste input requirements for heat-
plementation of WtE plant within a series of urban ing consumption surpasses that of the volumes
and rural contexts, each of them with their specific needed for electricity supply and therefore these
population densities, grid systems, urban fabric and two different resources will be distributed at dif-
thus varying typical urban block sizes. ferent effect radii.
Some of the findings from these different explora- For associative model 2: the application explora-
tions are outlined in the following sections, where tions for associative model 2 leverages the capaci-
the design opportunities and efficiencies found to ty for the tool to test different configurations of the
have been offered by the associative models are WtE plant components to arrange varying building
elaborated (Fig 10-18). For the associative model 1: volumes that may better address a diversity of site
• Generally, the input/output ratio is more opti- constraints and conditions. Several design strate-
mal with smaller plants. However, conversely, a gies emerged out of this application process with
dense city benefits from larger-scale plants, as it a range of novel arrangements emerging from the
can produce substantial energy while minimizing negotiation of the requirements of the plant build-
waste transportation costs. ings with strict site limitations, while still retaining
• The effect radius of larger plants generally sur- its technically viability (Fig.19).
passes the size of the city itself in low-density ru-
ral areas (such as Preston). Locating large WtE Boston (Back Bay)
plants in low-density rural areas is often one of A notable urban development, Boston’s Back Bay
the most popular solutions; however, integration follows a pattern of infill and consolidation on re-
in these cases is minimal. The input radii are large claimed land. Unlike the rest of Boston, the Back
while electricity and heating outputs fail to corre- Bay was plotted in a planned grid of narrow streets
spond to an analogous ratio. and sidewalks. Today it is one of the most dense-
• The effectiveness and economic advantage of ly populated areas in Boston, generally consisting of
WtE plants located in areas with the capacity for low- to mid-rise buildings with a relatively small ur-
district heating is significantly higher than ar- ban grain.
eas that cannot support a district heating sys- This scenario is aimed toward reducing the building 29
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footprint and height which was achieved through velopers need to forge creative strategies for devel-
compacting the WtE components to fit and oper- opment.
ate within the limits of a typical urban block in this To achieve flexible integration into the urban con-
neighborhood. The various operations of the plant text, the fragmentation of the components of the
are arranged in a linear but efficient sequence. An WtE plants, if developed strategically can be tech-
effort is made to respect existing parcel boundaries nically feasible. This will enable the location of con-
while maintaining an accessible perimeter for buff- stituents of the facility across a number of different
ering and maintenance purposes (Fig.20). available parcels rather than the potentially difficult
task of consolidating existing properties to house
New York (Manhattan) the full plant building (Fig.22).
Manhattan’s urban fabric is compact with high-
rise development being the common practice. Such Another strategy for the integration of a WtE
dense contextual conditions pose a serious chal- plant within Sodermalm’s urban fabric, developed
lenge for typical industrial applications. through the use of the associative model is achieved
A significant reduction of building footprint by through an exploration of the potential of a conven-
stacking the overall organization of WtE process- tional horizontal assembly of WtE components.
es is required in this application. Proper access and This speculative proposal involves elevating cru-
means of waste delivery to the tipping hall are prin- cial WtE processes and components. This is done
cipal. However, the stacking creates new spatial so that the plant may be accommodated with-
relationships by rethinking the way space, heat, in the city fabric yet allowing for pedestrian ac-
and enclosure can operate dynamically in section cess through the fabric at a scale that currently ex-
(Fig.21). ists. One major challenge with the introduction of
industrial facilities in urban contexts is associat-
Stockholm (Södermalm) ed with the large and blank nature of these typolo-
Södermalm, a historic settlement, is the largest gies, which can pose significant breaks in the conti-
and one of the most densely populated boroughs in nuity of the existing urban structure. This strategy
Stockholm. While pressure for development is now is a means to address this by opening parts of the
high, opportunities for building are scarce and de- ground plane of the facility parcel as right of ways. 31
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Fig. 26 — Progressive purification, project developed by David Hamm and Snoweria Zhang at Harvard University, Graduate School of
Design under the supervision of Hanif Kara and Leire Asensio Villoria.
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Fig. 24-25 — Catalytic currents, project developed by Haggerty and Dana McKinney at Harvard University, Graduate School of Design
under the supervision of Hanif Kara and Leire Asensio Villoria.
The associative model helped to test the technical It is intended that these tools can help facilitate the
feasibility of such an option. (Fig.23). introduction of the much-needed participation of
architects in the process of planning for these major
Conclusion energy infrastructural facilities. In specific countries
There is a generally accepted wisdom that industri- such as Sweden, where there is an adoption of WtE
al plants, including WtE plants, are better suited for technologies as crucial components of the national
rural or single-zoned industrial contexts. However, energy plans, the successful stewarding of the pro-
the location of a WtE plant closer to an urban con- cess of their integration within the wider built en-
text -even a city center- has a number of great ben- vironment may well be determined by how well ac-
efits to its operation and has the potential to mini- cess to the management of the technical and engi-
mize its environmental footprint. Receiving waste neering complexities of these projects may be giv-
directly from a plant’s surroundings could help re- en to architects. Indeed, as demonstrated through
duce transportation costs, allow for the implemen- the design research conducted within the GSD WtE
tation of efficient district heating, or make possible dLab and through the advanced option studio, with
the development of hybrid facilities that integrate the help of these tools and design guides, the role of
public life into the plant. the architect in this process can certainly go beyond
The WtE dLab at Harvard’s Graduate School of De- simple aesthetic flourish (Fig.24-27).
sign invested in developing computational design To gather valuable feedback regarding the effec-
tools as well as devising a taxonomy of design strat- tiveness and applicability of the design tool in pro-
egies for better integrating these facilities in urban jects that encompassed a wide range of contexts
contexts. These are intended to help guide and ed- and conditions, we conducted informal exit-inter-
ucate designers in being more resourceful when de- views as well as we established more formal evalua-
veloping proposals for better integrated WtE plants tions regarding their experiences, judgements, and
while being mindful of their often-complex techni- their use of the associative tools. In the WtE lab, we
cal constraints. also developed a large generated sample of design 33
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