EIT-M

Sustainable architecture, in reducing climate change and global

warming:

Taking particular trends

Author: Tselot Mamo

Advisor: ins. Samuel Bekele (Bsc,Msc)

A BSc. thesis Submitted to the School of Architecture and urban planning, in partial fulfillment for the award of a Bachelor degree in
Architecture
Academic year 2015/16
February 2015
This thesis project; submitted to the School of Architecture and urban planning; Ethiopian Institute of Technology – Mekelle (EiT-M);
Mekelle University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Bachlor degree in architecture.

Title of Thesis: Sustainable architecture, in reducing climate change and global warming

Author: Tselot mamo

Date: Feb21 2016

Approved by Board of Examiners:

_______________ _______________ ________________

Advisor Signature Date

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Examiner 1 Signature Date
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Examiner 2 Signature Date

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Thesis Coordinator Signature Date

 AKNOWLAGEMENTS
. I would like to thank to Almighty God for all His blessing to complete this thesis. Firstly, I would like to thank to my
adviser, Samuel bekele for his support and guidance all the way from the start of the project to the completion of
this thesis. Furthermore, I would like to dedicate my appreciation to my friends in the Architecture department for
their support during completion of this thesis. Finally, very special thanks to all the members of my family, for the
warm encouragement and love in carrying me through the challenging times during this study. I would like to
acknowledge each person who has contributed to the success of this report, whether directly or indirectly.
 ABSTRACT
Sustainable construction is defined as "the creation and responsible management of a healthy built environment
based on resource efficient and ecological principles". It includes minimizing non-renewable resource consumption
enhancing the natural environment eliminating or minimizing the use of toxins This paper argues about how to reduce the
effect of global warming by, studying analyzing and using the optimum sustainable reduction method in a particular
place. This helps to experience a sustainable construction and to enhance reducing problems of global warming as
a part of local scale which contributes for global one.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1

1.1) Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………1

1.2) Problem statement…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………1
1.3) Motivation………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2
1.4) Objective of the study…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………... 3
1.5) Research question……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
1.6) Scope of the study……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 4
1.7) Methodology…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 4

CHAPTER 2

2.1) introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….….6
2.2) the calamity (crisis)…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….….7
2.3) reasons of warming………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…….8
2.4) result and effects of global warming………………………………………………………………………………………………9
2.5) mekelle city and its position……………………………………………………………………………………………………………10
2.6) attribution of architecture and its role………………………………………………………………………………………….12
2.7) views concerning sustainability………………………………………………………………………………………………………14
2.8) case studies …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….15

CHAPTER 3

3.1) general background of mekelle city……………………………………………………………………………………………….22

3.2) is mekelle city sustainable?............................................................................................................................22
3.3) climate change and mekelle city……………………………………………………………………………………………….……23
3.4) construction trends of mekelle city………………………………………………………………………………………….……25
3.5) comparative analysis ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..27
3.6) embodied energy……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..31
3.7) mekelle regional material stone……………………………………………………………………………………………………33
3.8) conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….….35
3.9) recommendation……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..36
 CHAPTER 4

4.1) project development…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..37

4.2) site brief…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….37
4.3) concept development………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..39
4.4) the design…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..40
4.5) conclusion………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….43

Bibliography / reference …………………………………………………………………………………………………………44

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Chapter 1
1.1 Introduction:

Our only home earth is in devastating condition. Different problems like terrorism, pollution, overpopulation and others are
challenging our home world. But one of the biggest problem of the world is climate change. Global warming has become an
undisputed fact about our current livelihood; our planet is warming up and we are definitely part of the problem. However,
that isn’t the only environmental problem that we should be concerned about. All across the world, people are facing a wealth
of new and challenging environmental problems every day. Some of them are small and only affect a few ecosystems, but
others are drastically changing the landscape of what we already know. Our planet is poised at the brink of a severe
environmental crisis. Current environmental problems make us vulnerable to disasters and tragedies, now and in the future.
We are in the state of planetary emergency, with environmental problems piling up high around us. Unless we address the
various issues prudently and seriously we are surely doomed for disaster. Nations, countries, government, sectors and every
human being, must to stand for our home. So architecture as one field has to be a tool to prevent this devastating event.by
introducing different techniques. Current environmental problems require urgent attention.

1.2 Problem statement:

As we are living in our home world. We are encountering many problems affect our home and the way we live. One of the
greatest problem of our time is Global warming. Our only home in our cosmos “earth” is in a condition of warming. Ices from
north and South Pole that regulates the temperature of our word are now melting. Acidic rains, volcanic eruptions and
hurricanes are some of the results of Global warming.

From the beginning the one who is accountable for the distraction and disasters of our world is human race. Human race is
brutal a one who is concerning for himself by neglecting others (animals and plants) but finally in the distraction of himself.
Human race is in charge of distracting the environment. Smoke from industries (after industrial revolution), cutting plants
for housing but not replacing (deforestation & urbanization), and releasing chemicals to the rivers and advancement of
technology are some of the instruments used to kill our home.

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Curing and saving our home is not compromising. It is the only option that we are expected to do. If we do not take any
measure we are going to lose our self. Nations and countries are the one who can make measure by implementing new rules
and regulations. Every organizations and fields have to contribute their own money, skill and knowledge to cure our mother
land home.

Architectural firms and architects are highly expected to promote green architecture and sustainable environment. This is
done by implementing greenery in design, increasing efficiency and control in the use of building materials energy and space.

In Mekelle context: location: Ethiopia, Tigray region

: North latitude 13033”, East longitude 39029”

One of the challenge that we are encountering in global scale as well as in countries is global warming. This is the problem
that is every nations are facing. mekelle the municipal city of Tigray as well as the larger city of Ethiopia is also in touch with
this problem.as the country is a developing one many trends that can impact the environment are usually implemented without
caring. Cement industries, deforestation for expansion of urban areas, increasing population and vehicles are the most
problems that drastically causes as a contribution for the global climate change. Now as the country is listed a developing
country its impact for the greenhouse effect is at the small scale relative to the developed countries but unless the right
measure taken the country would be one of carbon emitting in the future.

1.3 Motivation

: buildings account for more than 40% of all global co 2 emission. Green building is the practice of constructing or modifying
structures to be environmentally responsible, sustainable and resource efficient throughout their life cycle. This includes
efficient using energy, water and other natural resources, protecting occupant health, improving employee productivity and
reducing waste, pollution and environmental degradation. So green buildings are accountable for improving environmental
footprint by reducing energy use by 30-35%, CO2 by emission by 35%, waste out by70% and waste usage by 40%.generally
why I am motivated to do this research is one of the significant problem of our mother home world is a global warming and
its crisis. So as building industry increases most of the problem of global warming, why do we architects can make difference

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by contributing our role? And also in country level what is our responsibility to make a change and to stop the problem by
this level.

The other thing is when we look for the difference between a bare land and a land with trees (parks, jungle etc...) we really
can figure it out!!! The difference can be sensed not only visually. It is sensed by 5 senses of our organs even our tongue. The
fresh air that we breathe, the fragrance of flowers, the birds that sings, and the fruits that we test are from the trees. Trees
are life that breaths oxygen. Trees are shades and homes for biodiversity including humans. Everyone can witnessed their
real sensual effects. Fresh air, shades and beauty are some of the benefits that one can experiences. More than this trees
plays a great role in reducing greenhouse effect by absorbing Co 2 in our environment so as a student of architecture.

1.4 Objective of the study:

General objective: the objective of this study is making architecture as a tool to prevent Global warming and its crisis by
introducing and promoting different architectural techniques and knowledge. Finally making architecture an architect which
can preserve our home world.

Specific objective:

Environmental sustainability: Green buildings are designed with environment management in mind. It takes drastic
measures to reduce wastage as well as environmental degradation to a barest minimum. It also takes into consideration
the comfort of the end-users. It aims at total safety and sustainability of the eco-system and advocates the use of
materials, methods, and technology that favor this primary objective.

Greenhouse gas emission reduction : The built environment contributes ultimately to global warming by its high rates of
emitting greenhouse gases through energy usage (for cooling, heating, and lighting) and for construction. Green
architecture projects a possibility of total reduction to a near zero carbon emission of buildings. Green buildings take on the
initiative of improved technologies, to contribute significantly in mitigating global climate change.

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1.5 Research questions:

- is there any architectural role to improve global warming?

- does sustainable architecture and its techniques make difference reducing Global warming in a built environment?

- does sustainable architecture differ from one place to another place?

- do we gain any benefit by applying sustainable architecture?

1.6 Scope of the study:

this study is focusing on improving the problem of global warming and introducing methods that are used to prevent Global
warming in Architecture. Especially enhancing different techniques of architecture & urban design solutions to create and
contributes radical solutions in mekelle city.

1.7 Methodology, study method:

Data can be collected by observing the physical Elements, people activities &built environment in the study area and
collecting pictorialrecordes & into from volunteers.The procedure uses the rational deductive method which review
relevant theoretical and iterature for this study furthermore, the secondary data is used to connect the primary data. The
Collected data was analyzed the findings carried out to produce the proposed design guide line, Conclusion &
recommendation of the study.

The general methodology that is used will be as follows:

- Conceptual and empirical (which is related to some abstract idea(s) or theory, it is generally
Used by philosophers and thinkers to develop new concepts or to reinterpret existing ones.
- formulating the research problem
-extensive literature survey (once the problem is formulated a brief summary of it is written
Down in this step as part of the study.)
- developing hypothesis

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-preparing research design

-determining sample design
-Analysis of data
-generalization and interpretation
-preparation of the thesis or research.

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Chapter 2
2, literature review
2.0 introduction

In the first half of the twentieth century, most scientists did not believe that increased CO2 levels would result in global
warming. It was thought that at current atmospheric concentrations, the gas already absorbed all the available long-wave
radiation; thus any increases in CO2 would not change the eradicative heat balance of the planet but might augment plant
growth.
Global warming is already taking place and has become the biggest challenge of our time. The challenge is to find ways for
the world to switch from a path of increasing emissions to a path of more high advanced technologies (nanotechnologies)
where the majority of the GHG emissions are eliminated. Buildings have a significant impact on energy use and environment.
Commercial and Residential buildings use almost 40% of the primary energy and approximately 70% of the electricity in the
United States (EIA 2005). The energy used by the building sector continues to increase, primarily because new buildings are
constructed faster than old ones are retired. Electricity consumption in the commercial building sector doubled between
1980 and 2000, and is expected to
Increase another 50% by 2025 (EIA 2005).
Zero carbon architecture (ZCA) is a popular term to describe a buildings use with zero net energy consumption and zero
carbon emissions annually. Zero carbon architecture can be used autonomously from the energy grid supply – energy can
be harvested on-site usually in combination with energy producing technologies like Solar and Wind while reducing the overall
use of energy with extremely efficient HVAC and Lighting technologies.The Zero-Net design principle is becoming more
practical in adopting due to the increasing costs of traditional fossil fuels and their negative impact on the planet's clima te
and ecological balance Understandably the developing countries want the right to economically expand the fastest way they
can, like developed nations have been doing for the past 100 years. Developing countries face a difficult decision, whether to
sacrifice their economic development for protection against possible ecological problems in the near future.
The Kyoto Protocol (2005) is a protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), aimed
at fighting warming. The objective of the Kyoto climate change conference was to establish a legally binding international
agreement, whereby all the participating nations commit themselves to tackling the issue of global warming and GHG
emissions. The target agreed upon was an average reduction of 5.2% from 1990 levels by the year 2012.

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Nanotechnology, the manipulation of matter at the molecular scale, is bringing new materials and new possibilities to
industries as diverse as electronics, medicine, energy and aeronautics. Our ability to design new materials from the bottom
up is impacting the building industry as well. New materials and products based on nanotechnology can be found in building
insulation, coatings, and solar technologies.

2.1 The calamity (the crisis)

The biggest challenge facing the environment today is global warming, caused by carbon emissions. About 98 percent of
CO2 emissions (or 87 percent of all CO2 equivalent emissions from all greenhouse gases) can be directly attributed to energy
consumption, according to a report. Many organizations today are speaking openly about a desire to operate in a “green”
manner, publishing principles for environmental practices and sustainability on their corporate Web. In addition, many
companies are now paying (or will pay in the near future) some kind of carbon tax for the resources they consume and the
environmental impact of the products and services they produce, so a reduction in energy consumed can have a real financial
payback.

Reports from leading scientists throughout the world underline the need for urgent action on climate change. The
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projects that without more immediate action to limit greenhouse gas
emissions, global warming could cause irreversible and possibly catastrophic consequences. Every year, the energy used by
buildings in North America causes more than 2,200 megatons of CO2 to be released into the atmosphere, about 35 percent
of the continent’s total. Recent studies by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), McKinsey & Company (an
international consulting firm), and Vattenfall (a Swedish utility company), indicate that improved building practices are
some of the quickest and cheapest ways to reduce significantly greenhouse gas emissions, often with net economic
benefit.. In short, green building represents some of the ripest “low-hanging fruit” for achieving significant reductions in
climate change emissions.

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2.2 Reasons of warming

2.21 Industrial revolution

The timeline of this side is from 1870 to the present. It illustrates a steady increase in concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere.
For thousands of years, the Co2 concentration in the atmosphere have been fairly constant at about 280ppm, in the last 400
years so, corresponding to the start of industrial age co2 has increased about 380ppm.

The industrial revolution began in Britain in 1700s and spread the rest of the world, the beginning with the us. The use of
machinery and factories led to mass production, which in turn led to mass production, which in turn led to the development

2.22 Building sector

The building sector encompasses both residential and commercial (including institutional) buildings. The sector accounts for
15.3% of global GHG emission. Including 9.9% for commercial buildings and 4.4% for residential CO2 accounts for nearly all
emission.

One of the greatest country of our world U.S.A can be a very good illustration for building sector energy consumption. By
creating a sector termed “buildings “ which combines the residential and commercial sectors that part of the industrial
sector containing industrial buildings and building materials, anew and very different pictures emerges. This picture clearly
illustrates the problem and the sectors that must be carefully investigated in order to effect a change. In this picture,
architecture consumes approximately 48-50% of all U.S the energy produced and is responsible for 46% of all U.S CO2
emission annually, almost double any other sector.

Buildings are among the most long lived physical artifacts society produced .they are typically used for 50-100years so their
inertia has a major impact on future energy use emission patterns .Today’s architecture will be with us for a long time
.Architects design most buildings and specify all materials used in their construction materials and finishes largely
determines the buildings life time energy consumption and gas emission.

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2.23 the human sources

The main sources of greenhouse gas due to human activity are

- Burning of fossil fuels and deforestation leading to higher CO2 concentration.

- Land use change (mainly deforestation in the tropics) account for up to one third of total anthropogenic CO 2
emissions.
- Livestock enteric fermentation and manure management. Paddy rise farming, land use and wet land change, pipe
line loses, and covered vented land field emissions leading to higher methane atmospheric concentration.
- Many of the newer style fully vented septic system that enhance and target the fermentation process also are
source of atmospheric methane.
- Use of chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs) in refrigeration system, and use of CFC’s and halons in fire suppressions and
manufacturing processes.
- Agricultural activities including the use of fertilizers that lead to higher nitrous oxide ( N 2O ) concentration

2.3 Results and effects of Global warming

2.31 urban heat island effect

The principle reason for the nighttime warming is that buildings block surface heat from radiating into the relatively cold
night sky. Two other reasons are changes in the thermal properties of surface materials and lack of evapotranspiration (for
example through lack of vegetation) in urban areas. Materials commonly used in urban areas for pavement and roofs, such
as concrete and asphalt, have significantly different thermal bulk properties (including heat capacity and thermal

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conductivity) and surface radiative properties (albedo and emissivity) than the surrounding rural areas. This cause a change
in the energy balance of urban area. Often leading to higher temperatures than surrounding rural areas.

2.32 Current sea level rise

Current sea level has occurred at a mean rate of 1.8mm per year for the past century, and more recently, during the satellite
altimetery era of sea level measurement, at rates in the range of 2.9-3.4 +/- o.4-0.6 mm per year from 1993-2010. Rising
sea level would adversely affect many coastal marshes and wildlife reserves.

2.4 Sustainability and architecture

Is the key to survivable future on earth: we must find ways to conserve our resources, reuse the material we have extracted
from the earth, and turn to renewable resources for energy. Perpetual economic growth is physically impossible on a planet
with finite resources.

Sustainable architecture is architecture that seeks to minimize the negative environmental impact of buildings by efficiency
and moderation in the use of materials, energy, and development space. Sustainable architecture uses a conscious approach
to energy and ecological conservation in the design of the built environment

Sustainable construction is defined as "the creation and responsible management of a healthy built environment based on
resource efficient and ecological principles". Sustainably designed buildings aim to lessen their impact on our environment
through energy and resource efficiency. It includes the following principles: minimizing non-renewable resource consumption
enhancing the natural environment eliminating or minimizing the use of toxins.

We propose three principles of sustainability in architecture. Economy of Resources is concerned with the reduction,
reuse, and recycling of the natural resources that are input to a building. Life Cycle Design provides a methodology for
analyzing the building process and its impact on the environment.
Humane Design focuses on the interactions between humans and the natural world. These principles can provide broad
awareness of the environmental impact, both local and global, of architectural consumption.

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2.41 Sustainable materials

Some examples of sustainable building materials include recycled denim or blown in fiber glass insulations, sustainable
harvested wood, trass, linoleum, sheep wool, concrete (high and ultra-high performance roman self-heating concrete), panels
made from paper flakes, baked earth, rammed earth, clay, vermiculite, flax linnien, sisal, see grass, cork, expanded lay grains,
wood fibber plates, calcium sand stone, locally obtained stone and rock, bamboo, which is one of the strongest and fastest
growing woody plants, and nontoxic low-VOC glues and paintes.

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2.5 mekelle city and its position

Mekelle is the capital city of the north region (Tigray region of Ethiopia) which is located around 783 km north of Ethiopian
capital city Addis Ababa. at a latitude of 13o29' and with longitude of 39 o28'e and the elevation of 2084 meters above sea
level with a climate relatively high temperature evenly distributed throughout the year with an average above 18oc.19

Starting from construction materials and building types, Mekelle because of its setting (its climate, topography and
construction material availability) it has its own unique style of architecture (buildings) even though this days the
city is developing and is always under construction with different types of styles of buildings, which most of them
are foreign influenced styles with a harmonized urban context and continuity. Its combination of the three styles of
architecture there are a vernacular (traditional houses) which are the Hudmo houses, and there are some attempt
critical buildings the once which considers (the climate, context and topography).and their once are the
international style buildings which are the once without consideration.
Before 15- 20 years earlier mekelle city has most of vernacular buildings which we called Hudmo houses and since
hudmo houses are made of natural stones the city were to be said sustainable because stone is a highly ecological
and sustainable material with 0 carbon emission. But now a days from the survey and analysis taken most of the
buildings are constructed with ChB’s and cement. This construction techniques can lead the city to carbon emitting
city as well as sustainability declines than before.

2.6 attribution of architecture and its role

in the article review of europian studies the roll of architecture is written as following “The architectural profession is
recently witnessing a significant resurgence in the request for the integration of passive and hybrid environmental strategies
and techniques in building design, in order to mitigate the impacts on the ecosystem and promote the adaptation of built
environments to expected climate alterations (IPCC, 2007c). After several decades where - following a highly-compartmented
educational system - the responsibility for designing energy efficient buildings had been ceded exclusively to the specialist
engineering profession, new requirements are now forcing the technical spotlight back on to the architect, therefore
reversing a tendency where architectural practice had been biased towards formal stylish design rather than to effectively
address the challenges presented by environmental sustainability (Altomonte, 2008).

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Most professional firms nowadays claim sustainable design as a key element of their approach to architecture. However,
only few buildings recently produced have lived up to these claims, especially in relation to energy efficiency. Conversely, not
many buildings hailed for environmental excellence have impressed architecturally, whereas carbon neutrality and reduction
of consumptions have, more often than not, been prioritized over creative design, quality of life and psycho-physiological
comfort of occupants, thus hindering the architectural value of the buildings being produced. With relatively few exceptions,
a general lack of integrated technical skills amongst architects has manifested itself in a profession largely ill-equipped to
handle the substantial paradigm shift involved in environmentally-responsible design. This is epitomized primarily by the
ambiguous nomenclature of terms such as ‘sustainable’, ‘bioclimatic’, ‘ecological’, ‘green’, ‘eco-friendly’ or ‘environmental’,
which are recurring labels that, although rarely ascribed a precise meaning, are repeatedly and undistinguished attached
to buildings in architectural competitions, magazines and debates, increasing confusion and misconceptions. Indeed, the
much abused term ‘sustainability’ has to go beyond the natural environment alone, satisfying the tangible and intangible needs
for economic prosperity and social harmony through the complex interplay of a number of diverse dimensions. The need for
sustainable development has, in fact, to concurrently embrace many different aspects of human activity, which include
economic, socio-cultural, ethical and aesthetic values in addition to the environmental and technical issues surrounding
energy consumption, management of resources and reduction of CO2 emissions that can ensure that tomorrow’s generations
will be able to satisfy their needs at the same level of today (WCED, 1997). To effectively promote sustainability in the
design of the built environment, it is hence essential that technical principles and environmental targets are
embraced 0within an adequate and creative design process, which is, without doubt, a prerogative of the
architectural profession (Orr, 2002). As a matter of fact, architecture is by its own definition the product of a creative
process, which measures its success by its capacity to provide an answer to economic, aesthetic, ethical, socio-cultural and
physio-psychological human needs. To promote sustainable design in the built environment, architecture must therefore
assume a further dimension, carefully responding to the context where it is built and to the environment as a whole (Olgyay,
1963). Design constraints are normally a stimulus to strive for more creative solutions. As a consequence, drawing on the
recommendation to tap ‘the power of limits’ (Stokes, 2006), the requirement to meet technical and environmental targets
can constitute inspiring design constraints that have in themselves the potential to lead to a generation of novel
architecturally significant - and thus ‘sustainable’ - buildings. Lawson likens the role of a designer to a juggler keeping a
number of balls in the air simultaneously, and states that the process of architectural design requires the architect to
maintain and resolve a number of parallel lines of thought (Lawson, 2006). As in the physics of light, only when all the different
wavelengths of visible radiation are balanced, in the right amount and proportions, pure white light will be visible. Sustainable
design can hence be compared to white light, as the result of a thorough and composed interplay between different

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dimensions and design considerations. In summary, to endorse a comprehensive definition of sustainable development in
building practice and safeguard the environment and its finite resources within the context of an ethically, culturally and
socially valuable design process, it is fundamental that architecture is informed by an overarching approach the supports
the combination of energy efficient measures together with the need to secure people’s comfort and quality of life ,
consistently integrating environmental awareness, knowledge and technical skills within a creative design discourse
(Graham, 2002). Clearly, this is an approach that has to be embraced since the very early stages of development of a design
and cannot be left as an after-thought once the main formal and technical features of a building have already been resolved
by the architect. To facilitate this process, it is necessary that mandatory requirements of enhancing sustainable
environmental design in the practice of architecture represent a core issue within the formation of professional competence
and ethos of the practitioners, therefore challenging a radical change in the way in which the architect’s progression toward
the profession is sustained by educational me thodologies and delivery of contents. The comprehensive embracement of
sustainability in building design is demanding a substantial revision of the training process that grants access to the
architectural profession, starting from the curriculum in higher education up to the continuing professional development of
practicing architects. To consistently inform this process, it is however primarily necessary to:

1) Ascertain the existing state of play with respect to the level of technical and environmental awareness, knowledge
and requirements within architectural practices;
2) Relate such demands to the pedagogical methods in use in higher education and architectural training with a view
to converging on a series of criteria which can be proposed as the pedagogical basis for implementation within the
architectural curriculum.
Such criteria will have to be fully embraced at the various stages of the curricular progression towards the practice of
architecture and, most importantly, will have to be acknowledged by the institutional bodies that currently regulate access
to the profession. Yet, some considerable barriers may need to be overcome to achieve this target.

2.7 Views concerning sustainability

With increasing global concerns about environmental degradation and resource depletion, architects have been directing
their attention toward building design and construction practices that are more resource efficient. The wide adoption of
sustainable building design and construction is a manifestation of this concern and is anticipated to replace
conventional methods and practices (Altomonte & Schiavon, 2013; Fillingham, 2004; Liang et al., 2014; Singh, Syal, Grady, &

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Korkmaz, 2010). The aim of sustainability in buildings is to satisfy present needs while at the same time preserving
a healthy living environment for future generations. This means creating living conditions that are ecologically
compatible, economically acceptable and which give users’ needs top priority (Beatley, 2007) .

While sustainable buildings can affect ecological, economic, and socio- cultural factors (Sobek, Sedlbauer, & Schuster,
2009) , much of the current practice in sustainable design is driven by environmental factors. This focus on
environmental factors may be partially driven by the common understanding of sustainable practices as encompassing
primarily green practices (Simpson and Radford 2012). This positive, albeit limited attitude towards sustainability is
exhibited in sustainable products (Peattie, 2001), sustainable practices (Aragon - Correa & A Rubio - López, 2007),
and indeed sustainable buildings (Brow ne & Frame, 1999) . However, by focusing primarily on the environmental dimensions
of the built space, architects may be underestimating the importance of the ongoing economic costs to owners and
social effects of green buildings on occupants. Even though many people support the idea of sustainability there is a
surprising lack of knowledge and understanding of both sustainability and sustainable development (Kagawa et al, 2007)
. This may partially explain findings by Mansour (2014), which suggest that building users think that green buildings are cold
and aesthetically unpleasant. Because of the positive marketing, public communication, and potential benefits of green
buildings, they are often perceived as a ‘good thing’ (Kagawa et al 2007) or even better than conventional buildings
(Wiley, Benefield, & Johnson, 2010) . However, this perception has not always been validated by occupants of these buildings,
as they have a more intimate interaction with and knowledge of building elements such as aesthetics, lighting, ventilation,
acoustics, and humidity. In fact there is little evidence to believe that green buildings are more comfortable than
conventional ones (Paul & Taylor, 2008) moreover, ongoing interaction and activity in green buildings may even lead
to some negative attitudes and perceptions (Mansour, 2014).

2.8 case studies

1) Packard Foundation Headquarters Building

For Zero Net Energy Case Study Buildings Packard Foundation Headquarters Building

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Data Summary
Building Type: Two-Story Office
Location: Los Altos, CA
Gross Floor Area: 49,000 gsf
Occupied: July 2012
Production
282,000 kWhr/year (2013)
19.6 kBtu/sf-year (2013)

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The Packard Foundation Headquarters is an

appropriate first case study for this
monograph: the project planning took an
exemplary wide and thorough view of all
energy and carbon emission issues,
incorporated the best in current design
thinking and created some technological
innovations that help move the building
industry forward in improved energy
performance. The project represents a very
high standard across all aspects of planning,
design, construction and occupancy, creating a model for all aspects of zero net energy building design.

Completed and occupied in mid-2012, the building has experienced its first full year of operation, successfully demonstrating
that the planning and design objectives have been well met. The building recently received a “net zero energy certification”
from the International Living Future Institute (ILFI) as part of its rigorous certification program known as The Living Building
Challenge.

Low Energy Design Strategies

Every aspect of the planning and design of the building was discussed in terms of the sustainability goals and, in particular,
zero net energy performance. Beyond the organizational issues included in the zero carbon planning discussions, these
included not only the traditional aspects of building programming, site planning and the building’s physical systems, but also
user behavior and supporting the green-conscious culture of the workplace. This focus of all of these discussions determined
the final design outcome and the building environment in place today.
Building Envelope
The high perimeter building allows for good natural ventilation and effective day lighting of office space, but also increases
thermal losses. Energy analysis indicated that the high perimeter envelope would result in lower energy demand when all
factors are considered. The building envelope satisfies two general requirements for a low-energy building: a high level of

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continuous insulation and a good seal at joints and other air leakage locations. To avoid the thermal bridging effect of
intermittent structural elements, the wood framed walls locate studs every 24”, with a 1” thick layer of rigid mineral wool
insulation applied continuously over the outside of the studs. The insulation between the studs is also mineral wool, which is
preferred over fiberglass insulation for its higher insulating value, stiffness (avoiding loss of insulating value in handling at
the construction site) and greater resistance to mold development. The net result is a wall with insulating value R-24.2,
including the muted effect of thermal bridging.
The roof has a similar insulating approach, using a 2” thick layer of rigid mineral wool insulation over the structure and under
the metal roof. Finally, for added insulating value, the concrete slab is placed on top of water-impervious insulation board to
provide a high insulating value of R-23 in the floor. The 1” rigid wall insulation layer wrapping the wall continues below grade
to provide perimeter insulation at the footing.
Windows make up almost 50% of the exterior wall area, which supports good day lighting of the largely perimeter spaces.
To ensure good thermal characteristics of this part of the building envelope, the window glazing consists of heat mirror
glazing units—two layers of clear glass with a suspended heat mirror film. A financial analysis indicated that the specification
of this type of window would result in cost savings from a reduced size heating system and, more significantly, the planned
solar photovoltaic system, which would more than offset the added cost of this premium glazing. (It is generally true that
energy efficiency measures incur less cost than the corresponding energy production systems.)

Controls
Zero net energy buildings by necessity are smart buildings since all the building features and systems, to be as energy
efficient as possible, respond to changing weather, solar, daylight and occupant use conditions on a daily and seasonal basis.
In the past, this changeability was met largely through the expenditure of energy, usually to overpower the variations in time.
In current highly energy-efficient buildings, especially buildings of a larger size, the response to changes in conditions is
carried out to some extent by occupant intervention, but it is primarily done by sophisticated building control systems.
Each building sub-system, whether it is lighting, daylight sensors, HVAC controls (BMS), CO2 sensors, solar photovoltaic

production or automatic blinds, generally has a unique set of processing protocols for its control system. As the need has
grown for coordinating these systems for monitoring and data reporting purposes, the building controls industry has
responded with integrating systems that “sit on top” of the component control systems. This is new technology and, as might
be expected, communication issues sometimes make this a functional problem point during the early operation period of a
smart building. (See discussion in later case studies in this monograph.)
While newer integrating controls systems are beginning to emerge in the industry, the Packard Foundation decided to invest
in the custom development of its own version of such automation controls , given the importance of building operation in the

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success of the project. After all, the project location is the heart of Silicon Valley and the Foundation’s IT staff was eager to
take on such a challenge. To increase the challenge, all possible building operations were to be part of the automation control
system, including room scheduling, security and audio-visual systems. A simple web-based interface was developed to allow
easy control by the building operations.

Solar Photovoltaic System

The on-site renewable energy system, a 285 kW (DC) solar photovoltaic system, has panels located on the building roofs and
at the parking canopies. The shallow roofs slope toward the east and the west, but the efficiency loss is small (estimated to
be 5%-10%) compared to the optimum slope and orientation, easily compensated by the addition of a few extra panels.
Lighting
High efficiency light fixtures using T-5HO lamps were used in standard office spaces, for an average lighting power density
of 0.7 watts/sq. ft. The overall design of the electric lighting follows the Task/Ambient approach, namely ceiling-mounted
suspended fixtures and task lighting at each workstation. This approach recognizes that less light is needed for walking
around than for the work tasks and uses two types of light fixtures to produce the minimal comfortable light levels needed
for each, resulting in a reduction in the amount of energy needed to light the entire space.
Lights are dimmed in response to daylight sensors and switched on in response to infra-red occupancy detectors. In the
private offices, there is a combined infra-red detector and an ultrasonic detector to control on/off. By combining the two,
false detections by the highly sensitive ultrasonic device, capable of detecting slight keyboard activity, are avoided since the
infra-red must confirm the presence of an occupant.
Because the technology was not advanced enough at the time that this building was designed, LED light fixtures were not
specified. (Recent improvements in the technology would likely have led to a different specification for both linear pendant
fixtures and downlights.)

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Parkside, South Australia

The new emerges from the old as sustainable design creates a bright, thermally efficient and environmentally in-tune
home that incorporates a property’s heritage past.

Design response

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The roof was taken off, the house hollowed out and a garden courtyard
built in its place. An entirely new house was then built around it. The
historic front façade and other stone walls were retained because of their
beauty, heritage value, high embodied energy and excellent thermal mass.

The aim of the design was to get the house’s orientation right. The new
home was pushed towards the property’s southern boundary to open up
to the north, with the new front courtyard capturing winter sun. The
house’s three bedrooms, two living spaces, study, loft and kitchen were
built over the driveway and into the large backyard, to the south and west
of the courtyard.

Insulation — Trombe wall

A fascinating aspect of the home’s sustainable design is the Trombe wall
installed on the north facing stone wall of the new living room. A steel frame sits slightly off the rendered and painted old
stonework and is clad with polycarbonate panels to create a warm cavity, which in winter transmits heat through vents into
the living room. In summer, the vent at the top of the Trombe wall can be opened to let the warm air out. A large,
retractable shade protects the courtyard and the Trombe wall from the sun. The old stone wall is protected from
weathering at the same time.

Passive heating and cooling

Thermal mass keeps a house warmer in winter and cooler in summer. In this home, a high emphasis has been placed on
passive solar design and thermal mass. Much of the incorporated thermal mass comes from the bluestone walls retained
from the existing house, as well as concrete slab floors, 300mm-thick rammed earth internal walls and reverse bloc
veneer construction.

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Chapter 3
Role of architecture in mekelle concerning on climate change

3, Data collection

3.1 General background of mekelle city

Mekelle is the capital city of the north region (Tigray region of Ethiopia) which is located around 783 km north of Ethiopian
capital city Addis Ababa. at a latitude of 13o29' and with longitude of 39 o28'e and the elevation of 2084 meters above sea
level with a climate relatively high temperature evenly distributed throughout the year with an average above 18oc.19

Mekelle because of its setting (its climate, topography and construction material availability) it has its own unique style o f
architecture (buildings) even though this days the city is developing and is always under construction with different types of
styles of buildings, which most of them are foreign influenced styles with a DE harmonized urban context and continuity. Its
combination of the three styles of architecture there are a vernacular (traditional houses) which are the Hudmo houses, and
there are some attempt critical buildings the once which considers (the climate, context and topography).and their once are
the international style buildings which are the once without consideration.

3.2 is mekelle city sustainable?

Starting from construction materials and building types, Mekelle because of its setting (its climate, topography and
construction material availability) it has its own unique style of architecture (buildings) even though this days the city is
developing and is always under construction with different types of styles of buildings, which most of them are foreign
influenced styles with a harmonized urban context and continuity. Its combination of the three styles of architecture there
are a vernacular (traditional houses) which are the Hudmo houses, and there are some attempt critical buildings the once
which considers (the climate, context and topography).and their once are the international style buildings which are the once
without consideration.

Before 15- 20 years earlier mekelle city has most of vernacular buildings which we called Hudmo houses and since hudmo
houses are made of natural stones the city were to be said sustainable because stone is a highly ecological and sustainable

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material with 0 carbon emission. But now a days from the survey and analysis taken most of the buildings are constructed
with ChB’s and cement. This construction techniques can lead the city to carbon emitting city as well as sustainability declines
than before.

Fig 3.1. hidmu house made of natural stone.

Fig 3.2 abrha castle made of stone

3.3 climate change and mekelle city

There are a number of key factors in measuring climate change, some are Temperature, precipitation, biomasses,
sea level, solar activity e.t.c … mekelle city’s climate change is measured by temperature and rainfall. Here are a
general circulation models that indicates climate change of mekelle.

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Fig.Precipitation projection in percent change from present precipitation for Near-Term(NT), Mid-Term (MT) and
End-Term (ET) periods under 4.5 and 8.5 Representative Concentration Paths (RCPs) & 5 GCMs(Shiferaw, 2013)

Fig.Maximum temperature projection for Near-Term(NT), Mid-Term (MT) and End-Term (ET) periods under 4.5 and
8.5 Representative Concentration Paths (RCPs) and 5 General Circulation Models (GCMs) (Shiferaw, 2013)

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Fig.Minimum temperature projection for Near-Term (NT), Mid-Term (MT) and End-Term (ET) under 4.5 and 8.5 Representative
Concentration Paths (RCPs) and 5 GCMs (Shiferaw, 2013)
The graph shows the total average climatic change from 4.5 NT (NT for near term the time found now) and 8.5 ET (ET stands
for “end term which is 90 years after) with a concentration of 4.5-8.5 carbon, so that the total graph shows, increasing
temperature from 30c-40c, variable rainfall as well as precipitation within a 100 years in mekelle city.

3.4 construction trends and material use of mekelle city

Before 15-20 years back the construction in mekelle city has its own unique character than the other cities of the countries.it
mostly uses stone as a unique character as the trend all over the tigrie region. It has its own vernacular character which
called hudimo house. And this stone houses are more to be sustainable because they are made of stone and do not take more
construction cost because it is a very available material and the embodied energy of stone is almost 0 which can be a carbon
zero emission materials and also be easily recycled.

Since the construction of mesosbo cement factory at the year of 1997 and design flexibility the trend of mekelle city has
changed in to cement construction. Now a days most of the buildings in mekelle are the result of cement and concrete. By
taking random survey from 10 buildings under construction almost 10 of them are made of concrete and cement. We can say
99% of the buildings under construction residential, commercial and offices are made of cement and concrete. This may
lead the construction trend of the city into transformation from stone to concrete.

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As with all industrial processes requiring energy, manufacturing cement does result in the generation of CO2.Cement is
manufactured from a combination of naturally occurring minerals - calcium (60% by weight) mainly from limestone or
calcium carbonate, silicon (20%), aluminum (10%),iron (10%) and small amounts of other ingredients and heated in a large
kiln to over 1500° C (27000 F) to convert the raw materials into clinker. For the most part, CO2 is generated from two different
sources during the cement manufacturing process.

Fig. cement concrete bldg. around haulti

- Production of one ton of Portland cement releases approximately one ton of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, cement
is approximately 7 to 15% of concrete by weight
- This carbon dioxide along with nitrous oxide and sulfur oxide caused by the energy requirements needed to produce
cement all contribute to concrete’s immense effect on global warming and air pollution
- 4.7 million Btu of energy is required to make 1 ton of cement, this amount of energy is equivalent to 345 lbs of coal
- During the heating process of cement calcination of limestone occurs which consists primarily of the burning off of
calcium carbonate from the limestone; this is what causes the release of excess carbon dioxide into the environment
during production
- 50% of the Carbon dioxide emissions created in concrete production are chemical related, 40% are attributed to fuel and
10% are attributed to transportation and electricity needs.

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3.5 comparative analysis of the vernacular building to contemporary and their impact
on the environment
Natural materials are generally lower in embodied energy and toxicity than man-made materials. They require less
processing and are less damaging to the environment. Many, like wood, are theoretically renewable. When natural materials
are incorporated into building products, the products become more sustainable.
Using locally produced building materials shortens transport distances, thus reducing air pollution produced by vehicles.
Often, local materials are better suited to climatic conditions, and these purchases support area economies. It is not always
Possible to use locally available materials, but if materials must be imported they should be used selectively and in as small
a volume as possible. For instance, the decorative use of marble quarried halfway around the world is not a sustainable
choice. Steel, when required for structural strength and durability, is a justifiable use of a material that is generally
manufactured some distance from the building site.

Property/behavior Vernacular and regional building Contemporary building

material Use natural and ecofriendly material Mostly use cement and concrete use
most of the time natural stone. other cladding and envelop materials
like almunium, porcyline,glass e.t.c

locality Very local, abandon in mekelle and its The material of this buildings produce
surrounding. from both the country and also some
abroad foreign countries.

ventilation Cross Ventilation The modern houses plans and spaces

The thin and rectilinear plan of the are often complicated shapes and

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hudmo house and openings in both partitioning of the house in to different

sides help the space to cross rooms and areas restricts the air
ventilate movement and cross ventilation

Sound Noise reduction use thick walls. Sound conductor thick walls unless
sound insulator materials added like
foams e.t.c
transportation Are local materials, so easy to There are local materials but some of
transport the materials like aluminum,
porcyline(for wall cladding), e.t.c come
abroad foreign countries.
Thermal comfort Stone provides the huge advantage of
thermal mass as it absorbs heat
during the day and releases
it at night.
Building materials & The massive walls of stone and small The thin HCB wall and large openings
techniques openings and the flat earth roof of the and GI sheet create uncomfortable
vernacular keeps the environment of internal spaces in different seasons.
the inside space cool in a hot season
and vice versa.

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recyclability Easy to recycle since the stone doesn’t Cannot easily get easily recycled.
Get easily broken in to pices.and can be Once it is demolished it is not to
recycled easily.

recycle .
Energy production Most of the buildings do not produce Most of the buildings do not produce
their own energy their own energy
durability More durable since the material is Not durable it takes a life span of 60-
stone 120 years and during its life tit
Most of historical and durable frequently repaired.
buildings take more than 1000 years
eg, yeha temple
Embodied energy Because most of the buildings are Has high embodied energy it uses
made of stone. Has low embodied different material.
energy
Carbon emission Zero carbon emission buildings Takes high energy so that it releases
because of the material this buildings more carbon dioxide from the
has low embodied energy production until construction process.

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3.51 Analysis on timehert biro bldg. (contemporary) versus mekane eyesus building
(critical)

Location:Ethiopia. Tigray, mekelle

As the two architectural styles in Mekelle are
described above which are the vernacular and the
modern in the context, society and culture of Mekelle,
the vernacular architecture approach responds to the
localization , while the modern ( global architecture)
approach responds to universalization and this part of
the thesis will focus on the spatial and environmental
responsive design considerations of the two
architectural styles in Mekelle, so that it will help the
researcher to develop an appropriate design.
Comparing two buildings, mekane eyesus elementary
school building and timhert buro office we can see
their difference and their effect on the environment, since the two buildings represents each the critical(vernacular) and
contemporary we can understand and take a lesson which building affects the environment causes global warming crisis.

By taking analysis this building can cause different

environmental effect which can possibly affect the
environment the problem of this building are listed
as follows:
1) It is made of chb and cement so takes high
embodied energy and produce Co2.
2) It has uncontrolled glazing and high glare.
3) Do not use any energy consumtion system

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4) Creates uncomfortable filling..

The other compared building is mekane eyesus elementary building and it is made of stone which keeps and maintain the
regional and vernacular sense of the place. Since stone is ecofriendly material and take low embodied energy. It can be said
a sustainable building. But it does not produce its own energy.

3.6 Embodied energy

Embodied energy is the total energy required for the extraction, processing, manufacture and delivery of building materials
to the building site. Energy consumption produces CO2, which contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, so embodied energy
is considered an indicator of the overall environmental impact of building materials and systems. Unlike the life cycle
assessment, which evaluates all of the impacts over the whole life of a material or element, embodied energy only considers
the front-end aspect of the impact of a building material. It does not include the operation or disposal of materials.

Energy consumption during manufacture can give an approximate indication of the environmental impact of the material, and
for most building materials, the major environmental impacts occur during the initial processes. The total amount of embodied
energy may account for 20% of the building’s energy use, so reducing embodied energy can significantly reduce the overall
environmental impact of the building.

Embodied energy must be considered over the lifespan of a building, and in many situations, a higher embodied energy building
material or system may be justified because it reduces the operating energy requirements of the building. For example, a

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durable material with a long lifespan such as aluminium may be the appropriate material selection despite its high embodied
energy.

As the energy efficiency of a building increases, reducing the energy consumption, the embodied energy of the building
materials will also become increasingly important.

Materials Embodied energycoefficient (megajoules per Material density (kg/m2) **

kilogramme) *
Stone 1.0 216-452 (200mm stone or

stone veneer)
Concrete (high strength) 1.4 n/a
Clay bricks 3.0 176
Autoclaved aerated concrete block 3.5 100

Plasterboard 6.8 n/a

Timber 8.5 n/a
Glass 18.5 n/a
Steel 35.3 n/a
Aluminum 218.0 n/a

3.7 mekelle regional material stone

One understands by sustainable material that resource which is exploited below the limit of renewal. It is characterized by
fulfillment of the following conditions:

• They comply with the “3 Rs”: Recycling, Reducing, Reusing. With respect to the stone products:
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- Reducing. The reduction in the use of products, a clear example would be the aqueduct of Segovia, with 2000 years of
extensive life of product, with minimum replacement.

- Reusing. Recovery of the useful fraction of material by means of extraction and reprocessing, so that the energy resources
used for transformation of material are less since they avoid use of raw material.

The reusing in the use of stone products is a fact that can be observed in the cobblestones installed in the pavements of
localities where they are reused, in the reusing of the ashlars and masonry of old buildings which in certain times of history
were used as a “quarry” for new buildings, or in the recovery of building elements for their use in other buildings-
rehabilitation of monuments-for example, materials to be thrown away. It is recommended to do testing to evaluate the loss
of properties in the material.

Another example would be artificial stone, made of as much as 93% quartz, apart from glass, mirrors and polyes ter resins.
These “remains” are pressed at high pressure and a constant temperature to obtain a new product. It is a short term solution
since recycling these materials once finalized their useful life will mean treatment of separation of difficult to manage and
expensive resins.

- Recycling. The process of elaboration of natural stone generates residues such as mud composed of refrigerated water of
the gangsaws and grains of the rocks. The composition is the same as that of stone so it means there are no toxic elements.
The residues are classified in mud treatment, cutting and polishing of stone. Once the codification and classification of the
residues is determined one can determine how to handle them.

The evaluation of viability of the potential applications of the residues provides, apart from some environmental benefits,
better use of resources, an increase of the production capacity and improvement in quality of product. This process of
evaluation depends to a great degree on the properties of the residues, since technical specifications of the industrial uses
are very precise. The biggest problems in making use of the residues are due to the chemical and physical composition and
humidity. These residues are characterized by some parameters of diameter of particle which means a process of milling is
required to achieve the size needed.

As the residues generated are basically formed of the varieties of stone in themselves, what are the products derived by
these rocks are then determined, and what are their main uses. The industrial usage for these residues, mostly of those

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varieties that contain calcium carbonate due to their extensive industrial application, can, moreover, be residues of stone
that are transformed into arid, applications in the calcium industry, that of cement, paper, paint, plastic, sealing and
adhesives, pharmacy and cosmetics, carpets/ rubber, etc.

• Use of easily regenerating materials, which are those that grow or purify in natural way during a human scale period of
time. A renewing resource can be depleted but with adequate administration, can last indefinitely. The level of consumption
of stone with respect to the natural resources is very low so that it is possible to extend the activity almost indefinitely.

• Increase of useful life. The stone materials are resistant, lasting and attractive. Natural stone is, undoubtedly, the building
material with most useful life.

• Reduction in use of Toxic Components. Stone does not require any chemical treatment during its useful life, as is the case
with synthetic materials, metals, glass, etc. Stone goes through minimum deterioration due to atmospheric factors.

• Use of components and renewal or recycled energy. Both in the extraction phase as well as during processing, water is
reused in closed cycles, pools, etc. avoiding this way the unnecessary use of water in the network.

• Minimize the visual impact on the ground. Among the environmental impact produced, though of temporary nature, is the
disappearance of plants and trees. For this reason, the restoration and re-vegetation of the affected terrain due to these
activities are considered among the main correcting measures that can be and are carried out in these projects.

• Consumption of energy.** The energy costs corresponding to the extraction phase is approximately 0.175 MJ/kg, i.e., 70%
of the total energy consumed. The energy costs corresponding to the phase of extraction is approximately 0.075 KJ/Kg, i.e.,
30% of the total energy consumed. The total energy costs related to processing is low compared to the rest of the building
materials, between 0.2 and 0.3 MJ/Kg. One should take into account that this total energy consumption is minimum if
calculated with respect to the useful lifecycle of natural stone (MJ/Kg year of useful lifecycle) which can reach almost 0
owing to the large durability of the material.

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Fig. type of rock and origin in Ethiopia

3.8 conclusion
Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of Earth’s near surface air and oceans since the mid -20th century
and its projected continuation. Addressing global climate change in a paramount challenge of the 21 th century. since the
beginning of industrial revolution, atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2), the chief heat- trapping greenhouse
gas, have risen 35%, from about 280 to 377 parts per million(PPM). This increase is primarily from the burning of fossil and
from deforestation.

There is no doubt that climate will continue to change throughout the 21st century and beyond, but there are still important
questions regarding how large and how fast these changes will be, and what effects they will have in different regions.

The building sector has its own contribution for Global warming. Unless the right measure taken it is difficult to solve the
problems.

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3.9 recommendation

Sustainability and creating sustainable environment is the key to a survivable future on earth: we must find ways to conserve
our resources, reuse the materials we have extracted from the earth, and turn to renewable resources for energy. Perpetual
economics growth is physically impossible on a planet with finite resources.

Sustainability and having a sustainable approach using architecture can change the building sector impact on the
environment. So it is very essential to think the best approach according to the characteristics of the particular place.

mekelle is the scope of the study area and one of the regional city of tigrie many constructions are started. So considering
the trends and approaches of the city we can highly take the best sustainable solutions from the experience and studies. The
vernacular and regional approach of the city means using stone for construction is the best sustainable approach that is
recommended. Since stone construction takes low embodied energy it releases small amount of CO 2 in the environment.

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Chapter 4
4.1 Project development

The project has developed to fulfill the objective of the study. In mekelle city there are very few trends of building techniques
that fulfill and satisfy the reduction of greenhouse gas effects. So considering the general and specific problems it is highly
recommended to build buildings which can serve reducing greenhouse gas effects or amount of CO2 in the environment.

The project that is proposed in this thesis is a building which can serve as an example reducing GHG effects by using different
techniques. since there is no a specific office which is working on global warming problems this thesis highly recommended
that if there is a body or sector which will work on this issues.

The building that is proposed is an office building called greenhouse gas reduction center. This office building can show how
to apply different technical approach by taking a particular analysis.

The building that is proposed is an office building called greenhouse gas reduction center. This office building can show how
to apply different technical approach by taking a particular analysis.

4.2 site brief

The site is found around axum hotel mekelle. And it
is surrounded by different buildings including axum
hotel the node of that area. The site is about
3000m2. And since this place one of the significance
and known of the city the site is chosen. The building
on this site enhance more visual effects of the place
as well as promotes applying net zero building for
the city.

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An average temperature between 11.50c – 27.30c.. Winds are predominantly southwest and the climate and context of the site
has played an important factor in the positioning of the development. Factors such as the predominant south west wind and
sun orientation play key roles and are responsible for strategic moves and placement of buildings.

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4.3 Concept development

The concept of my design comes from the main goal of the study which is our home world is in crisis so that more care and protection
has to be provided. The overall objective of the study is to provide care and protection for the environment by reducing greenhouse
gases. So having this on mind I tried to express my concept using different approaches.

The other thing i stand as a concept is providing a comfortable environment. Providing good vision , accessibility and aesthetic are the
other driving concepts that can drive to design this building.

To express the concept I used different scathes and some are as following below,

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4.4 The design

This building design has a G+2 office building having different programs and other facilities including cafeteria. The material that is used
for cover and envelop of the building is stone which can be quarried and get from the local area. As it is stated in the other portions
using stone can reduce the amount of carbon that is produced from the production stage until the use of it. Since most part of the
building is stone it can enhance the average life time of the building in to long one. The other benefit of using stone is it creates thermal
comfort inside the rooms, the other building envelop material that is used for the building is tempered glass and it can both allow
ventilation and good visual effect to the building, the building can be said in between of the critical and the modern (contemporary) style.
By integrating both of the building and by applying different sustainability principles and techniques we can achieve our objective and
solve the problems.

3ds

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GROUND FLOOR

1st FLOOR

2nd FLOOR

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4.5 Conclusion

The final design project is to show that an example of sustainable architecture which has identified and used regional design
integrating with the contemporary making environmentally suitable and producing a net zero energy building for reducing
greenhouse gas emission. The architecture utilizes a combination of the regional building approaches that have a long track
record and the today’s technological advances. Generally this building can be a teaching tool of producing a net zero energy
buildings and using a particular sustainable materials to reduce carbon and create a better environment.

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Bibliography
- NATURAL STONE MASONRY AS ALTERNATIVE CONSTRUCTION MATERIAL……………..beckeraau@web.de
- International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 4, Issue 2, February 2014 1
ISSN 2250-3153
- Parajuli, A., Ferreira, L., Bunker, J., Freight Modal Energy Efficiency: A Comparison
Model, School of Civil Engineering, Queensland University of Technology Brisbane,
Queensland, 2004
- Green Building – Guidebook for Sustainable Architecture by By Michael Bauer, Peter Mösle and Michael Schwarz
- Green Building Perception Matrix, A Theoretical Framework

- http://www.gheraltalodgetigrai.com/ , Tigray travel

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By Tselot mamo