Introduction:
Cycling is one of the fastest growing sports in the United States, and it is already extremely popular overseas. Cycling has five main disciplines that occur during different times throughout the year. Building a site that creates a hub for the five main cycling disciplines (track racing, road racing, cyclo-cross, mountain biking, and criterium racing), would be instrumental in increasing
not only interest in the sport but also encouraging healthier lifestyles. The only discipline requiring an indoor facility is track racing, which will need a velodrome. The main issue I wish to address is how to design a net zero velodrome in Oklahoma’s hot, humid environment. The building itself needs to be large enough to hold the spectators as well as the event. It also needs to be energy efficient during not only the peak season, when energy consumption is highest, but also during the off-season as well, when the athletes are training and less revenue is being generated. To make the most use of the space, the
building and site would need to be integrated. Along with the cycling facility, the incorporation of commercial spaces for retail, dining, and hospitality would allow for more convenience and public exposure on site. As for the site conditions, landscaping and vegetation would need to be addressed to incorporate a cyclo-cross track, mountain bike course as well as a road criterium course.
Problem Statement:
The main problem I am looking at researching in this proposal is what key sustainability features to use in creating a net zero velodrome in Oklahoma’s climate. There are many systems that can be used to reach net zero, the problem is certain systems work best in certain climates. Also the size of the building will help determine which systems are best as well. I do not want to incorporate costly systems if they are not going to have a considerable contribution on the energy needs of the building.
A velodrome would serve two purposes. First, it needs to be an event center; large enough to accommodate the crowds coming to watch the event. Facilities that hold hundreds to thousands of spectators at a time are normally not sustainable for the simple fact that these spectators create heat that needs to be regulated to maintain a comfortable environment for not only the athletes but also the other spectators as well. The issue with designing a velodrome as strictly an event center is that this facility also needs to be a training facility where the athletes train between events or in the off seasons. During this time the entire building does not necessarily need to be heated or cooled, but the areas the athletes are utilizing need to be comfortable.
Secondly, smaller scale sporting complexes have a difficult time standing alone. For instance, Oklahoma City is home to both the Devon and Chesapeake Boathouses. These boathouses are used as both training facilities and viewing
platforms for rowing race events. Some may not even know of the boathouses because of the lack of exposure
to the sport of rowing in the area. These buildings are underutilized because there is no integration in the
area surrounding the boathouses to bring more people and exposure to that area. To effectively expose new people to a sport or facility there needs to be an attraction factor that brings them to the area. Creating a building that is attractive to not only cyclists but the general public as well is essential in making a velodrome successful in any urban setting. Incorporating commercial spaces would aid in making the area more attractive.
Conceptual Framework:
Creating a net zero velodrome involves many sustainable systems that have to work together in order
to succeed. Being that I am looking at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma as my location, the program, Climate Consultant, suggests I focus on the following main systems:
Day lighting- to help offset the cost of lighting the space.
Sun shading- to reduce the need for air conditioning in the summer time.
Passive solar design- to provide a free heating and cooling system by exposing the south facing façade to
direct sunlight during the winter months only allowing the interior of the building to absorb the sunlight while shading
the summer sun and not allowing it into the building to keep it cooler inside.
Cross ventilation- directing the wind thru the building at certain times of the year will help cool the building without
using energy.
Climate Consultant also suggested other items that are not systems but are good design strategies when designing in
this environment like:
Ceiling Fans- indoor air movement can make it seem cooler, thus less air conditioning is needed.
Sun/Wind protected outdoor space- extend internal areas outdoors in cooler weather
Limit floor plan size- keeping building small will limit amount of energy needed to heat/cool spaces.
Plants along the west façade- to shade structure from evening summer sun
The ultimate goal of the facility is reaching zero net energy so that money raised for the facility, whether thru fundraising or events, can go to the users of the building in the form of events and not the systems of the building like heating and cooling or
lighting the building. The lower overhead costs will promote greater utilization of the facility.
Definitions:
Velodrome: “an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights. The straights transition to the circular turn through a moderate easement curve. Velodromes may be indoors or outdoors.”(“Velodrome”)
Cyclo cross: “the sport of racing bicycles over rough terrain that usually requires carrying the bicycle over obstacles.”
(“Cyclo Cross”)
Criterium: “a bicycle race of a specified number of laps on a closed course over public roads closed to normal traffic." (“Criterium”)
Mountain Biking: “an all-terrain bicycle with wide knobby tires, straight handlebars, and typically 18 to 21 gears.”
(“Mountain Biking”)
Day lighting: Bringing natural sunlight into a building to light that space allowing the building to use less energy and allowing the people to absorb vitamin D throughout the day which aids in one’s health
Passive solar design: refers to design techniques that utilize natural heating and cooling from the sun. Through design, you can passively heat a house or building and through shading, you can help keep a house or building cool. This idea helps to reduce the need for fossil fuels to heat or cool a house or building. (“Morrissey Builders”)
Displacement ventilation: a method of letting cooler air replace warmer air in a space to promote natural ventilation. This method uses much less energy than traditional forced air. It also reduces circulation of indoor pollutants by bringing in fresh air to circulate. (“Morrissey Builders”)
Zero-net-energy: buildings and communities that produce all of their own energy from onsite renewable sources or that purchase energy from those who produce it from renewable resources. (“Morrissey Builders”)
Sustainability: of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.
Download the doc below for the FULL proposal
astevens_formal_proposal.docx |