“Skylights and Rough Sawn Wood” - The PlanetShifter.com Interview with Transcontinental / Green Architect Kristina Hahn
Submitted by Willi Paul on Tue, 05/04/2010 - 08:59
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“Skylights and Rough Sawn Wood” - The PlanetShifter.com Interview with Transcontinental / Green Architect Kristina Hahn
Congratulations, I just saw the interview with Ed Begley, Jr. on the planetshifter web page! What a coincidence; Ed called me a few weeks ago when he was looking for a “green” architect for his residential project… Kristina
Kristina Hahn established her atelier in Los Angeles in 2008 after relocating to the West Coast from a successful career in Darmstadt, Germany. Her background includes over ten years of experience in a wide range of high profile design projects on four continents, most notably in educational facilities, creative workplace design, residential and office development projects, which have consistently won national and international design awards.
Responsible for directing all design work, Kristina initiates and develops conceptual design strategy in close collaboration with the client team. Kristina is a LEED accredited professional with specialty HOMES, a licensed architect in Europe as well as in California.
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Willi Paul’s Interview with Kristina Hahn, AIA, LEED AP+
How can permaculture be integrated into the wider green movement consciousness?
Permaculture combines urban and rural planning methods to develop self-sufficient communities by learning from processes in nature. Both, the word permaculture as well as the original term permanent agriculture have their roots in the word culture which alludes to the progress of human cultivation. The shift from agriculture to bio-tech is a figurative example how our global society has moved from a cultivated self-image to a high-tech dependent identity. The synthesis of these seemingly opposing ideologies is to adopt permaculture in our lifestyle. We need to teach our children about nature just like we teach them how to read, write and calculate. Permaculture has to become a subject just like in math, languages or business.
Let’s say that permaculture is alchemy re-tooled. What traditional architectural practices have you transformed?
Traditionally we designed and built buildings to protect humans from the elements. We have become so good at it, that we eclipsed nature from our consciousness. A building can now be planned and implemented anywhere around the globe ignoring its genius loci. High performing building envelopes combined with mechanical and electrical systems guarantee a conditioned interior climate independent from external natural conditions. Artificial lighting, air-conditioning and global transportation allow us to disconnect from time of day, seasons, geographic and socio-cultural locality. The only component in this equation which did not develop further is the human body. We are not made to live in sterile environments providing constant temperature, light and humidity. We are living beings not only connected but dependent on the natural environment of planet Earth. Successful architects and planners know how to implement design strategies that are in accord with the genius loci, the spirit of place.
Sustainability is key to your design mantra, but is it a new religion?
The human race is the only one on planet Earth which is destroying its habitat through its unsustainable lifestyle. Today in a world where the human-made destruction becomes visible we are reminded of the famous Cree Indian prophecy: "Only after the last tree has been cut down, Only after the last river has been poisoned, Only after the last fish has been caught, Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten."
To call this growing awareness a new religion is dangerous. Sustainability has grown into this neo-protestant idea that “it has to hurt in order to be good.” For example you are not supposed to drive your car more than necessary; you should not take the airplane when going on vacation; you should not eat imported foods and so on because it is bad for the environment. Slowly you get the idea that a sustainable life is less worth living. Designing architecture for a sustainable lifestyle is not our goal but a minimum prerequisite to create good architecture. Historically architecture existed to the expense of nature. We aim to design human settlements that contribute to the quality of life.
What metaphors run through your mind when you first consider the shape and community of a building?
It is impossible to generally define the metaphors of any design process, especially the very first creative thoughts that form the beginning of a continuous thread throughout the project, because every project is different. A lot of research goes into finding out about the location of the project, the requirements of the program and the culture of the client. The first thing we do when designing is to picture ourselves being the user. How would we like to work, live, relax? Can we put ourselves in the shoes of our client? A lot of questions need to be asked such as: What is working with the current situation? What needs to be improved? What might change in the future? The most challenging thing is to anticipate the unknown and to plan for it.
As a designer, what are the limitations in the USGBC LEED prescriptions?
To award sustainable buildings with the LEED certification is a great start to bring awareness to the general public. The building industry is the main contributor to global extraction of resources, expanding landfills and polluting the environment. No real alternative to the LEED certification process is globally available.
From an architectural point of view LEED is limited in many regards. Because the grade of certification is based on a number of provisions, the certification is point based and not performance based. In the future we would like to see an expiration date associated with the label. In case a building user or owner modifies the building the label can be revoked. One important aspect to remember is that LEED is in no regards a guarantor for design quality. LEED is not a certification for good architecture.
Are you involved in the AIA’s 2030 Challenge?
Architecture 2030 is a non-profit organization established by an architect to fight global-warming. The AIA endorsed the Challenge but that does not mean all AIA members are participating in the 2030 challenge. Coming from Germany where the building technology is in regards to quality and sustainability far more advanced than in the United States the buildings we design in our studio easily meet and most often exceed the requirements of the 2030 challenge which looks at the fossil fuel, GHG-emitting, energy consumption performance and aims for Carbon-neutral buildings, developments and major renovations by 2030.
When you consider the environmental impacts caused by organizations from their existing operations on a campus- or corporate-wide scale, what are the key metrics?
A lot can be learned from researching the following five key metrics:
- design quality: site, orientation, neighborhood, transportation and logistics, life-cycle considerations, flexibility, longevity, etc.
- building materials: sustainable and healthy products, recycling, fair trade, material efficient construction, waste management
- energy performance: insulation, mechanical systems, lighting, appliances, etc.
- water efficiency: rainwater harvesting systems, greywater reuse system, landscaping, greenroof, parking surfaces, fixtures, etc.
- healthy culture: daylighting, indoor air quality, corporate identity, workplace strategy, fair trade
What new earth-sourced building materials have you experimented with? Results to share?
Aren’t all building materials earth-sourced? Where else would they come from than from planet Earth? We like to tap into the library of Transmaterial, a huge resource of innovative materials always on the look-out for new cutting-edge developments.
Kristina Hahn Atelier is a big advocate of textiles in architecture because of their variety in applications. Textiles can be used for tensile structures, suspended ceilings, space defining curtains, carpets, mobile meeting rooms, exterior tent structures, shading devices, façade elements, railings, bridges, net floors to name just a few. Suddenly the expression “architecture is the clothing of space” has a whole new meaning.
Even with something as simple as composting, building owners can have problems changing staff behavior. What are the dominant values and principles in your green processes?
Usually when populations move into a new building it is a signal of a change in company/organization/family culture as well. When the physical environment is improved, building users usually adopt their habits quite fast to the new requirements. Environmentally conscious architecture always involves not only the education of the building users, but especially of the building management as well. Awareness of what kind of cleaning supply should be used to maintain the quality of the spaces for example is a small but important component of educating the client. When the user is provided with the choice to adopt living or working spaces to their needs, this freedom and flexibility is appreciated and supports the new dominant culture.
How important is sunlight to human interaction?
Sunlight can be harmful to the human body. Looking directly into the sun can lead to blindness. Skin exposure can lead to sunburn and skin cancer. However, without sunlight there would be no life on planet Earth. This means that we depend on the sun more than we are willing to admit.
People with a lack of sunlight get depressed, with symptoms like sadness, fatigue and hopelessness. Humans are still quite natural organisms that depend on natural cycles. Even inside buildings it is sunlight that keeps us healthy. The ultraviolet light emitted by the sun has a cleansing mechanism and helps to disinfect building interiors. It breaks down the contaminants that pollute the indoor air. And what provides us with more energy than we need for all human interaction? The sun provides Earth with as much energy every hour as human civilization uses every year. This is why the sun, 92.900.000 miles away from the Earth, is our favorite nuclear reactor of all times.
Sunlight is vital because it is the primary source of our good mood, our health and our energy.
Is it hard to design a green roof to function as both an integrated building component and a patio?
A building needs to be designed to accommodate the additional load of a green roof or pedestrians. To design a green roof or a roof patio as an integrated building component is easier and more cost effective for new construction; for retrofit projects the cost can be prohibitive.
There are two options the green roof is supposed to be used as a patio. When the green roof consists of a substrate depth between 0.8 and 6 inches it is most frequently planted with a mixture of sedums. Maintenance is generally minimal but the vegetation is not meant to be walked on. In this case the patio area should be separated from the green space which can be done with water permeable paving material that provides an adequate ground surface for outdoor furniture.
Green roofs with a substrate that is at least 6 inches deep allow you to grow a greater variety and larger-sized plants. These roofs need to be maintained and can be used like a garden. In this case weight-load considerations are a greater concern.
Connections –
Kristina Hahn | AIA | LEED AP+
Principal
Kristina Hahn Atelier
Architects & Planners
+1 310 384 7136
www.kristinahahn.com
