Building Links
University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, School of Architecture
Using Low-impact Development Strategies to Mitigate Heat Island Effect in Receiving Waters View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Charlene LeBleu, FCELA, FASLA
Stormwater temperature is an essential but overlooked aspect of the urban stormwater condition. As urbanization occurs, the surrounding environment's surface, air, and water are altered. Heated stormwater runoff flows across the hardscape into receiving waters and potentially increases the base temperature of surface water in lakes, streams, bays, and estuaries. The amount of heat transferred, and the degree of thermal pollution is of great environmental importance. The main purpose of this research is to develop design models for standard stormwater control measures that can be used to mitigate heat island effects and maintain the required thermal temperature in a receiving stream. This project engages controlled laboratory tests to assess low-impact development (LID) stormwater control measures to reduce the thermal impact of stormwater runoff. This project hypothesizes that pervious surfaces and rain gardens/bioretention can be used to mitigate thermal temperatures in stormwater runoff.
The Building Envelope as a Means of Reconciling Nature and Culture View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Kevin Nute
The paper will present evidence that, designed appropriately, building envelopes have the potential to serve as exemplars of a more more balanced two-way relationship between ourselves and nature. Specifically, it will demonstrate how introducing the movements of the sun, wind and rain into indoor environments can help to improve the well-being of building occupants at the same time as raising awareness of important but neglected sustainable practices.
Landscape Structure, Garden Practices, and Biodiversity in the Semiperiphery: How Are Current Residential Yard Typologies Filtering Urban Floras in Mexico View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Juan Jose Reyna Monrreal
In its most recent report, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has recognized habitat loss and degradation as one of the main culprits behind the current biodiversity crisis. From the different phenomena that lead to habitat loss, urban development in particular has been associated with higher extinction rates. Urban green spaces have been recognized by numerous scholars as critical for the conservation and management of native habitats, biodiversity, and the many ecosystem services that they provide. From the various green spaces present in cities, gardened landscapes represent some of the least understood in terms of their potential to enhance biodiversity and support native habitat. In this research I investigate: How are current garden typologies understood as the sum of contemporary garden practices and structure, incorporating native and indigenous biodiversity in various residential home yards in Monterrey, Mexico? I use a mixed-methods approach to address the multi-disciplinary nature of the research. The main objective of the research is to improve our understanding on the impact that current garden practices and yard structure have in the consolidation of specific garden typologies in Monterrey, as well as the impact that these various yard types have as urban filters on native and indigenous flora.
