Renovating existing buildings at the site has interconnected ecological and social purpos- es for the designers. While re-use exploits existing material value and rediverts waste headed to landfill, it also promotes a sense of community continuity and takes value in the established social patterns of a neighbour- hood. The original bricks from demolished buildings are being reused in new construc- tion to help maintain the historical identity of Benny Farm as a large, continuous ensemble. The renovation of apartments originally built with vertically framed, solid, 2 1/4” thick plank walls and no additional insulation, in- volves temporary removal of the brick veneer and the application of an environmentally friendly foam insulation to the exterior of the wall. This strategy emphasises detailing for air tightness rather than high insulative value as the former is a more significant contribu- tor to heat loss in a building. All the new and renovated buildings are being outfitted with an array of sustainable environ- mental systems including geothermal heat exchange, hybrid glycol/electric solar power, air- and water-based heat recovery, grey-wa- ter and storm-water reuse, wetland treatment and sub-grade water-table recharge. These systems are conceived of in an integrated manner that addresses simultaneous ecologi- cal and social concerns. Geothermal heat exchange uses renewable energy to provide heating, cooling and domestic hot water and will drastically reduce production of green house gasses over the entire lifetime of the buildings, affecting a realm much greater than Benny Farm. The communal geother-
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on |site 14
architecture and land
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