IHBE Faculty Research

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Open Access
Acoustic Lab Testing (ASTM E492-2016, ASTM E90-2016) of Multi-Family Residential CLT and MPP Wall and Floor Assemblies
(Institute for Health in the Built Environment, University of Oregon, 2019-03) Van Den Wymelenberg, Kevin; Northcutt, Dale; Fretz, Mark; Stenson, Jason; Zagorec-Mark, Ethan
The use of mass timber panels is becoming a popular choice for construction due to concerns about climate change, resource sustainability, the need for construction efficiencies and the human biophilic affinity for wood. Developed about three decades ago in Austria, panelized mass timber products have been used in Europe for some time but are now gaining market traction across North America and represent an opportunity for designers, developers, engineers and contractors. With this new design opportunity in North America comes jurisdictional code performance requirements that need to be demonstrated to building authorities in the United States. Among these are requirements for fire, seismic and acoustic testing. Acoustics standards in the United States are prescribed by various organizations, such as the International Code Council (ICC), Housing and Urban Development (HUD), American Nation Standards Institute (ANSI), American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI) and are codified by jurisdiction based on building typology. In addition to code requirements, the economics of occupant satisfaction and well-being play a role in project development. Economic studies have shown that consumers value spaces with higher acoustic quality and display a willingness to pay for the relief from unwanted noise.1 Furthermore, noise intrusion in places where people spend a majority of their time has been shown in a body of literature to effect cognitive function, disrupt sleep patterns, promote irritability, and provoke heart conditions.2 Therefore, in order for a housing project to perform, it must not only meet code requirements but also market expectations for high quality, acoustically separated living spaces. The acoustic performance of mass timber panels is measured by two metrics: STC (sound transmission class) and IIC (impact insulation class). STC, for example, is how well a wall assembly acoustically separates two spatial volumes. IIC is a measurement of how well a floor dampens the sound transmission of an impact between two adjacent spatial volumes, be that a dropped object or footstep. For multifamily housing, the International Code Council (ICC) prescribes a wall and floor assembly performance standard to meet or exceed a STC rating of 50 in a lab test (ASTM E 90 )or 45 in field tests (ASTM E 336) and IIC rating of 50 in a lab test (ASTM E 492) or 45 in field tests (ASTM E 1007).3 Using industry standards such as ICC, HUD, ANSI, FGI as a starting point for designing a series of floor and wall assemblies we hope to find high performing cost-effective acoustic solutions for mass timber assemblies that can be readily adopted by design teams and jurisdictional authorities . In addition, this study aims to provide more third-party verified data on CLT + MPP acoustic performance and disseminate it into the public sphere.
Open Access
Unfold the Box: Spatial Wellness in the Modern Workforce
(Institute for Health in the Built Environment, University of Oregon, 2020-08) Byers, Sandra; Martin, Katherine; Summers, Lily; Fretz, Mark
Our modern economy has transitioned into a service industry and manufacturing model where workers are expected to be creative, alert, and continuously function at a high cognitive level. Globalized commerce with company outposts around the world has blurred the boundaries of time zones and the traditional work day. Many previously physical tasks have now become mental tasks as technology changes how we work and employers are leveraging their investment in human resources by optimizing workplace environments to maximize the health and performance of their labor force. We spend the majority of our life indoors and finding time and space to recuperate throughout the day is critical to workplace morale, productivity and employee health. Employers are responding by offering spatial amenities such as private rooms for new mothers, nap-pods for jet-lagged business travelers, and yoga studios for increasingly sedentary employees, often without a comprehensive understanding of how the spaces are utilized or whether they are achieving their desired objectives. This white paper is focused on creation of wellness in the workplace through spatial design. Unfold the Box interrogates the history and development of spatial amenities in the workplace and envisions concepts for the modern workforce, translating research evidence into design.
Open Access
Integrated Health and Energy in Affordable Housing: A Study of the Relationship Between Air Quality and Energy in Multifamily Housing
(Institute for Health in the Built Environment, University of Oregon, 2021) University of Oregon, Institute for Health in the Built Environment
The intent of this research effort was to better understand the intersection between mechanisms for improved indoor air quality and the impacts to energy efficiency and operational building emissions. The results can be used to inform program development and the design community on how to balance these two vital factors in the design and operation of multifamily housing buildings. The research included a literature review of supporting work on this or related topics. These findings were then used to inform the development of a multi-part modeling effort. This included: — indoor particulate modeling — building energy modeling — operating greenhouse gas emissions model based on energy use and time-variant grid emissions The study evaluated two main categories: existing affordable multifamily buildings and new affordable multifamily buildings. Within each of these categories, three cases were studied. These were as follows: E X ISTI N G BUI LDI N G — Baseline - Typical multifamily housing building — Retrofit - Addition of a portable HEPA filter unit — Renovation - Extensive upgrades to building envelope and HVAC systems NEW BUI LDI N G — Baseline - Code minimum multifamily housing building — Energy Efficient - Above code HVAC system efficiencies and envelope performance levels — Energy Efficient +IAQ - Above code HVAC system efficiencies and envelope performance levels with higher air filtration levels and higher ventilation air capacity
Open Access
Patterns for Health: a parametric tool for creating healthy spaces
(Institute for Health in the Built Environment, University of Oregon, 2022-11) Martinotti, Isaac; Mahic, Alen; Van Den Wymelenberg, Kevin; Fretz, Mark
Homeowners, designers, and architects have long desired for a way to better interact with the worlds that they inhabit, and create better environments for themselves and the people that depend on them. Unfortunately, as it true with most protected disciplines, the barrier to entry of many techniques is higher than most people will comfortably meet. Rules of thumb - such as those elaborated upon in the Daylighting Pattern Guide - are very useful for allowing non-expert groups to create more holistically designed environments, and to incorporate technologies and techniques that they might not fully understand. Despite the relative ease that these rules can be incorporated into the average home, they often still require a higher base understanding of design than the mean person. This is where a parametric solution would excel. Creating a tool that provides instant feedback as well as simple controls would allow for more people to quickly gain the knowledge necessary to use these established rules of thumb. This opportunity is the end-goal of Patterns for Health - to create a webtool and simple interface to allow normal people to diagnose issues with their existing spaces, and to suggest specific and unique solutions to their unique problems.
Open Access
Forest to Facade: Developing an Application for Mass Plywood Panels in Seismic and Energy Wall Retrofits
(Institute for Health in the Built Environment, University of Oregon, 2023) Casey, Flynn; Fretz, Mark; Narancic, Payton; Northcutt, Dale; Sheine, Judith; Stenson, Jason; Van Den Wymelenberg, Kevin; Barbosa, Andre; Mann, Phil; Orozco, Gustavo Fernando; Gerig, Mark
The project is a collaboration between the University of Oregon (UO)'s Energy Studies in Buildings Laboratory and Oregon State University (OSU) through the TallWood Design Institute (TDI), a collaboration between UO’s College of Design and OSU’s College of Forestry and College of Engineering that advances engineered timber products and their application through research and testing. This project demonstrates a system of prefabricated panels built with MPP that can be rapidly applied on-site over existing building cladding to upgrade older light-wood-frame one- to three-story buildings to meet or exceed current energy and seismic codes.
Open Access
Milwaukie Courtyard Housing Project (MCHP) Energy Analysis
(Institute for Health in the Built Environment, University of Oregon, 2023-02) Fretz, Mark; Mahic, Alen; Northcutt, Dale; Sheine, Judith; Stenson, Jason
Our society is facing a set of converging challenges. Climate change, with its associated health impacts, social inequalities, homelessness, access to healthcare, caring for an aging population, unaffordable housing and a pandemic are all affecting the health of individuals, communities and the planet. The Milwaukie Courtyard Housing Project (MCHP) is a proposed systematic response to these challenges through the innovative use of panelized Mass Plywood Panel (MPP) wood products in single-family residential construction coupled with new urban cluster housing infill development and infrastructure models. Higherdensity courtyard infill housing of small individual or paired units can provide an alternative to multifamily developments in traditional single-family neighborhoods for what is called “workforce housing” aimed at affordability at 80% -120% of area median income (AMI). By working to meet Net Zero energy goals, the homes are designed to be energy efficient, have significantly less embodied carbon than light wood frame assemblies, and be affordable to middle income families. The MPP panelized designs are optimized for aesthetics, affordability, energy efficiency, resilience and biophilic benefits of wood. This new approach to residential construction seeks to decrease land costs per unit, reduce travel distances to work and play (thus, lowered transportation carbon emissions and cost savings), and provides shared ‘grid-enhancing’ solar microgrid energy and water infrastructure. This infrastructure will provide benefits to the larger grid during normal conditions while being capable of sustaining operations within the courtyard “cluster” during grid-disrupting events. The courtyard cluster model is intended to be large enough to take advantage of economies of scale but small enough to facilitate construction without requiring significant municipal investment. On-site infrastructure is intended to increase the resiliency of water and energy resources while reducing lifetime operational costs. The research and development team hopes to demonstrate that this approach is affordable over time and thereby increase access to resilient clean energy and water resources in underserved communities that are increasingly exposed to the adverse impacts of climate change. The Milwaukie Courtyard Housing Project brings an affordable, replicable, mass timber, smallplex solution to a overpriced housing market. The project addresses overlapping issues that are designed to benefit the end users, including Energy Trust customers: smart densification, sustainable building, and below market-rate housing. All aspects of the project are ‘energy sensitive,’ from the design to the construction of the energy-efficient homes themselves. The energy efficiency goals will contribute to housing affordability for Energy Trust customers.
Open Access
Carbon Narratives for Design Planning
(Institute for Health in the Built Environment, University of Oregon, 2023) Bloom, Ethan; Chidambaranath, Pallavl; Fretz, Mark; Kwok, Alison; Mahic, Alen; Martin, Katherine; Northcutt, Dale; Rowell, Joshua; Stenson, Jason; Van Den Wymelenberg, Kevin; Onell, Elaine; Puettmann, Maureen
The carbon story for buildings exemplifies the complexity and interconnection of embodied and operational carbon contributing to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions causing climate change. A myriad of considerations are in play, from natural resource management, extraction, processing, transportation, construction, operation and ultimately end of life, for every material and every building. Buildings currently represent about 37% of annual global CO2 emissions.1 About 10 GtCO2 annually come from building operations, which is at an all-time high, and about 3.6 GtCO2 from producing major materials used in building construction.1 As the world economy grows and living standards rise, the global consumption of raw materials is expected to nearly double by 2060.1 Decarbonizing the building sector will require coordinated action from numerous and diverse stakeholders in areas such as science, policy, and finance. Architects, engineers, and construction (AEC) professionals can take greater responsibility through building material selection, but this important decision-making process requires having the right data at hand when it’s needed. We believe the quickest means to reducing global warming potential through building material selection in the near term is to: 1) use and reuse materials efficiently, including existing structures; 2) use low embodied-carbon material options in place of materials that are derived from carbon intensive production; 3) employ bio-based materials, such as timber, that are renewable and remove carbon from the atmosphere during their growth, then design for durability and longevity, disassembly, and end-of-life reuse to ensure that the stored carbon remains out of the atmosphere for as long as possible; 4) create opportunities to use mill and production waste in products with long lifespans. At present, timber is typically less carbon intensive than steel or concrete if sourced from forests with sustainable forest management practices. On a longer time horizon, we believe: 1) significant reductions in all industry emissions and continued improvements in sequestration are imperative for all building materials including wood, concrete and steel; 2) transitioning a significant percentage of our buildings and cities to timber structures could significantly reduce carbon emissions in time, but only if sustainable forest management practices are used in concert with strong forward-thinking governance and broad-reach planning efforts; 3) sustainable forestry practices, along with the life cycle assessment methodologies and design tools used to quantify their impacts, are still in a period of development and refinement, and should be expected to be a moving target in the foreseeable future with advancement in our collective understanding and through greater adoption of these systems and practices. This guide, Carbon Narratives for Design Planning, was developed to acknowledge areas of influence when considering selection of mass timber as a primary building material. It is a complicated narrative, but one that designers and their clients are embracing based on multiple positive attributes of mass timber. At the same time, there is consensus that more transparency and uniformity in the embodied carbon story of wood products from forest to building site will lead to more informed decisions and improved environmental outcomes when specifying materials during design planning. This project offers a synthesis of available information for primary materials of structural building systems, with particular focus given to mass timber. We highlight ways in which mass timber can reduce whole building embodied carbon yet recognize that the narratives become complicated when comparing carbon content in mass timber structural systems against concrete or steel. The narrative becomes further nuanced when forest management practices, biogenic carbon and unknown material end-of-life pathways become part of the equation. The guide is structured in five parts, describing: 1) carbon in the built environment; 2) carbon, climate and forests; 3) carbon and mass timber; 4) carbon and concrete and 5) carbon and steel. Additional resources included in the appendices are survey results from 180 AEC practitioners from across North America, many with international project experience, that were used to structure a series of five workshops that took place between April and September 2021: 1) Wood Certifications: What is the difference and is it worth the extra cost? 2) Beyond the EPD: What aren’t we considering? 3) Comparing Carbon Narratives: How do concrete, steel and mass timber actually perform? 4) LCA Assumptions: Counting carbon neutrality versus climate neutrality? 5) Design for Building End of Life: Assumptions versus Actualities. Workshops drew on expertise and perspectives from individuals in forest ownership and production at small and large scales, manufacturers, non-profits, government and academia. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, these workshops were held entirely virtual, which allowed participation of national and international experts. Links to workshop recordings are hosted on the Institute for Health in the Built Environment (IHBE) and NetZed Laboratory websites. The immediate goal of this work is to create a common narrative for use by AEC professionals in their current and future work involving specification of building materials and associated carbon impact from those choices. Longer range goals of this work are based on the belief that these carbon narratives are key to advancing research, innovation, and cross-disciplinary urgency surrounding broad efforts to decarbonize the building sector and the materials used in the built environment.
Open Access
Daylighting Patient Rooms in Northwest Hospitals
(Institute for Health in the Built Environment, University of Oregon, 2005-10) Brown, G.Z.; Brickman, Johanna; Kline, Jeff; Livingston, Gina; McDonald, Brooks; Smith, Crawford; Staczek, David; Wilkerson, Mark
This section is intended to enable hospital design professionals to quickly understand the basic principles of hospital patient room daylighting design in order to apply them in their current design projects. It delineates the important variables such as room width and depth, and describes how they interact. The section concludes with 10 prototype patient room designs that represent a range of possibilities for typical hospital design. The potential benefits from daylighting patient rooms are energy savings and increased patient well-being. Lights can be turned off when daylight is available, saving electrical energy. Turning off the electric lights can reduce internal heat gain, which in turn reduces the size of the cooling system, reducing both initial and operating costs. Proper placement of the windows increases the opportunity for views and the availability of daylight, both of which can improve patient wellbeing.
Open Access
Sensitivity Study of Annual and Point-in-Time Daylight Performance Metrics: A 24 Space Multi-Year Field Study
(Institute for Health in the Built Environment, University of Oregon, 2016-08) Nezamdoost, Amir; Van Den Wymelenberg, Kevin
With the latest published version LEED (v4), and the IES codifying two recommended annual-climate-based daylighting metrics and performance criteria, annual daylighting simulation has become even more important to the design professions than ever before. However, interpretation and application of annual-climate-based daylighting data are still relatively novel. This paper documents a 8-year human factors daylighting field research project using students’ qualitative assessments of daylight sufficiency and corresponding point-in-time and annual-climate-based daylighting simulation in a variety of building types (n=24) in order to provide insight to the building performance simulation community about application of these new annual daylighting metrics.
Open Access
Accurate Measurement of Daylit Interior Scenes Using High Dynamic Range Photography
(Institute for Health in the Built Environment, University of Oregon, 2016) Jakubiec, J. Alstan; Van Den Wymelenberg, Kevin; Inanici, Mehlika; Mahic, Alen
This paper investigates accuracy in typical High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography techniques used by researchers measuring high resolution luminance information for visual comfort studies in daylit spaces. Vignetting effects of circular fisheye lenses are investigated for reproducibility between different lenses of the same model and sharing between researchers. The selection of aperture size is related to vignetting intensity, dynamic range and potential for lens flare. Lighting variability during capture processes is also tracked, and it is recommended to measure vertical illuminance in order to validate the stability of a scene. Finally, luminous overflow—a concept where a HDR photograph cannot measure the true luminous environment—is introduced. Its effect on the glare metrics UGR and DGP is investigated by using neutral density (ND) filters to increase the dynamic range of photographs under direct sunlight. It is recommended to use ND filters in scenes with vertical illuminances greater than 5 000 lx or with direct vision of the sun.
Open Access
Improving the Accuracy of Measurements in Daylit Interior Scenes Using High Dynamic Range Photography
(Institute for Health in the Built Environment, University of Oregon, 2016) Jakubiec, J. Alstan; Inanici, Mehlika; Van Den Wymelenberg, Kevin; Mahic, Alen
Measuring the luminous environment enables researchers and practitioners to study perception and visual comfort in existing environments in order to decipher the components that contribute to good or problematic lighting characteristics. High dynamic range photography is commonly used to study visual perception and comfort. This paper presents new findings and specific methods of capturing interior scenes that may include peaks caused by a direct view of the sun and specular reflections. Methods are tested to improve the range of luminance values that can be captured, and new guidelines are proposed to improve the accuracy of computed visual comfort indices. Keywords: daylighting, high dynamic range imagery, visual comfort, glare, luminous overflow.
Open Access
OCUVIS: A Web-Based Visualizer for Simulated Daylight Performance
(Institute for Health in the Built Environment, University of Oregon, 2018-06) Rockcastle, Siobhan; L. Ámundadóttir, María; Andersen, Marilyne
This paper introduces an interactive web-based visualizer for multi-metric daylight simulation results, named OCUVIS. It is able to display simulation-based results for a diverse range of ocular human-centric metrics such as non-visual health potential (nvRD), daylight-related visual interest (mSC5) and visual comfort (DGP with Ev), as well as horizontal illumination metrics such as spatial Daylight Autonomy (sDA), Annual Sunlight Exposure (ASE) and Daylight Factor (DF)). To provide a holistic representation of performance across a multi-directional field-of-view, OCUVIS creates an interactive visualization of results over time and across space, linking temporal and 3D graphics. This allows the user to explore the impacts of dynamic sky conditions, view position, view direction and program use on localized and building scale performance. OCUVIS bridges the gap between human and building-scale daylight potential to offer a more holistic and intuitive representation of daylight performance in buildings.
Open Access
The Impact of Light Distribution and Furniture Layout on Meeting Light Exposure Objectives in an Office – A Simulation Case Study
(Institute for Health in the Built Environment, University of Oregon, 2021) Danell, Megan; Hartmeyer, Steffen; Petterson, Lisa; Davis, Robert; Andersen, Marilyne; Rockcastle, Siobhan
The present simulation case study compares the impact of electric lighting distributions in relation to work-desk location and orientation on work-plane and eye-level illumination within a small private office. The aim of this study is to better understand the implications of lighting and furniture design decisions on ocular light exposure with consideration of work-plane illuminance based on current recommendations by the IES and the International WELL Building Institute. Five electric lighting configurations, 3 occupant seating locations, and 3 view directions were simulated and compared. No conditions met work-plane and eye-level illumination targets at the same time. Only by adjusting the spectrum and output intensity were both illumination targets achieved. Overall, vertical wall illumination when seated close to the illuminated wall resulted in the highest eye-level light exposure. These results indicate that vertical plane illumination can act as an effective lighting design for both horizontal and vertical illuminance when furniture configurations are selected accordingly.
Open Access
Comparing Perceptions of a Dimmable LED Lighting System Between a Real Space and a Virtual Reality Display
(The Society of Light and Lighting, 2021-01-04) Rockcastle, S; Danell, M; Calabrese, E; Sollom-Brotherton, G; Mahic, A; Van Den Wymelenberg, K; Davis, R
Over the last several decades, designers have used digital screens to view images of real and simulated spaces and make critical design decisions. Screen technology has improved during this time, as technologies like OLED have replaced legacy displays (CRT, plasma, and LCD). These new screens provide a higher pixel resolution, luminous output and contrast ratio. Immersive head-mounted displays now allow designers to view immersive images, and recent developments in real-time rendering have encouraged the uptake of virtual reality (VR) head-mounted displays in mainstream practice and design education. This paper presents an experiment on lighting perception using a series of LED lighting conditions in a real space and a virtual representation of those conditions captured using a 360° high-dynamic-range camera and presented on an HTC Vive Pro HMD. Fifty-three participants were asked to rate each lighting condition by viewing it in a real space (n = 30) or via immersive HDR photographs displayed in a VR HMD (n = 23). The results show that ratings of visual comfort, pleasantness, evenness, contrast and glare are similar between the HTC Vive Pro HMD and our real space when evaluating well-lit scenes, but significant differences emerge in dim and highly contrasted scenes for a number of rating scales.
Open Access
Disparities in Circadian Potential: the Impact of Building Form and Interior Wall Composition on Dynamic Light Exposure
(Institute for Health in the Built Environment, University of Oregon, 2023-09) Rockcastle, Siobhan; Carlberg, Hadley; Esmailian, Maryam; Lovísa Ámundadóttir, María
This paper builds on previous efforts to evaluate and compare dynamic light-exposure profiles over time and throughout space. This paper examines two office-floor plans through the eye-level exposure of 10 representative occupant profiles as they move throughout a series of seated locations over time. These 10 profiles are then used to create a weighted score for the full occupant population by applying the performance of each representative profile by the number of similar profiles in that same class. This allows us to compare the percentage of occupants that are expected to meet the WELL v2 Feature L03 150 EML target at a building scale, while also accounting for typical use patterns and pushing the WELL standard to account for dynamic behavior. The findings presented in this paper are meant to illustrate the impact of building form, interior material, and typical occupancy scenarios on circadian light exposure across a dynamic occupant population.
Open Access
The Impact of Operated Window Shading on Visual Comfort, Non-Visual Health, and Energy Demand from Electric Lighting
(Institute for Health in the Built Environment, University of Oregon, 2023-09) Rockcastle, Siobhan; Mahic, Alen; Safranek, Sarah
This paper introduces a simulation-based workflow to assess annual circadian lighting performance, glare risk and energy demand for an array of seated view positions under operated shading and electric lighting conditions. This workflow uses a combination of 9-band and 81-band simulations to represent daylight and electric lighting respectively. Annual climate-driven calculations rely on python-based code provided by the Lark spectral lighting software, which was used to run 180-degree high dynamic range (HDR) renderings with 9-bands of spectral resolution. The results reveal the impact of shading systems on equivalent melanopic lux (EML) and daylight glare probability (DGP) over time and the energy demand (kWh) from electric lighting systems to supplement eyelevel recommendations from the WELL v2 Building Standard (Feature L03).
Open Access
Energy Efficient Industrialized Housing Research Program: Summary FY 1996 Research Activities
(Institute for Health in the Built Environment, University of Oregon, 1996) Bjornson, Dana; Brown, G.Z.; Dorsett, Erik; Kline, Jeff; Fremouw, Sean; Northcutt, Dale; Schneider, Marshall; Sloot, Marc; Raney, Marie; Sekiguchi, Tomoko; Beal, David; Chandra, Subrato; Downing, Andrew; Rudd, Armin; McIlvaine, Janet; Armacost, Robert; Gawlik, Tom; Malek, Mag; Mullens, Mike; Rheborg, Mats
This report summarizes research results from March 1996 to February 1997 for the Energy Efficient Industrialized Housing Research Program. One of our research focuses was stressed skin insulating core (SSIC) panel construction. SSIC panels, which carry their loads entirely through their skins, are of interest because they eliminate thermal bridging caused by studs and they easily form airtight construction reducing air infiltration. We completed three projects with SSIC panels - an entry-level house design for nonprofit developers, a new floor and foundation system, and a study of alternative skins for the panels.
Open Access
Open Home Project: Designing Modular Housing and Landscapes for Resilient Communities
(Institute for Health in the Built Environment, University of Oregon, 2020) Ward, Paul; Castro, Ivan; Fiorelli, Thomas; Fretz, Mark; Ko, Yekang; Lee, Junhak; Russel, Kory; da Silva Correa Leite, Carolina; Van Den Wymelenberg, Kevin
Affordable, energy efficient, and healthy housing is a key component of individual, community, and planetary resilience and is increasingly scarce in both rural and urban regions on the West Coast of the US and many other locations globally. To address this issue, we assembled a diverse team including designers, manufacturers, researchers, economic and legal experts, community organizers, and students from many fields to develop complementary systems for modular, affordable housing and supportive site enhancements. By pursuing an ‘open-source’ design process, our research and concepts are shared freely to engage and welcome input from a broad spectrum of perspectives. Our goal is to leverage disruptive new technologies like mass-timber panelized digital manufacturing, distributed energy production/storage, and water reclamation micro-grids to support systems-based approaches to creating affordable housing and resilient communities. Our flexible modular solution is rapidly deployable, reconfigurable, and relocatable. It includes on-board photovoltaic arrays and battery storage and can be positioned as a standalone accessory dwelling unit or as a cluster community. We propose service-based and on-site approaches to water and waste treatment in response to different configurations and contexts. Each unit provides much-needed housing while reinforcing the local utility grid and providing essential services during grid-disrupting events. This paper documents initial results of ongoing research, financial and sociopolitical implementation plans, and site improvement and modular housing system concepts. Moreover, we invite the ACEEE community to contribute their expertise as part of open source knowledge network.
Open Access
Mass Timber Panelized Workforce Housing in Oregon, U.S.
(Institute for Health in the Built Environment, University of Oregon, 2023) Sheine, Judith; Fretz, Mark; O'Halloran, Simone; Gershfeld, Mikhail; Stenson, Jason
Mass timber panel production came to the United States after developments in Europe and Canada; the first domestic structural cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels were manufactured by DR Johnson Wood Innovations in Riddle, Oregon in 2015. With its history of timber product manufacture, the state has embraced this new material for its potential for economic development in the U.S. As in many places in the U.S., Oregon has a critical shortage of affordable housing and it has been challenging to find paths for mass timber to enter this market where light-wood-frame construction is dominant. In 2018, Freres Engineered Wood, working with the TallWood Design Institute, a collaboration between the University of Oregon and Oregon State University, developed a new product: mass plywood panels (MPP). This product provides a possibility for constructing single-family houses economically with mass timber using thin panels derived from small diameter logs. This paper describes the research leading to a pilot project utilizing MPP for workforce housing in Milwaukie, Oregon.
Open Access
Differing effects of four building materials on viable bacterial communities and VOCs
(Elsevier, 2021) Mhuireach, Gwynne A.; Dietz, Leslie; Griffiths, Willem; Horve, Patrick Finn; Laguerre, Aurelie; Northcutt, Dale; Vandegrift, Roo; Gall, Elliott; Van Den Wymelenberg, Kevin
Indoor environmental quality is a paramount concern among architects. Exposure to VOCs and microorganisms impacts occupant health, yet the role of materials on these exposures remains poorly understood. In this study, we placed four material types in individual microcosms to test whether material type influences bacterial community structure and VOC emission. We used culture-independent methods to characterize bacterial communities and TD-GC-MS to measure VOC emission. We found that viable bacterial communities had different patterns of abundance, diversity, and composition, in comparison with total (viable plus dead cells) bacterial communities. Examining viable bacteria only, Earth had the highest abundance and diversity, unique community composition, and overall negative VOC emission. Timber had the lowest bacterial abundance, composition similar to Gypsum and Concrete, and the highest VOC emission rate. Our research provides further evidence that architects’ decisions about building materials can influence chemical and microbial exposures indoors.