A Report On The Wave – The Ecocampus Initiative

National Technological University (NTU) is a global leader in sustainability research, attracting more than s $1. 2 billion in research funding while implementing sustainability principles, in the design of its lush green campus and adding the new Sports Hall called The Wave to its green list. The Wave is designed by Toyo Ito & Associates with sustainable features in line with NTU 's intention to reduce energy and water consumption and waste production by 35 per cent by 2020, under its Eco Campus initiative. This report aims to present and analyse the Sports Hall’s service system with sustainable approaches that are in alignment with the Ecocampus initiative.

Description – Site Context

The Wave is located within the NTU campus on the edge of Nanyang Crescent Road and is surrounded by several residential hall units. Its proximity to the residential halls has brought convenience to the student who wants to use sports facilities for recreational purposes. The Sports Hall takes full advantage of its natural environment by computation modelling and analysing on-site sun and wind patterns. This results in the ability to harness prevailing natural winds to provide good ventilation which reduces the need for mechanical ventilation; leading to a reduction in energy consumption.

Description – Physical layout & Program distribution

The mega sports hall is the first mass-engineered wood (MET) building in Southeast Asia where green construction is becoming increasingly important in buildings, particularly public buildings. The Wave, with an approximate area of 10, 000 m2, is constructed with a continuous 72-meter wave like a roof without internal columns. Inside, it opens a cavernous three storey spaces that can accommodate up to 1, 000 spectators with retractable mechanized seat. The retractable mechanised seats will enable multipurpose courts on the second storey to be configured for into 13 full – sized badminton courts or into three basketball/volleyball courts and a netball court while gym, activity rooms and other spaces are added on the first storey to create a vibrant campus life for the student. The M & E services of the sports hall were designed to integrate with the building. Majority of pipes and ducts are located within the building core where the staircases, lifts and toilets are located, allowing these services to be hidden from the public space while facilitating easy maintenance. These cores flank the building that divides the services effectively for these spaces on both sides. The main ancillary services and rooms were separated from the building due to the fire hazard posed by such rooms as the transformer room, the switch room, etc. as such the building façade, roof and structure is constructed in timber. These rooms were moved to a separate northeast concrete building connected to the main sports hall via a storage room for easy access and maintenance. The first part of the report aims to explain and analyse The Wave's electric, water and sanitary drainage system.

The Wave can be assumed to consume an extremely high amount so, on the plan, an HV switch room of 22kV is observed. The electricity supply is produced from the SP Power and then delivered to the Sports Hall’s substation. The substation that houses the high - voltage switch room and transformer room will receive direct power from underground cables to the sports hall. The voltage is powered by transformers into a low- voltage consumer room (LV) which will then distribute electricity to different parts of the buildings. Like most commercial buildings, the substation is situated away from the sports hall to keep the public safe. The substation is also slightly elevated and has a slight ramp in front of the entrance to drain and prevent water from flooding into the room. It is located on the first store for easy accessibility for authorised personnel. From the above, the electrical system is comprehensive and safe in the building as it complies with the standards and requirements of regulatory bodies in Singapore. The arrangement of the plants is well designed because there is no intersection problem between the rooms. The plant rooms are organized according to the process of electric distribution. Based on the study and research, the electrical distribution system can be said to be suitable for The Wave because The Wave is a public complex that consumes a lot of electrical use. Electric services are also adequate in terms of electricity distribution and use. It can be recommended for the building to use solar power as an emergency supply system. This would help to further promote The Wave’s strong commitment towards sustainability in design.

Description – Rainwater Drainage Layout

Due to the gentle curve, the large surface and material of the sports hall roof, siphonic drainage is introduced to quickly and efficiently discharge the rainwater from the rooftop into the rainwater downpipe. Siphonic system ‘sucks’ water from the roof, using a powerful hydraulic force created by water accelerating down the full height of the building to deliver far greater capacity and flow rates than a gravity system. This is in contrast to the conventional water drainage system where the pipework will transport both air and water. The flow of gravity pipes is extremely inefficient due to the large core of air that allows the water to flow, resulting in the need for larger pipes and more of them as well as extensive underground systems. The siphonic system used in the Sports Hall allows for fewer rainwater outlets, smaller diameter downpipe and less ponding on the roof. These rainwater outlets then lead to the rainwater downpipes which run parallel to the structural A – frame which holds the roof up – and down the columns to the apron drain that run along the perimeter of the buildin. This expresses the seamless integration of the roof form, structure and rainwater drainage systems. The exposed scupper drains along the open corridor act as a buffer between the external of the building to the internal of the building where the sports hall is located. Planter boxes are placed along this scupper drains and are used to harness rainwater for watering and growth. His expresses the seamless integration of the roof form, structure and rainwater drainage systems. The exposed scupper drains along the open corridor act as a buffer between the external of the building to the internal of the building where the sports hall is located. Planter boxes are placed along this scupper drains and are used to harness rainwater for watering and growth. Stormwater systems applied in The Wave are advance and outstanding in handling water retention. The siphonic system used is suitable in the stormwater system management whereby the high amount of rain the sports hall experience can be facilitated off based on the application of the system. After going through extensive research and analysis of the Sports Hall drainage system, it can be gauge that the stormwater system handles well under heavy rain as the technologies applied could quickly discharge water from building premises. Therefore, the rainwater system in The Wave is considered a great system and application.

Description – Sanitary Drainage Layout

In The Wave, sewage is being disposed through sanitary appliances and flushed down into the waste pipe. The toilets are situated at the east and west side of the sports hall to provide the convenience for the public use. The toilets are arranged in similar layout for each floor, hence, for toilets and pantries located at upper floors, vertical waste pipes are connected by modified single stack system to convey and conduct the wastewater to the underground sewage drain. The usage of single modified stack system helps to ease the installation of the sewer required components, keep the pipes vertical and straight to optimizes soil and odour disposal efficiency, meanwhile minimising the number of stack pipes for space saving purposes. Sewage collected from the building is then conveyed along the public sewer line to the wastewater treatment plant before it is released to the water source. The sewage pipes and stacks are either hidden behind the wall or installed right under the ceiling in the building. When entering the washroom, there is no smell and odour, because the vent pipe in the building allows the odour of the sewage to be dissipated to the outer premises. Minimum energy is consumed in ventilating the toilets as the toilets are designed to be naturally ventilated. Several manholes are located underground surrounding the building parameter, providing the maximum flow of wastewater disposal from the building to the septic tank and to the sewer line. In short, the Wave is designed with an efficient and complete sanitary and sewage system that takes into account the needs of users entering the building. Basic sanitation services are well planned and comply with standards and requirement of regulatory bodies in Singapore.

Description – Fire service Layout

The second part of the essay aims to introduce the Fire and HVAC system in relation to NTU's sustainability approach in its Eco campus initiative. In Singapore, the authorities have taken a zero-tolerance approach to buildings in accordance with fire safety standards, even more so for places with high traffic in human beings that usually warrant higher scrutiny by the authorities. The Wave is a sports complex with a lot of human traffic and therefore guarantees itself with the highest level of scrutiny with the fire safety authority. The Wave is equipped with hose reel system, fire alarm system, heat and smoke detectors, portable fire extinguishers and other passive fire systems. The building is installed with dry riser located within the staircases as it is above 10 meters in height. Each fire exit and escape staircase are equipped with an exit sign to guide the building occupants to the exit path. The simplified floor plans as shown in Figure 22 are located next to the lift at each level of the building. Emergency light is also installed in each building area to ensure illumination for the building occupant at the nearest exit in the event of a fire break. Driveways can be seen around the perimeter of the Sports Hall, allowing 24-hour unrestricted fire engine access to the Sports Hall in the event of a fire break out. Fire Hydrants are also located in the vicinity of the motorway and cover the Sports Hall with a radius of 50 meters to the Sports Hall seen in figure 28.

There are 4 emergency staircases in The Wave located on the four corners of the building. This allows building users to access the staircase easily if an emergency occurs. Based on observation and analysis, it is possible to conclude that the location of the Sports Halls fire exit staircase meets the maximum travel distance of 60 meters for two- way escape(with sprinkler system).

Fire is perhaps the greatest obstacle to the widespread adoption of wood as building material for large public buildings. In The Wave, however, the implementation of fire safety measures, such as automatic sprinkler protection, sophisticated alarms and smoke control, allows itself to be relatively safe in a fire scenario in addition to the treatment of the wood itself. If the wooden structure is combusted, it does not burn, but chars at a rate of 0, 75 mm per minute. s a result, the wood used to build the sports hall has an additional 50 mm buffer layer, which is " sacrificed" for charring in the event of a fire, allowing for an hour of evacuation. The charred layer also acts as an insulation and protects the inner core from heating. This was further supported by a sprinkler system to extinguish individual components in risk areas. The wood is also resistant to moisture and termites, meaning that no special conservation system is needed, a factor ensured by annual controls. Based on observation and extensive analysis, the Wave demonstrates a thoughtful planning and consideration of the fire prevention system based on Singapore’s regulation guideline. The exits of the Sports Hall are designed for fire breakout access from anywhere. The Sports Hall also demonstrates an innovative way to design facades with fire- resistant material to comply with the regulations. An improvement area is to have the building install the sprinkler system on the side of the wall instead of the top of the courtyard ceiling, as the sprinkle may not be able to detect the fire break out in time.

Description – HVAC LayoutT

he Wave host an exemplary example of integrating the regular air conditioning ventilation (ACV) and passive displacement ventilation (PDV) system. While the need for air conditioning can be reduced in Singapore, it cannot be eliminated and as such, an energy efficient ACV system has been designed for the Sports Hall. This includes a passive induction cooling system for the Sports Hall, water cooled chillers with cooling towers, two RT (refrigerant tones) chillers as well as chilled water and considers water pumps with variable speed drives. The ACV will be supplied to the first storey offices and training rooms.

Based on the principle that hot air rises and cold air sinks, the PDV system supplies cooled air at the floor level, which is warmed by the heating from the building and the occupants. It is then become buoyant and floats up towards the ceiling where chilled water coils at a high level, cool the warm air. This sports hall system derives energy-saving features from two main features. First, the temperature in the 12-meter-high space is stratified to cool only the occupied zone. The upper zone, which is the void space, does not need to be cooled. This is in contrast to the conventional air conditioning system where cooled air is mechanically forced down from the ceiling and the entire column cooled. Secondly, the need for a fan to distribute the air is eliminated as the convective force is supplied by the heat load in the space. This passive air - conditioning system has many advantages. It sets a new benchmark for providing thermal comfort, saving energy and reducing the need for frequent maintenance. It also eliminates the need for unsightly ducting hanging from the ceiling to distribute cooled air, which also saves space. From maintenance perspective, this system eliminates the need for cleaning and maintenance of the ducts and air diffusers associated with a conventional air conditioning system. For sports hall users, especially badminton players, the condensation and draught potential associated with a conventional air conditioning system is eliminated, providing thermal comfort and the optimal environment for sporting activities.

Conclusion

The Wave is an example of how services and sustainable design can form a cohesive whole. The successful delivery of the integrated, sustainable design was guided by the NTU EcoCampus initiative objectives and facilitated through close collaboration between the project team members. With a strong sustainability feature, NTU's new Sports Hall is a testament to the strong commitment to design sustainability that will pace the future development of the sector.