University Centre, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[["b"]],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[0],1,"How does this project demonstrate the external benefits and\nlong-term value of architects and design excellence?"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"This project\u2014a multi-use building for higher education\u2014is a model\nfor sustainable high-rise development and provides a human-centered experience\nfor students, faculty, and staff. In the face of increasing market pressure for\nhigher density in Nairobi\u0027s Parklands district, the building is both urban and\nurbane while resisting the temptation to maximize real estate by simply going\nvertical with a singular building footprint. Instead, the building is pulled\napart, with a seven-story north wing maintaining the street wall along Third\nParklands Avenue, a 12-story south wing that bends away from the street to form\na central courtyard while also aligning to the most favorable solar exposure\nangles, and a central open-air atrium connecting the two wings. Building form,\nlandscape, and environmental sustainability come together holistically to\nproduce a mini-campus on the 0.75-hectare site."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[0],1,"How does this project exemplify the need for greater research and\ninvestment?"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"This building was designed to be almost entirely naturally\nventilated, reserving mechanical ventilation and air conditioning systems for a\nfew areas where they were required for programmatic reasons. Payette\u0027s in-house\nbuilding science team developed a computer model for testing and validating the\nefficacy of various forms of natural ventilation, including cross-ventilation\nand one-sided ventilation. This model enabled the team to optimize the facade\ndesign in terms of the number and size of operable windows, the impact of\nlimiting how far the windows could open (for safety reasons given the height of\nthe building), and the impact of installing insect screens. The model also took\nthermal comfort into consideration and concluded that the combination of\nnatural ventilation and the mitigating effect of the building structure\u0027s\nthermal mass would make air conditioning unnecessary the vast majority of the\ntime. The project achieved EDGE Advanced certification in 2022."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[0],1,"How does this project exemplify the importance of building codes\nand standards?"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Building codes in Kenya are not yet developed to international\nstandards, so the client required that the project meet NFPA 101. As a result,\nthe building meets the life-safety requirements that are expected of projects\nin the United States, including the provision of automatic fire sprinkler\nsystems throughout. This was a new-build project, not a retrofit, so the\nproject does not quite fit this category. Also, the local building code does\nnot address energy use or performance standards. However, the client was committed\nto international codes and standards and recently adopted EDGE Advanced as the\nminimum standard for each new building. There is clearly a need for more\nwidespread and systematic adoption of codes and standards that focus on\naddressing the climate crisis in addition to the fundamental need for\nappropriate life-safety provisions in buildings."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n"]]]]}