Nowadays, energy efficiency and sustainability are important things to prioritize in all aspects of life, including in the construction of various facilities. One of the facilities that require massive amounts of energy is the laboratory. With its intensive energy requirements, it plays an important role in energy consumption and its impact on the environment. By implementing energy-efficient practices, laboratories can not only reduce their carbon footprint but also save money.
This urgency sparked the passion of students from the Faculty of Engineering (FT) at the Universitas Indonesia (UI) to design a sustainable energy-efficient laboratory facility, named Cairo Laboratory Facility. This design is expected to contribute to the sustainable development of the environment. The Cairo Laboratory Facility concept consists of a two-story structure of wet and dry laboratories, office space, and a library. As the name implies, the laboratory building, which has a total area of around 2,515 m2, is designed to be built in Cairo, Egypt.
For this design, the FTUI student team won an international competition, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Setty Family Foundation Net Zero Energy Design Competition. The competition has been running since May 2023 and was announced in early August. Various ASHRAE building standards were also considered when designing the Cairo Laboratory Facility. Site selection, landscape design, building shell design, material selection, and passive design strategies were all part of the architectural approach. On the other hand, the team also utilized several mechanical methods involving the use of renewable energy sources, the choice of HVAC systems, plumbing systems, electrical systems, and fire prevention systems. We also considered the Covid-19 guidelines from ASHRAE.
“To achieve Net Zero Emission and Energy in the design of this laboratory facility, there are several factors that we incorporated. Starting from reducing energy use, maximizing renewable energy sources, landscape design, developing functional facades, optimizing HVAC systems, and analyzing the life cycle of building systems and materials. From these factors, we will achieve a building facility that is energy efficient, healthy, safe, comfortable, and flexible,” said Hana Nabila, a member of the FTUI student team. Along with Hana, the group consisted of Hayfa Farhah, Muhammad Adtar, Revaldy Putra Agatha, Yoel Pormando, and Zalfa Salsabila.
In designing this building, the team also analyzed and conducted simulations to demonstrate the building’s performance. Various types of software, including Revit, Design Builder, PVSyst, and Dialux, were used to simulate the building. Finally, the evaluation process included a life cycle assessment, which aimed to determine the environmental impact from the planning stage to the building’s operation. By calculating the life-cycle cost analysis of building systems and materials, the team also assessed the overall economic aspects of the building. also assessed the overall economic aspects of the building.
“The advantages that are highlighted by the Cairo Laboratory Facility that uses the concept of energy saving here, namely the use of performative facades, applying energy preservation in the form of low carbon emissions, LED and lighting, water harvesting and recycling, and the application of energy conservation in the form of solar harvesting. These advantages are proof that the Cairo Laboratory Facility designed from interdisciplinary science collaboration aims to make green buildings that are energy efficient and sustainable,” said Dr.-Ing Ova Candra Dewi, S.T., M.Sc, a lecturer at the Department of Architecture who guided the FTUI student team. Other FTUI lecturers who also guided were Dr. Miktha Farid Alkadri S.Ars., M.Ars., Prof. Ir. Nasruddin, M.Eng., and Ardiyansyah, S.T., M.Eng., Ph.D..
Dean of FTUI Prof. Dr. Heri Hermansyah, S.T., M.Eng., IPU, said that the interdisciplinary scientific collaboration of the students became a collaboration that fostered a spirit of cooperation in applying various ideas and ideas in realizing the green buildings they designed. The application of building design ideas that support energy efficiency can be further developed, and can also be a new idea to support “future engineers” in Indonesia who are increasingly superior in impact.
The ASHRAE Setty Family Foundation Net Zero Energy Design Competition is a competition that aims to improve sustainability through innovative building design. Designed for undergraduate and graduate students, the competition requires teams from multiple disciplines, with faculty training necessary to collaborate effectively in architectural, mechanical and electrical design. Teams from universities around the world take part in this prestigious international schematic design competition.
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Public Communication Bureau
Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia