BioZero

Organised by 2020 ASHRAE LowDown Showdown, BioZero, a nature-inspired near-zero (n-zero) building proposed for Quay St, Brooklyn, NY 11222, is designed for the maximum use of daylight and natural ventilation. This is the result of its shallow plan depth and the inner light wells/ventilation stacks, which also serve the inner circulation space. The light wells/ventilation stacks are created as a result of the organic shape of the internal partitions. The building is constructed from a steel frame and 300mm hemp-lime bio-composite (hempcrete) in the external envelope, which smooths out the fluctuations of internal air temperature and relative humidity, and achieving -227 tonnes of negative embodied carbon due to sequestration of CO2 in the hemp plant from which the material was harvested. The south facing façade is fitted with Cadmium Telluride photovoltaic array that covers 90% of the opaque surface area.