Boulderspace

Through the Sustainable CU Fund, the CU Bicycle Program, and students efforts; CU will be introducing custom designed solar bike stations later this year. With a team of eight students and one faculty advisor, the general schematic design for the project was approved by the University of Colorado Design Review Board earlier this month. Tyler Whaley, one of the design team members, explains the development processes thus far:

Folsom Park Bike Station
In February the CU Bicycle Program sent out a call for students to design a new bike station. A design team of eight undergrad students from the college of Architecture and Planning answered this call. We selected John Barbour, a senior instructor of the College of Architecture and Planning, to be our faculty advisor. The Folsom Park Bike Station design is the result of a team of dedicated volunteers.

Funding Background
The project is funded by the Sustainable CU Fund. A referendum which dedicates $2.80/student/semester to implement on-campus projects incorporating renewable energy, energy efficiency, recycling and waste reduction, and other innovative projects to reduce the campus¹ impact on climate and environment. Sustainable CU is administered by the UCSU Environmental Center.

More inforomation on Sustainable CU at http://ecenter.colorado.edu/greening_cu/index.html#sust_cu

CU Bicycle Program Background
The CU Bicycle Program provides amenities and education to students and faculty of CU. More information on this awesome free service can be found at: http://www.colorado.edu/bicycleprogram/bikestation.html

Research
One component of the research that informed our design was an examination of the CU Bicycle Program’s current structure. We identified the strengths of the existing building and then incorporated these concepts into our design. The strengths of the current structure are that it is prefabricated, transportable and very durable.

The weaknesses of the existing building we’re also identified and taken on as design challenges. Efficient operation of the station is hindered by lack of storage capacity and unsuitable workspaces. These are the main problems bike station employees expressed in interviews we conducted. In addition we recognized that the building is thermally inefficient, has poor interior lighting and would be difficult to adapt.

The design team conducted a shadow study to identify areas within the selected site that held promise for photovoltaic power generation. From this study we identified Optimum Solar Zones, the areas defined by the red dotted line. Originally we chose to nest the station next to a strip of concrete on the east side of Cockerell Drive. This move puts the station in close proximity to bicycle parking and utilizes the existing hard-scape.

Our Vision

• create an environmentally friendly building that allows the CU Bicycle program to grow and flourish.
• utilize information graphics on the exterior to demonstrate basic bicycle maintenance, the benefits of alternative transportation and the sustainable building practices embodied in the structure
• to improve the quality of interior light for patrons and employees. This is achieved by light shelves which reflect visible light into the building through a clerestory window. Additionally, the shelves reduce contrast and glare by shading the windows below.
• use natural ventilation and passive solar strategies
• utilize a grid tied photovoltaic system that will offset the stations electrical consumption and lower it’s carbon footprint.

We’ve estimated the current stations energy consumption and our new design will generate more power per year than it consumes:

• use a modular green roof for its excellent thermal qualities and numerous environmental benefits
• create a structural system that allows the building to be prefabricated, transportable and adaptable.
• modules could be used to develop a dynamic network of bike stations that share building components and respond to changes in siting and use.
• utilize the concept of module coordination. The dimensions of the building are designed to reduce construction waste.
• use SIP wall panels. These panels are have a great thermal rating, improving conditions inside the building
• petition for the project to be student built

Design Team
Faculty Adviser - John Barbour
Student Team - Yohannes Bebe, Caleb Sillars, Heidi Crespi, Bryan Heidmous, John Hillyard, Kim Inglis, Mara Tegethof, Prudence Daniels, Tyler Whaley

Images
The images and charts below provide more detailed information pertaining to the design processes, research, and developments.

Tags: Bryan Heidmous, Caleb Sillars, CU Bicycle Program, CU Folsom Park, Folsom Park Bike Station, Heidi Crespi, John Barbour, John Hillyard, Kim Inglis, Mara Tegethof, Prudence Daniels, Sustainable CU, Tyler Whaley, UCSU Environmental Center, University of Colorado Design Review Board, Yohannes Bebe