Category: Architecture in the Wild

  • LED Streetlights for Walnut Creek, Thanks to Federal Stimulus Funds?

    New LED Streetlights at the corner of Ygnacio Blvd. and Montego, Walnut Creek, CA
    New LED Streetlights at the corner of Ygnacio Blvd. and Montego, Walnut Creek, CA

    Driving home tonight I noticed LED streetlights emitting a soft white glow over parts of Ygnacio Blvd, here in Walnut Creek.  As of this evening the lights only extend the 3/4 mile stretch between N. Civic Dr. and Marchbanks Dr. and a couple random streetlights West of N. Civic Dr. and East of North Broadway.  Three quarters of a mile is not much considering Ygnacio Blvd. is over 7 miles long and is only one of several major streets in the city.

    The lights emit a very natural cool white as opposed to the amber tint cast by the current high pressure sodium lights that are located throughout the rest of the city.  The benefits of LED are incredibly low energy consumption and a ridiculously long life time; 75,000+ hours compared to the 12,000 to 24,000 hours of high pressure sodium or 1,000 hours of an incandescent bulb.  However, due to the fact that they emit a white light, and therefore a broader spectrum of wavelengths, they do result in more light pollution.

    Walnut Creek already has a policy in place to replace all of the traffic signals with LED lights (walnut-creek.org: Signals – LEDs and Battery Backup), however I found no mention on the cities web page of any plans to replace the streetlights.  The city already spent $1.46 million of Federal Stimulus dollars to resurface 1 mile of Civic Drive and it apparently gets an additional $677,000 for energy efficiency and conservation projects (Contra Costa Times 4/24/2009: Walnut Creek gets slice of stimulus pie).  Replacing streetlights with LEDs has been a popular use of stimulus money.  San Jose, Milwakee, and Missouri City, Texas are among the cities doing so (USA Today 3/3/2009: More cities tap stimulus package for LED streetlights).  Recovery.gov lists a few projects for Walnut Creek, including a contract for $58,615 with One Line Power Systems, Inc.  The company, located in Walnut Creek, has no website and I was unable to find any information about what the company does.

    It is unclear at this time whether the US taxpayer is opening their wallet for our new street lights, but I for one, am happy for the new light being cast on our city.

    UPDATE:  January 8th, 2010

    As of today the city has replaced 126 fixtures stretching nearly two miles from Oakland Boulevard to Marchbanks Drive.

    Almost two months after they were installed the Contra Costa Times finally reported yesterday that the city of Walnut Creek paid $87,000 for the install after receiving a $17,950 rebate from PG&E.   A PG&E spokesman said they were able to offer the rebate because of stimulus funding.  It also appears that PG&E hired the contractor to install the lights.

    According to the Contra Costa Times the city’s energy savings have been dramatic.  The city is paying $726 $7,230 per month to power the new fixtures, down from $14,080 a month.  Energy usage decreased to 5,700 kwh, less than half the energy the original fixtures used.

    UPDATE:  January 22nd, 2010

    Thanks to grandcanyondave for providing a link to PGE’s current rate structure.  This give us a little more insight into the cost savings of switching to LED lights.  The following numbers show a typical scenario similar to what the city may have been paying previously and currently.

    According to PGE’s current rates:

    126 HPS 250 watt fixtures x $0.567 x 200 hours/month = $14,288/month

    126 LED 150 watt fixtures x $0.295 x 200 hours/month = $7,434/month

    According to grandcanyondave the city previously had a mix of 125 and 250 High Pressure Sodium fixtures, and 200 hours/month is a little low if it is late in the year, however I think these numbers help give an idea of the cost associated with street lighting.

  • Architectural Disasters

    I had the opportunity of driving across the westbound side of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge last week.  The westbound side was completed in 1950 and has been solid as a rock for almost 60 years.  As I traversed this now famous span, I couldn’t help but think of it’s infamous and ill fated predecessor.

    This short drive and the recent building collapse of the residential block in China made me reflect again on the very serious nature of the Architecture and building professions.  As Architects, engineers, contractors, designers, and draftsmen, the decisions and the work that we do have very serious real world consequences.

    Not all problems result in loss of life, but sometimes the costs can be unimaginable.  Over the years I have seen many, many bad designs and construction mistakes, as has anyone who has worked in the profession for any amount of time.  I’ve seen structures sliding down hills, doors that don’t open, and shoddy and dangerous construction in abundance.  In order to protect the innocent I won’t be posting any of those problems here, but I’ll more than gladly share other people’s mistakes.

    Below I have compiled some serious and not so serious building errors for your reflection.

    Tacoma Narrows Bidge  June 27, 2009
    Tacoma Narrows Bridge,  June 27, 2009

    The Tacoma  Narrows Bridge collapsed on Nov. 7th, 1940 only four months after completion.  The only casualty was a dog stuck in a car on the bridge when it collapsed.

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  • Photo Essay: Seattle Central Library

    Opened to the public on May 23, 2004, the Seattle Central Library by Rem Koolhaas quickly became a tourist attraction in Seattle, Washington.

    The 362,987 square foot building features an underground public parking lot, hundreds of computers, an auditorium, and “the book spiral” that allows visitors to traverse the entire book collection all on one continuous “floor” that spirals over 5 stories.  I found the entire structure to be amazing in both form and function.  Practical details like having floor air registers and waterless urinals are complimented by having text embossed flooring, and vertical circulation identified with a consistent bright yellow.

    During my visits on June 27th and 28th I overheard an elderly woman comment that being in the building was giving her an anxiety attack.  I would agree that the building as a whole can seem a bit overwhelming, it is very different from the traditional library.  However, I found the building to be exciting and invigorating.  The building draws you to explore it and discover.  I think libraries as a whole can be very compartmentalized, but the spaces in Seattle Central Library were very connected not just horizontally but vertically as well.  I was also surprised by the numerous intimate areas that were created on balconies, and in glazed niches.  There were many places that I could see myself sitting for hours just reading.

    Overall I found the building very impressive.

    (Photo essay after the break)

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  • Modern Spanish Construction: Part III

    To finish out this series on Spanish construction methods I wanted to post a few more images.

    Multi Story Building
    Multi Story Building with Curves! Ciudad Real, Spain

    There are a number of typical things being done in this building.   As is the case with most Spanish multi-story buildings, a series of concrete columns and beams are spanned with concrete joists and brick units to create the structure for concrete floor decks.

    Also typical are the crane on site during the entire construction process as well as the safety netting around the building.

    I like this picture because it shows how flexible this system can be.  Unlike the building I showed earlier the upper floors introduce some curves.

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  • Modern Spanish Construction: Part II

    Yesterday we looked at the demolition and foundation of this building and the pouring of the foundation. Today we will take the building to it’s completion.

    Forming the First Floor
    The formwork has been removed from the 1st floor columns and the forms are being set up for the second floor. It was only a couple days since the first floor columns were poured but they won't be supporting any load for a few more. Metal jacks are setup steel joists and wood formwork are laid out.

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