Fulbright Research Fellowship

2017-2018. Ulaanbaatar Mongolia.

During the winter months, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s capital, emerges as the epitome of an environmental crisis, one of the most polluted city in the world. The culprit? Families burning tones of coal to stave off a biting cold (-40°F/-40°C) in their homes - creating levels of air toxicity as bad as 2,500 pm 2.5 (intoxicating levels of air pollution causing cancer, loss of children during pregnancy, and many more catastrophic health impacts).

In response to this dire situation, my Fulbright Research Fellowship transported me into the heart of innovation, building science, and a profound cultural immersion to create seemingly impossible synergies between man-made structures and harsh climates.

Collaborating with Mongolian partners to invent the “Passive Ger” - I led a design and building science research project across all stages and scales for a system-level impact to help mitigate this dire health crisis. In creating an energy efficient adaptation the traditional Mongolian Ger (also known as a Yurt in the West), the mission was to preserve key cultural elements of Mongolia’s vernacular housing typology, while catapulting it into the future.

How could this nature-based vernacular housing typology be adapted with advanced science inspired design practices to create impossible opportunities to create a nature and human-centric solution? And how could we learn intern from this 2000 year old design practice to inspire more advanced designs?

As the project manager and lead design researcher, I led a variety of activities, including:

• Qualitative & Quantitative Market Research - alining the design with local initiatives & state incentive programs 

• Conducting extensive fieldwork - living in the Ger Districts in the winter and interviewing families living in Gers to collect first-hand insights

• Consolidating and synthesizing research for homeowners & professional partners to identify an optimized solution across all scales of design

• Leading the design of the Passive Ger across all stages, from concept development, Design iteration and technology integration, to the construction architectural solution for a Ger District customer.

• Sourcing local and international partnerships for energy & moisture performance assessments of the Passive Ger

• Creating local partnerships and nursed collaborative team work to design, build, and sustain a continued development of the Passive Ger

• Teaching advanced building science courses and bio-mimetic design principles at The Institute of Engineering and Technology & other institutions

• Developing new product systems incorporating scientific testing methods to replace costly building materials and reduce overall C02 footprint of the Passive Ger

• Supporting local partners in new product design and low cost technology research

• Communicating on-going project progress to internal team and external partners, in addition to lecturing at local institutions

• Leading all sponsorship efforts, raising $62,000 locally

• Presenting extensively on the project research internationally

• Wrote a Report for the Mongolian Green Finance Corporation on the Passive Ger Project

• Wrote memoirs of my time in Mongolia

TO ACCESS MEMOIRS > CLICK HERE <

Traditional Mongolian Ger

Fulbright Passive Ger

Fulbright Research Fellowship: The Passive Ger

Deadly air pollution has become one of Mongolia’s biggest problems in the winter, contributing to 1 in 10 deaths annually. Eighty percent of the air pollution is due to families burning coal to heat their homes in the Ger Districts of Ulaanbaatar, where these non-formal urban areas make up two-thirds of the city’s population. 

In response, my Fulbright Research Fellowship was to develop an energy efficient Mongolian Ger (also known in the West as a Yurt) with Mongolian partners. The project aimed to preserve key cultural elements of the vernacular housing typology, while adapting the Ger to be more energy efficient in addition to having modern amenities urban dwelling families seek.

Using the Design Thinking process, I developed the initial architectural design based on an intimate understanding of the Ger District community's household needs and aspirations. The final design integrates the community members’ living preferences with the architectural detailing constraints of the Passive House Standard. As a result, the final Passive Ger was successful in finding a homeowner, long-term investor, in addition to an improved energy performance that is 8 times more energy efficient than a traditional Mongolian Ger.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN

Evolution of the Vernacular Housing Typology

While families in the Ger Districts have already begun modifying the Ger with the introduction of modern household technologies, the Passive Ger design is a hybrid of long standing cultural traditions, modern building construction strategies, and housing amenities. 

Design Characteristics

• Total floor plan is 52 M2, with a Ger diameter of 6.5 meters

• Cost is approximately 780,800 MNT per M2 (335 USD per M2) including all construction costs and housing systems

• Energy consumption is approximately 83 kWh/M2 per year - 8 times more energy efficient than a Traditional Mongolian Ger

• Combined Electric stove with water heater

• Permanent structure which properly manages energy & moisture in the building assembly; using standard building materials in modernconstruction - allowing the Passive Ger to no longer have seasonal maintenance strains of a Traditional Mongolian Ger

• Certified Septic & Plumbing System adapted to the water well system of the Ger Areas

• Possibility for 3 rooms with more storage space: Living room, Bedroom, and Loft space above the Kitchen

• Three triple glazing windows for passive heating & ventilation, including a: Skylight on the Toono, South facing in the living room, and East facing bathroom window

Floor Plan

In the Passive Ger, the south facing entrance is moved to the right hand side to make way for a triple glazed south facing window - allowing for passive solar heat gain. The small vestibule entrance reduces the amount of heat loss inside the home. The bathroom hosts a sink, shower, toilet, and 1 ton water tank system providing “running water” to the household. Locating the bathroom systems in this area simultaneously respects traditional practices while acting as a practical location for water tank refills. The living room and kitchen area are combined with a slightly separated and elevated bedroom area to create privacy if needed. The elevated bedroom area leaves room for storage space below, removing clutter from the Passive Ger walls. Above the kitchen is a loft space, actin as an additional sleeping area for children.

Building Envelope

The Passive Ger was a hybrid of traditional a Tradtional Mongolian Ger and contemporary building materials to meet the Passive House Standard. The new design replaced traditional insulation materials such as Mongolian felt with Mongol Basalt Rockwool insulation to provide substantial thermal mass and better retain heat in the winter. While the the traditional Khana (lattice wall) and Uni (cross bracing) were preserved and utilized for their symbolic and structural role.

These traditional Ger components were also used on the exterior of envelope between the air barrier and PVC membrane to allow for airflow and prevent moisture condensation. As a resutl, the final building envelope system allowed for no thermal bridging or moisture condensation, crearting a longer lasting sedentary structure with an improved energy performance that was 8 times more energy efficient than a traditional Mongolian Ger.

The Passive Ger replaced traditional insulation materials such as Mongolian felt with Mongol Basalt Rockwool insulation to provide substantial thermal mass and better retain heat in the winter. In addition, the manufacturing processes of the felt does not undergo strict washing and fabrication protocols - often creating an inconsistent sheet material that also produces strong odors when wet.

The Khana and Uni are utilized for their symbolic and structural role. The traditional Ger components are placed a second time on the exterior of envelope between the air barrier and PVC membrane to allow for airflow and prevent moisture condensation. The PVC membrane is traditionally installed on rooftops in contemporary buildings, lasting for 50 to 100 years as a UV and water resistant membrane. As a result, the performative qualities of the PVC membrane outweighed the traditional Ger’s cotton exterior membrane; often only lasting 3 years as a non-water tight membrane, frequently causing water damage to the rest of the Traditional Ger assembly.  

ENERGY PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT

Energy Performance Assessment

The driving force behind the Passive Ger is the challenge of adapting a Mongolian Ger to meet that the Passive House criteria - reducing the ger’s heat loss, energy consumption, and moisture damage. Because the Passive House Standard is one of the highest construction standards for energy efficient buildings (and can often be fairly expensive) - the design strategy uses the standard as a guideline to improve the building performance of Ger, creating a more energy efficient building assembly. 

The final heating load calculations of the Passive Ger ranges between 159.9 - 177.9 kWh/M2/year according to Saint-Gobain and Building Technology’s calculations, meeting the heating load requirements of the Mongolian Green Finance Corporation (results vary due to each party’s modeling methods).

The Passive Ger is approximately 8 times more energy efficient than a Traditional Mongolian Ger.

For more information on the energy and moisture research, click here →

* Building Science Assessment conducted by: Building Technology’s Engineering Company (BTEC), Saint-Gobain: CertainTeed, and Nomadic Synergetic Partners.

** More extensive modeling and testing should be conducted on the physical prototype in order to ensure the airtightness of the assembly, as well as more accurate estimates using passive house design tools such as PHPP and other dynamic energy and thermal bridge analysis tools.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE &
GO-TO-MARKET STRATEGY

Target Market

The Passive Ger took into consideration previous and existing initiatives that sought to reduce air pollution and strategically positioning the housing product for an untapped housing market - middle income families living in Gers in the Ger Districts.

The design provides a clean energy source for all zones that are separate from Ulaanbaatar’s centrally supplied heating infrastructure system - zones two and three (green and blue sections in the master plan of Ulaanbaatar above)of the Ger Districts. The Passive Ger therefore provides a sustainable solution for a market segment that will be untouched by 2030 according to the Asia Development Foundation.

The Passive Ger housing package was designed to aligning with the Mongolian Green Finance Corporation's(MGCF) “Green Affordable Housing Mortgage Initiative”(GAHMI). Designing according to the MGFC’s criteria, enables the housing product to be a well rounded proposal for affordable energy efficient housing. Some of the criteria for the MGFC include:

1. Adherence with the Mongolian building code 

2. Energy consumption of maximum 38.9 kWh/M2 m2 (or less) per day  // or maximum 252 kWh/m2M2  (or less) per year

3. Cost less than 900,000 MNT per M2m2

4. Profit costs should be less than 30% of the housing cost

5. Designs should be audited by an official organization

6. Maximize the use of natural lighting and ventilation conditions 

7. Electricity should be used from the central grid

8. Water supply and sanitation should be individual

9. Environmentally friendly construction materials should be considered

10. Support of domestic manufacturing of construction materials

11. Construction should be simple and for a short period

As families take on mortgage loans for housing products which are approved by the MGFC's GAHMI - the interests rate families will have to pay on these loans will be capped at 8%, a considerable incentive for homeowners - who could spend as much as 25% on traditional interest rates.

CUSTOMER INSIGHTS &
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

Ger District Insights

Throughout the month of December I sought to live in Ulaanbaatar’s most polluted District, Songino Khairkhan, in order to develop a more intimate understanding of Ger District life. In seeking to empathize with families living in the Ger Areas, I lived with three different families living in 5 Khana Gers (284 sq.ft.).

While living with different families, I developed a better understanding of the day to day challenges and advantages of living in a Traditional Ger in Ulaanbaatar. Throughout my stay I interviewed an additional 15 families to cultivate a more extensive understanding of families’ current living situations as well as their future housing aspirations.

The questions asked sought to understand each families’ reasons for: moving to Ulaanbaatar, employment, expenditures, loans, financial situation, health,  current living practices in a Ger and/or Baishin, preferences surrounding their future home as well as current laws and regulations surrounding housing in the Ger Districts. Some of the key information collected during this time included:

• Monthly household income

• Monthly electrical bill

• Coal Consumption throughout the year

• Existing household loans

• Existing medical and grocery costs

• Household living preferences: Traditional Mongolian Ger vs. Baishin (Western style home)

For more information on the qualitative and quantitative research click here.

Customer Insights: Key Takeaways

In order to create an energy efficient ger that is adapted to the living aspirations of current ger households living in the Ger Areas, key characteristics were deduced based on the community member’s feedback, including:

• Building an energy efficient Ger

• Proper ventilation and air filtration

• Designing an efficient plumbing system that is adapted to the waterfall system of the Ger Areas

• Creating a foundation and structural system that is built to Ulaanbaatar’s seismic construction code

• Fast and easy build of the ger is very important, families are willing to build themselves - DIY (Do It Yourself)

• No longer using stoves as a heat source, and instead using an alternative cost effective heating system that does not pollute

• Making the ger easier to maintain. I.E. Not having to take down the ger 2 times a year to air out the felt, making the interior wall to roof fabric and floor less prone to dust collection

• Option for separate rooms for privacy, while maintaining the shared space of the Ger

• Using passive housing design strategies to reduce energy load on homes as much as possible

Design Development

The project went through five critical phases; concept development, schematic design, design development, construction documents, and final construction documents. During the concept development, seven different housing concepts were presented to families in the Ger Districts. Based on the community member’s feedback, two schematic designs were developed to summarize the preferred housing layout. The design development phase then took into consideration the materials, systems, and costs to propose two final concepts. Based on the feedback from GerHub and EcoTown, the team decided to move forward with the Passive Ger design, developing construction drawings with Shinest Construction and EcoTown, followed by the Final Construction Drawing set with NSP Architects.

LOW TECH & RECYCLED
INSULATION TECHNOLOGY

Combining Mongolian Traditions & Recycled Waste for Cheaper Insulation Material.

For two thousands of years, Mongolians have been making dairy products, from the Huns to the modern day herder or city dweller, the Mongolian diet includes an extensive range of dairy products, from milk to local products such as airag and aaruul.

Today, with more than 70 million in livestock and a long standing tradition of herding lifestyles, of the eighteen families interviewed in Ecotown, families consumed between 7 and 28 cartons of milk - weekly.

As a result, the Milk Insulation project aimed to take a high waste commodity product such as milk, and recycle it into a cheap insulation material in order to help reduce costs for the Passive Ger project. Throughout this initiative, EcoTown and myself collected milk cartons from community members, developed three different small scale assemblies, and tested the insulative properties of these assemblies within the Mongolian University of Science and Technology’s (MUST) climate chamber. Afterwards, we shared the data with the energy and moisture platform within Saint-Gobain: CertainTeed, who were kind enough to provide us with a performance assessment.

Results

The R-Value measured was approximately 0.92 m^2 K / W, or  5.2 ft^2 °F h / BTU :

• R value of ~5.

• This result is very close to what is calculate for stagnant air. 

• Unfortunately, an R value of approximately 5 is basically equivalent to an uninsulated wall (which tend to have an R-Value around 4-7, depending on how bad the air leakage is and the amount of siding layers

• Even though the performance did not compete with fiberglass, the milk cartons did limit convective currents inside the wall

While we were not able to develop this recycled insulation product in time for the completion of the Passive Ger, EcoTown believes if pursued in the longterm, it could be an affordable alternative for Ger District households in the longterm.

TEACHING BUILDING SCIENCE AT THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY

The Institute of Engineering and Technology

Throughout the spring in 2018, I taught a building science class at the Institute of Engineering and Technology, a vocational school with a focus in construction engineering, architecture, environmental engineering, and road construction engineering.

The course provided second year architecture students with a general introduction to sustainable design, basic building science practices, Passive House design principles - enabling students to design their own sustainable urban Ger. Throughout the course, we participated in the assembly and disassembly of a Ger, prototyped and iterated energy efficient Ger designs. Out of the fourteen students I thought, thirteen lived in Gers in the Ger Districts.

TEAM & SPONSORSHIP

Sponsors

Gund Investments, Gerhub, Fulbright, NSP Architects, EcoTown, GoFundMe, The Mongolian U.S. Embassy, Saint-Gobain: CertainTeed, Building Technology LLC, The Mongolian University of Science and Technology, Shinest Construction, Arig Bank, The Institute of Engineering and Technology, Zag Construction, The Mongolian Green Finance Corporation, Render, UBGC, and The Global Green Growth Institute were elemental supporters of the Passive Ger project. These partners provided in-kind and material donations as well as technical expertise.

While the initial aim was to develop the Passive Ger for 31 million MNT (approximately 11,671 USD), the final total construction costs of the Passive Ger prototype was 55,5 million MNT (approximately 20,600 USD) due to construction delays, unexpected repairs, and a change of contractors mid construction. An additional 42,000 USD supported all other project research needs, including technical equipment, personal stipend, prototyping materials, energy and moisture assessments, and part-time employment. As the project manager I raised all funds for the Passive Ger project.

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