Located on the west side of Cincinnati, Earth Connection (513-451-3932)
is a 3,900 sq. ft. renovation/addition project that was devloped
to create an ecological demonstration and learning center. Paula
Gonzalez, S.C., Earth Connection's founder, describes it as "a
place where people can come to learn about solar, water conservation,
and other measures to help us live more lightly on the earth."
The project was conceived and designed in 1991 and completed in
1995 with a great out-pouring of donations of new, used, and recycled
materials and labor. The building origin was a garage on the existing
site that was used as the building core with the additional space
added around the perimeter. The structure was designed to be passive
solar with a large area of southern exposed windows and a superinsulated
envelope. Operable windows provide natural ventilation. Emphasis
was put on daylight and light sensitive design in order to minimize
the use of the efficient electric fixtures.
The building systems consist of rebuilt solar thermal collectors for direct heating of the floor slab and water. In the summer, space heating is not required so the heat is redirected to a seasional earth storage system for retrieval in the winter. The heat is stored below grade up to 20 feet beyond the footers. A ground-source heat pump also accesses this storage to provide back-up heating and cooling. The sun space acts as the passive solar element with thermal storage in the floor slab. The use of a large southern overhang coupled with minimal glass on the east and west elevations help to prevent summer overheating.
The building started with an ecological focus on the design, the choice and use of materials, and continues, today, to operate with the same focus. Built-in recycling and composting collection are integral parts of the facility along with the exhibit and resource room to provide hands-on demonstrations for seminars and workshops that provide an ecological learning environment.
The 3,900 square feet passive solar structure has large south windows with the highest R-value glass and an airtight, superinsulated envelope with R-24 walls and ceilings of R-30 to 100. Openable windows provide natural ventilation. HeatMirror glass blocks most UV. Daylight and light-sensitive design reduce the use of the efficient electric lights.
On the roof are 360 square feet of rebuilt solar thermal collectors for directly heating the floor slab and hot water. In summer when space heating is not needed, heat is diverted into seasonal earth storage for retrieval during winter. It is stored below ground up to 20 feet beyond the footers inside a foam-insulated earth-pocket. In winter the warmed floor radiates heat into the building. A ground-source heat pump also accesses this storage to provide backup heating and cooling.
The building contains many used materials, starting with some of the site's original garage foundation and frame. Cabinets, aluminum cans, doors, insulation, tables, and other materials were re-used in original and modified forms. Recycling and compost collection are also built-in to the kitchen and bathroom designs.
EarthConnection was designed in 1991 by then U.C. architecture
students Tim Bement, Jim Herbst and Peter Kolshorn, with UC associate
professor Diane Armpriest as team leader. Entropy Ltd. did the
active solar, heating and cooling designs and installations. Many
construction products and services were donated. Solarbank Energy
Systems was general contractor.