Thesis Project: The A2ZCEG Model
With global governments taking action to tackle the climate crisis, architects are required to adopt sustainable practices. Climate change disproportionately affects the most vulnerable; here in the UK the homeless are most exposed to the resultant effects of this crisis. Increasing housing prices and energy bills exasperate this even further. That’s why we propose a tool that generates an affordable, equitable, zero carbon city: The A2ZCEG Model.
Our project site is based in the Northern Gateway, Manchester – developed in partnership with Manchester City Council and the Far East Consortium. Responding to their brief to design a low-carbon residential area, my team and I developed The Affordable, Accessible, Zero Carbon, Energy Generation Model (A2ZCEG). The A2ZCEG Model is an interactive urban generation tool that allows the user to optimise typologies and the arrangement of the site through adjustable parameters. It evaluates affordability, energy performance, carbon emission outputs, and accessibility as performance criteria. Our aim is to provide emergency shelter for the homeless through mixed-use typologies that convert office space to residential based on housing demand. Additionally, to provide affordable housing through the generation of renewable energy to reduce costs for low-income families.
