Since there are no currently active contests, we have switched Climate CoLab to read-only mode.
Learn more at https://climatecolab.org/page/readonly.
Skip navigation
4comments
Share conversation: Share via:

Climate Colab

Feb 18, 2015
12:20

Member


1 |
Share via:
Congratulations on making it to the Semi-Finals for the Urban Heat Island Effect contest. Please take into consideration the comments left by the judges and do please incorporate that feedback into your final proposal. We look forward to seeing your ideas finalized in the next iteration!

Jennifer Lawrence

Feb 18, 2015
11:58

Fellow


2 |
Share via:
Dear Ceramics: The CoLab had a typo in their previous message to you. The proposal revision period closes on March 1st, NOT the 31st. Below are your proposal's comments from the judging team. Thank you for participating! Judge 1: This is a neat idea. Very unusual and unique! I like the idea of ice cooling, and using a natural material like terracotta. It would be nice to get some insight into the ice that will be used for cooling - is the ice made on site (you're suggesting the Kendall ice rink, so do you mean the ice rink ice?), or purchased? How does freezing ice (and recycling water) compare to the cost of buying ice? How long will it take to make all the blocks needed for the project? Is it possible to get a sketch of what the proposed project will look like? I can picture a pile of terracotta blocks, but I'm sure that your planned design is far more aesthetically appealing than the image in my mind! Judge 2: This proposal is fascinating and I think has great potential, but I had some detail and implementation questions that I think would help us evaluate the proposal more thoroughly. 1. How big are the stacks of bricks? How much surrounding area would they cool? As a result, how many would need to be installed to have a measurable impact on air temperature of the plaza? 2. Are they potentially breakable or are they designed to be climbed on (by children or others using the park for example)? If they're breakable, what's the strategy for keeping people off of them? 3. what are the maintenance requirements? Do the wells need to be replenished with water if it doesn't rain? How often? How long would they take to set up or break down? 4. If the water is at all open to the air (which I don't know), how do you keep them from being mosquito breeding grounds? I look forward to seeing the answers - this is very innovative and seems to have some potential. Judge 3: This is a well-described and very interesting proposal that would have direct benefit for mitigating UHI effects locally. I especially appreciated the rationale for the pilot site. The idea of using the high heat capacity of water and the permeability of the terra cotta bricks is pretty slick. You might want to make reference to the impacts of the thermal mass of the installation, as this will of course also have an impact on the local thermal environment. But overall this is really clever and creative and I want to hear more!

Laur Hesse Fisher

Mar 4, 2015
09:44

Staff


3 |
Share via:
Dear proposal authors: The Finalist selection phase has been extended so Judges could finalize their comments. The Fellow team will be in touch with more details as they arise. Thank you for your patience and understanding. ~~ Laur Climate CoLab Project Manager

Climate Colab

Mar 6, 2015
12:02

Member


4 |
Share via:
Judging comments: 1) This looks like a worthwhile experiment on a small scale with the potential for a bigger installation if effectiveness can be demonstrated. Potential problems that I foresee are finding someone with the space to dedicate to these shapes, although I imagine Harvard can help. A structural engineer will also need to assure that the structure can withstand local environmental pressures. Is there any data on the effectiveness of cooling the air or case studies you can site? The graphics nicely complimented the proposal. What are the chances these could be made on a bigger scale and how will they be made? 2) This a very well thought-out, creative, and potentially transformative proposal. Very well done. Super-cool (sorry - had to!) both in terms of the engineering and scientific learning that could take place and the potential for public engagement around urban heat and climate issues. I especially appreciated your detailed responses to our questions from the last round of proposals. My only suggestion would be to include some more details of how you will measure and assess the performance of the pilots, and how you would share this information with communities who are likely to be curious about all of this once they see and feel the installations. People are going to want to know if it is doing what you're hoping it will do! Congrats on reaching the finals and best of luck going forward!