G. Z. Brown Recognized for Lifetime Achievement in Energy Conservation

G.Z. Brown, Knight Professor of Architecture, was chosen for a lifetime achievement award from the Oregon Chapter of the Association of Professional Energy Managers in December. The award recognizes his years of service, including his solution for an energy-efficient classroom and an innovative daylighting devise he designed for an educational building, both at Mt. Angel Abbey, and his work at the UO’s Energy Studies in Buildings Lab.

Daylighting is an important strategy for reducing a building’s electrical energy use. Brown’s concept for the Mount Angel Abbey started with data drawn from a study funded by Portland-based BetterBricks for a high performance classroom project with BOORA Architects of Portland and SOLARC Architecture and Engineering of Eugene. The resulting daylighting device, called a reguflector, redirects light levels, using photo-controlled louvers from within a central skylight, to maintain lighting within desired limits and eliminate excess heat gain. The reflector component redirects light to the sides of the room, effectively removing brightness directly under the skylight.

The project with BetterBricks, the commercial building initiative of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, was further developed in partnership with Mount Angel Abbey, SRG Partnership (Portland office), SOLARC, and the UO. Brown credits the success of the project to “the willingness of the designers and owners to do the research and testing of multiple options to find the best, most cost-effective solution.”

The UO’s architecture program ranks first for sustainable design education, according to the journal DesignIntelligence in its 2010 issue of America’s Best Architecture and Design Schools. To find out more, contact Terry Blomquist, Energy Studies in Buildings Lab, 541-346-5647, terryb@uoregon.edu; Rich Davis or Oregon APEM representative, Abacus Resource Management Company, richd@abacusrm.com, 503-936-7163.