Form, Function, and Sustainability: Designing an Energy-Efficient, Community Oriented Ice Rink Through the Emulation and Utilization of Life's Natural Functions

Ice rinks are unique structures that provide communities with a space for socializing, exercise, and entertainment; however, these structures have traditionally been energy-intensive and unsustainable. Creating and maintaining the sheet of ice consumes large amounts of energy while producing harmful pollutants, with the refrigeration system accounting for almost half of the rink’s energy use. Therefore, my Barrett Honors Creative Thesis Project is to research and design a net-zero community ice rink that utilizes sustainable practices to create a system that works with the environment rather than against it. Through waste heat recovery, renewable solar energy, biomimicry, rainwater collection, and other sustainable practices, I will design innovative and environmentally friendly solutions to the current issues circulating traditional ice rinks. Looking at nature as a measure, mentor, and model instead of a resource to be inappropriately used will allow me to utilize the systems within an ice rink for benefit rather than waste.