Beddington Zero Energy Development
(BedZED) environmentally friendly housing
development in Hackbridge, London, England.
It is in the London Borough of Sutton, 2.0 miles
(3 km) north-east of the town of Sutton itself.
Designed to create zero carbon emissions,
it was the first large scale community to do so.
The two towers are linked via three skybridges, each holding a 225 kW wind turbine, totaling 675 kW of wind power capacity. Each of these turbines measure 29 m (95 ft) in diameter, and is aligned north, which is the direction from which air from the Persian Gulf blows in.
Central Park is a major mixed-use urban renewal project in Sydney, Australia located on Broadway in the suburb of Chippendale. The development is focused on a new public park located just off Broadway of approximately 6,500 square meters (70,000 sq ft) in size. For many decades the southern side of Broadway was dominated by a brewery. The facility closed in the 2000s and the site was put up for sale. Frasers Property purchased the site from the Fosters Group and immediately began to process of conversion to a sustainable, energy independent building.
Green building brings together a vast array of practices, techniques, and skills to reduce and ultimately eliminate the impacts of buildings on the environment and human health. It often emphasizes taking advantage of renewable resources, e.g., using sunlight through passive solar, active solar, and photovoltaic equipment, and using plants and trees through green roofs, rain gardens, and reduction of rainwater run-off. Many other techniques are used, such as using low-impact building materials or using packed gravel or permeable concrete instead of conventional concrete or asphalt to enhance replenishment of ground water.
Green building rating systems such as BREEAM in the United Kingdom, LEED in the United States and Canada, DGNB in Germany, CASBEE in Japan, and VERDE in Spain help consumers determine a structure’s level of environmental performance. They award credits for optional building features that support green design in categories such as location and maintenance of building site, conservation of water, energy, and building materials, and occupant comfort and health. The number of credits generally determines the level of achievement. Today’s architects and engineers are mindful of these guidelines and pushing forward with positive and sustainable solutions.
One of the biggest concerns for our water-based resources in the future is the sustainability of the current and even future water resource allocation. As water becomes more scarce, the importance of how it is managed grows vastly. Finding a balance between what is needed by humans and what is needed in the environment is an important step in the sustainability of water resources.
Much efforts in water resource management is directed at optimizing the use of water and in minimizing the environmental impact of water use on the natural environment. The observation of water as an integral part of the ecosystem is based on integrated water resource management, where the quantity and quality of the ecosystem help to determine the nature of the natural resources. Successful management of these resources requires accurate knowledge of the resource available, the uses to which it may be put, the competing demands for the resource, measures to and processes to evaluate the significance and worth of competing demands and mechanisms to translate policy decisions currently taking place.
Developing world countries tend to have the lowest levels of waste water treatment. Often, the water that farmers use for irrigating crops is contaminated with contaminated pathogens. The pathogens of most concern are bacteria, and viruses, which directly affect farmers’ health, their families and most especially, their children. The great news is that there are a number of organizations working tirelessly to turn that around.
You would be forgiven for thinking that Frank O. Gehry’s complex architecture is a result of mere computer 3-D modeling, but his design process is actually far more involved. When Gehry has an idea, he knows how to develop it – by hand. Recently displayed in Tokyo, a surprising exhibition dedicated to the work of the great Canadian-born architect reveals the steps that go into each new project. “I have an idea” is an inspiring story that uncovers the secrets of Gehry’s creativity and illustrates how his intricate imagination manifests step-by-step into real physical forms
Warka Water is an alternative water source to rural population that faces challenges in accessing drinkable water. It is first and foremost an architecture project. WW should not be considered as the solution to all water problems in developing countries but rather as a tool that can provide clean water in selected areas, particularly in mountainous regions where conventional pipelines will never reach and where water is not available from wells. These remote communities, often with limited financial means, struggle to find reliable supplies of clean water for the people, the animals and for agriculture.
An architect named Andreas Vogler started to collaborate with the Italian architect, Arturo Vittori, to design, and engage in the development of innovative solutions and technology transfer between diverse fields for aerospace and terrestrial applications working in architecture, design and art. They’ve created a means of collecting water in harsh, arid environments bringing water to people all over the world who might not otherwise have access.
The BWTC project establishes a technological precedent which is set to raise the awareness of environmental design and its importance in the built environment and pave the way for designers and clients to incorporate renewable and energy efficient measures into their future developments to reduce carbon emissions.
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