Water Sensitive Design in Infrastructure

About two years ago, I was involved in Sydney Light Rail Inner West Extension. The landscape architects used waster sensitive design around the platform and the outcome is great. In this blog, I will like to explain how water sensitive design works in a infrastructure project.

In most stops where were possible to fit planting behind platforms, rain gardens were set behind platform. When the water was collected from platforms and platform shelters, it is going to rain gardens before it goes down to the drain. The design is successful to reduce hardscape area, avoid exposure drains and purify polluted water. 

With this water sensitive urban design project completed, hope water sensitive urban design can be widely used in coming urban infrastructure projects in the future, which can make our city have more and more green and better and better quality water.

Sustainable Sensitive Education

One day, I chatted with a group of my friends who live in China online. They kept complaining how polluted air is and how bad the environment is in China. I asked, “after suffered all these pains, do you even think of reducing using cars on road and air-conditioning at home?” Most of the answers were no. I was little bit disappointed. People complain air pollution, complain food quality and complain traffic congestion, but don’t ever think of changing attitude to source consumption.  They always think it is government’s job.

However, in my opinion, sustainable development and environmental sensitive are relayed on everybody. Reduce of using private cars decreases co2 emissions and then contribute to air improvement. Shortening shower time reduces producing grey water.  Control of electric consumption reduces burning coal demand that lead to improving air pollution.  With huge population base in China, sustainable development education may be the key to change serious pollution situation in China.

I still remember the time I visited Rockies Mountains in Canada. I attended a walking tour.  During the day, the guide of the tour kept educating the knowledge of glaciers and how fast glaciers disappears every year in Rockies. At the end of the day, the guide said, “the reason I tried so hard to talk about glaciers today is that I really want to think of our earth and do something for it, even just drive your car less.” I will remember his words and also will try to improve the environmental condition for my motherland, China, in the future.

Red Centre - A Successful Sustainable Design Building, or An Unpleasant Building?

Red Centre in UNSW campus was designed by MGT Architects, has won many sustainable design excellent awards. In many magazines and many online articles, it was labeled by sustainable design, low energy building and green senstive building.  

However, a lot Red Centre users complain on the building. The teacher offices are located at north side where is sunny and warm in winter, however the each room is too tiny and the space is not enough. Furthermore, this arrangement blocks the sun access to studios and classrooms located at south. The studios, class rooms and study rooms are extremely hot in summer and cold in winter, because they can't get wind from north in summer and sun in winter.

The glass louvres were designed for ventilation, but also allow cold wind to come in rooms in winter and water in storms.

As the building users don't love the building. Is Red Centre, UNSW a successful green building or an unpleasant building?

Smart Cites, Smart Bikes

A lead Chinese information technology company just announced that their first smart bike will be on the market next month and the retail price will be RMB943, around AUD 200.

The bike will be called “Rockfeller No.1”. It looks exact the same as a normal bike, however it is smarter. It has statics numbering, routes sharing, GPS, incoming call remind, Bluetooth and social activities. The bike’s sensor is as simple as fitbit pedometer, but it can sync to your smart phone and then it becomes a fully functional smart bike.  The most exciting part is that you don’t need to recharge the battery and it will be recharged automatically by pedalling.

As well known, many smart bikes are on the market now.

Samsung

Baidu

With the further and better development, smart bikes may bring people back on bikes. People can use smart bikes for commuting between home and work, exercise and social activities. As so on, the fun and smart bikes can make people reduce using cars in the further. 

Riding on smart bikes, smart cities are on the way.

News and image sources: http://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MjM5MjIxMjY3NA==&mid=205214863&idx=6&sn=46a786a48f2645d065650b49f9717c9e&scene=2&from=timeline&isappinstalled=0#rd   

A Really Green Building – Central Park

Sydney new downtown landmark, Central Park is famous for its green walls. The green walls cover all residential floors. They can be seen far away from Broadway.  However, it is not only characterized by its rooftop gardens, green walls, solar panels and smart-metering systems. After I checked their website, I was surprised and impressed by their sustainable and recycling projects. 93% of all demolition waste has already been recycled. The recycling projects include on-site water recycling and own low-carbon natural gas power plant.

Recycled Water Network

Central Park Water is the biggest Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) recycled water facility in the world built in the basement of a residential building.

The system collects water sources from: Rainwater from roofs, storm water from impermeable surfaces/planter box drainage, groundwater from basement drainage systems, sewage from an adjacent public sewer, sewage from all buildings within the Central Park community, irrigation water from all greenwalls, drinking water from the public water main. 

After the collection, water sources will go through 8 steps:

Step 1: Wastewater Screening. Plastics and rubbish are taken out of the wastewater.

Stepe 2: Anaerobic Processing. After the wastewater is screened it enters the biological processing tank for anaerobic processing. Natural bugs break down the wastewater.

Step 3: Aerobic Processing. Air is added to the wastewater, creating new bugs, which continue the break down process.

Step 4: Chemicals Added. Four chemicals – Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Hypochlorite, Aluminum Sulphate and Acetic Acid – are added at different stages if required during processing.

Step 5: Membrane Fibres. Purified water is sucked through microscopic membranes that block out bugs – removing bacteria, pathogens and all other impurities. The holes in the fibres are so tiny, bacteria and viruses are unable to penetrate and are forced out keeping the refined water clean.

Step 6: Ultraviolet. Water goes through the Ultraviolet purification process neutralizing any remaining impurityes.

Step 7: Reverse Osmosis Water then moves through another membrane filtrateion technology known as Reverse Osmosis (RO). Ro removes small molecules, ions and salts from the water, improving quality.

Step 8: Chlorine. Chlorine is added to the water for the final purification process.

After purification, Central Park Water service approximately 4,000 residents and more than 15, 00 workers and visitors daily. Residents will use between 40 and 50 per cent less drinking water, saving money and precious drinking water supplies.

Energy

Central Park will have its own low-carbon natural gas power plant, run on natural gas, but it will provide heating and cooling for 3,000 residences and 65,000 sqm of retail and Commercial space in 14 buidlings at Central Park.  Environmental consultants and design engineers WSP have recommended that 190,000 tones greenhouse gas emissions could be reduce by Central Park’s two-megawatt plant in the 25-year design life of the plant.

Central Park’s is a successful example of alliance of real estate developer and government. Central Park’s tri-generation plant was funded by a Environmental Upgrade Agreement. EUA is a voluntary agreement to encourage building upgrades, between a building owner, a finance provider and a local council, made possible by changes to the Local Government Act in 2011.  Frasers and Sekisui House entered into an EUA with City of Sydney in March 2013 to embrace a sustainable development.

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