Sustainability is the management and use of resources in a way that will not deplete them. When I think about sustainability in terms of buildings I think about the construction materials and the buildings internal systems.
Some examples of sustainable building materials:
- Bamboo: It is the perfect alternative to wood. It regenerates much quicker than trees and can be harvested up to every 3 years, while trees can take between 25-50 years.
- Mycelium: This is mushroom roots that doesn’t need light to be grown and is a strong if not stronger than concrete.
- Precast concrete: This is basically a concrete block with large air spaces. It takes less energy to produce and assemble and the material even controls heat in a building.
Sustainable Systems:
Taipei Public Library
- Large windows for natural lighting and for ventilation and cooling.
- Solar panels for energy conversion of sunlight into electricity.
- Rainfall capture system to conserve water. The roof was specifically designed to use the water to flush the toilets.
Phipps’ Center For Sustainable Landscapes
- Renewable energy sources including geothermal, solar, and wind.
- Net-zero water - wastewater is recycled and rainwater is collected.
After looking at some sustainable buildings I realized I was already getting a little narrow minded in the sense that I was stumped on how to incorporate enough solar panels on my living roof, when there are other options. I could totally include smaller wind turbines that aren’t necessarily incorporated into the exhibition itself.