1. Local Inspiration
As for a local inspiration, I consider the Seymour Airport in the Galapagos Islands the most outstanding sustainable structure in Ecuador. It was hailed as the first "Green" airport in the world and was awarded the LEED Gold Certificate.
- Takes advantage of its location to produce clean energy. It runs with solar and wind power.
- 80% of its infrastructure is made of recycled materials.
2. Sustainability in the Surrounding Environment
2. I believe its important to make the people feel in a sustainable environment even before going inside the building itself. It is ideal that the area surrounding, in this case the Exhibition Center, is some kind of extension to the building itself. This depends mostly on its location but to put one example that comes to mind, I can think of the Habitat 67 area in Montreal, Canada.
I had the opportunity to visit Montreal and ran into this appartments complex by accident just by riding a bike. Even if its not really a "green building", I think of the area as an ideal extension to a sustainable building.
- Ease of access and transportation from downtown by having bike routes and stations nearby.
- Wide pedestrian and bike lanes.
- Surrounded by nature. Plants and a river on both side
3. Building Design
As for the design itself, I consider having some of these characteristics would make a building stand out:
- Green roof and walls system.
- Wide open spaces.
- Energy efficient. Preferably wind or solar power.
- Following LEED or EDGE certificate standards.
- Use as much recycled materials as possible.
- Take as much advantage as possible of natural light and ventilation based on the orientation of the building.
- Having smart features that help reduce energy and water consumption.
