How Are Our Governments Starting to Build More Sustainably | Sep 16 , 2020
Governments Go Green: Examples of Green Buildings in Public Life
- Cost-cutting governments realize that sustainable buildings can reap huge savings over time, leading to cleaner air, healthier residents, and lower energy bills: buildings powered by solar energy can save up to 40% in energy costs.
- Sustainable buildings are also a boon to the local economy. Their construction can boost national employment, especially since green buildings are in high demand.
- The energy-saving features of sustainable public buildings also help solve a pressing problem: Buildings gobble up 36% of global energy and produce 39% of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions.
- Here are some standout examples of eco-friendly public buildings: CopenHill Power Plant: Copenhagen, Denmark, Bridge School: Xiashi, Chin, ACROS Fukuoka International Hall: Fukuoka City, Japan, Austin Central Library: Austin, Texas, School of Art, Design and Media: Singapore
- Today, more than half of the world’s population lives in cities. That figure is expected to increase to almost 70% by 2050. Governments have the power to champion sustainable design to reduce the environmental impact of these overcrowded spaces, bringing color and nature to the concrete jungle.
There was a time that government buildings were synonymous with drab but functional concrete boxes. Now, government buildings around the world stand out as modern showcases of innovative, sustainable design. Even in tight urban spaces, you can see government buildings with gardens climbing the sides and angles that slash the sky to capture sunlight.
Cost-cutting governments realize that sustainable buildings can reap huge savings over time, leading to cleaner air, healthier residents, and lower energy bills. For instance, buildings powered by solar energy can save up to 40% in energy costs. The green motto rings true: The cheapest energy is the energy that’s never used.
Sustainable buildings are also a boon to the local economy. Their construction can boost national employment, especially since green buildings are in high demand. Working out of an eco-friendly building may even lead to greater employee productivity and less absenteeism.
The energy-saving features of sustainable public buildings also help solve a pressing problem: Buildings gobble up 36% of global energy and produce 39% of energy-related greenhouse gas emissions.
From a trash plant that was converted into a city sports center, to a village schoolhouse in China with an iconic bamboo bridge, here are some standout examples of eco-friendly public buildings:
BIG opens Copenhill power plant topped with rooftop ski slope in Copenhagen by
Dezeen
CopenHill Power Plant: Copenhagen, Denmark
Sustainable building meets winter sports and hygge (the Danish idea of coziness) in the CopenHill Power Plant.
An ugly, polluting incinerator plant was converted into the cleanest waste-to-energy power plant in the world by five nearby cities. The sleek plant with its checkerboard façade now burns waste instead of fossil fuels — and to top it off, an artificial ski and snowboard slope was built into the design. Climbers can even scale the sides of the building for sport.
Special filters covert the exhaust into clean heat and electricity for tens of thousands of homes in Copenhagen, and the building functions as a popular tourist attraction too. It’s a shining example of how government buildings can be sustainable, functional, and lots of fun.
Pictures: The Bridge School in Fujian province [Photos by Lan Tianyi/for China Daily]
Bridge School: Xiashi, China
Lean budgets mean that many schoolhouses in the world are just a room or two. The award winning design of Bridge School squeezes maximum use and beauty from a two-room village schoolhouse in Xiashi, China.
Two historic packed-dirt castles are connected by a bamboo bridge that stretches invitingly over a river. A touch of whimsy led the architects to include a “playing box,” so kids can slide from the classroom onto a playground. In addition to being a school, the main rooms function as a public library, community center, and village theater.
Bamboo and other native materials preserve the historic culture while maximizing enjoyment and use. They form screens over windows that can be opened to let air in with a look that's at once modern and ancient.
ACROS Fukuoka International Hall: Fukuoka City, Japan
Too often, public structures are erected at the expense of green space. In Japan, where parks are at a premium, green architect Emilio Ambasz built a park on 15 stepped terraces at the ACROS Fukuoka Prefectural International Hall.
This pioneering agro-urban model was built on the last undeveloped land in central Fukuoka. The design re-created the park by enrobing the building in green terraces.
The idea that “cities are for buildings and suburbs are for parks is wrong,” Ambasz said. “It’s too easy to relegate nature to the suburbs and greyness to the city. It is an idea that completely lacks imagination.”
The project also demonstrates one of the most common sustainable building options: the public/private partnership. This arrangement allows part of the site to be leased commercially as a way to fund the public use of the remaining space, including a huge symphony hall.
Austin Central Library Grand Opening 2017 by
ATXN.TV
Austin Central Library: Austin, Texas
The builders of this public library in downtown Austin had two main goals: to make it the most daylit library in the U.S. and to design a model of water conservation.
The result is a building drenched in light from a soaring six-story glass atrium. Library visitors are tempted outdoors by reading porches and outdoor dining that overlooks a scenic lake.
To save water, there’s a 373,000-gallon rainwater harvesting system that irrigates a rooftop garden buzzing with winged pollinators. In the Texas heat, the garden cools the building and puts visitors in touch with nature with this platinum LEED award-winning design.
Nanyang Technological University (NTU) School of Art, Design and Media (ADM)
School of Art, Design and Media: Singapore
From some angles, this innovative design school is hard to spot, as it’s completely draped in sweeping grass roofs. That effect is by design: the building was made to blend in seamlessly with the nearby outdoor recreation space.
The result is one of the most striking green roofs in the world. It creates green space that is magically lit for student gatherings in the evenings. These grassy roofs also add to the functionality, cooling the structure and collecting rainwater for irrigation.
Governments Are Key Players in Sustainable Design
Today, more than half of the world's population lives in cities. That figure is expected to increase to almost 70% by 2050. Governments have the power to champion sustainable design to reduce the environmental impact of these overcrowded spaces, bringing color and nature to the concrete jungle.
Sustainable design is a key tool to reduce pollution through green roofs and clean energy. It can also tamp down the urban heat effect with strategic landscaping, and lower the use of energy resources with solar power.
At Miniwiz, we’ve partnered with public entities to create innovative designs such as Suvarnabhumi Airport’s Sky-Wing Bike Pavilion in Thailand. This unique structure uses recycled water bottles to provide an area of shade and relaxation for cyclists.
Jackie Chan Creative and Cultural Park by Miniwiz
Miniwiz also designed the Jackie Chan Creative and Cultural Park in Beijing. This public space, built completely out of non-toxic materials, showcases a large rotating wall for storage and our signature upcycled materials, such as PC brick building modules. The inviting complex includes film studios, dorms, recording rooms and other spaces where the creative arts can flourish.
For more about our cutting-edge sustainable design, visit our solutions page.
MINIWIZ Medium