- 1. Ecologically sustainable DEVELOPMENT F15 Lauren, Rosalind
and Lily
2. The Centres The Community HallThe Information Centre (by the
Marketing Consultant) 3. The Discovery Centre The Main Building The
Cafe 4. Contents Introduction Sustainable Concepts My sustainable
ideas Encouraging Sustainability Travel Energy Water Waste
Sustainability Videos 5. Introduction: The Public Space Our team,
ECO (Environment and Community Organisation) is taking part in a
government launched competition to design, develop and submit a
proposal to redesign Wentworth Point, from an industrial area to a
thriving community. The most popular reason why Wentworth Point is
an ideal place to redevelop, is because of the location, as it is
suitable and valuable for offering opportunities to connect and
grow a new community, as it is close to the Parramatta River,
sporting facilities, shopping centres, major businesses and vibrant
restaurants. The new design of Wentworth Point should encourage
people to visit, work, live alongside playing and learning. It
should also include solutions to promote connectedness and the
community. It should also be a sustainable area, and include
sustainable features. As an Environmental Consultant, I have to
design a building called the Discovery Centre as well as justify
reasons for the architecture and features I have chosen, based upon
sustainability. 6. Sustainability definition Sustainability is a
key factor to consider when designing a building. We need to look
after the environment and make sure we are using the most
sustainable options, and make sure that we think about its
sustainability in the future. There is an increasing demand on
sustainable buildings because they will benefit society in more
ways than normal non-sustainable buildings A sustainable building
would include at least one of the following aspects: It continues
to serve its purpose and maintain itself, or enhanced for the
benefit of future generations. This would include making sure that
it will endure long-term weather, vandalism and decay. To reduce
our dependence use of fossil fuels To reduce our dependence on
synthetic chemicals (aerosol cans) To reduce our destruction of
nature and conserve biological diversity and ecological integrity.
This includes making sure that we dont harm wildlife or create more
pollution or greenhouse gases, or damaging the earth. Sharing
resources or creating systems that promote recycling and less
waste. This includes using recycled, renewable and/or reusable
materials to further benefit society, to make sure that we are not
disrupting nature or impacting the environment 7. What is
sustainability (video) 8. Sustainable design in practice (video) 9.
Encouraging Sustainability Sustainability is the most important
factor to consider for this generation as we are faced with arising
issues. We aim for sustainability because of the rising in
population (stats show that the population is expected to reach 9
billion by 2050). This would mean that the demand for a variety of
buildings will be much greater. Another important reason is because
we are harming the earth by creating greenhouse gases, widening the
hole in the ozone and polluting the earths natural resources. The
population of the earth has also been depending on resources that
are running out and are non-renewable, such as the fossil fuels
coal, natural gas and oil. These materials are used up more quickly
than they can replenish themselves. 10. My sustainable ideas I have
included aspects such as renewable and recycled materials such as
timbers and wood which are definitely renewable, as well as 100%
recyclable, reusable and refillable glass. I have chosen for the I
have included the native plants (such as bottle-brush) and trees
(blue gum) that will encourage native species to inhabit Wentworth
Point. I will also try my best to ensure we dont cut down excess
trees, by possibly keeping trees that are currently standing. I
have ensured that the building is properly made so that there it
continues to stand without decaying or rotting. But I also have to
ensure that we are not stopping people from getting their needs.
11. Energy Source Solar Panels ECO has chosen to include the use of
solar panels on the roof all our buildings, as this is a
sustainable energy source as it is generating energy that naturally
comes from the sun, and will not run out. It is a renewable energy
source, and will most definitely reduce the electricity cost as
well as reducing the fossil fuels that would be burnt to create the
electricity. This would benefit the environment as it is not using
non- renewable energy sources and will not run out, and will reduce
the pollution in the air which is used to create electricity. Solar
Panels can generate electricity to power most appliances in all of
the centres. 12. Water Source Water Tank ECO has chosen to include
water tanks in the exterior of all buildings as this is an
effective method to preserve water that could be used for many
appliances such as toilet and watering systems. This will
definitely contribute in making the centres more sustainable, as it
gives the centre their own personal water supply and saving the
worlds most scarcest natural resource. It will also reduce the
water bill greatly, and will save energy transporting water from
home to home. 13. Recycling Waste Chicken coops and Vegetable
Patches Recycling our waste is an effective method to be
sustainable, as we are reducing the amount of organic waste that
ends up at the landfill and the associated release of methane, a
greenhouse gas that is particularly damaging to the environment. It
also reduces the fossil fuels that would be used to transport the
waste to the landfill. By creating chicken coops, instead of
discarding our waste into a rubbish bin which ends up in a dump, we
could feed chickens who would potentially create eggs for us in
return. A compost bin and a worm farm are other methods of
discarding waste as the worms break-down food scraps into
nutrient-rich soil, which would help your gardens and vegetable
patch develop. This is recycling our waste to benefit our gardens,
as we can use the waste we produce to create a free source of
garden fertiliser that improves your soils and fertilise your
plants. 14. Travel Methods Bike Racks and Bus Stops Our
organisation have inserted features to encourage citizens of
Wentworth Point to take alternative transport methods than cars.
Cars burn petrol which is a fossil fuel which is non-renewable and
release toxins that are extremely harmful to the environment, and
polluting to the air. A smarter travel plan is to take a bus to the
centre and back, as we have inserted a bus-stop as a feature in our
design of the Sketch-up. They are a great way of reducing air
pollution as it transports a large quantity of citizens all going
to the same place, which also would reduce pollution. Bike racks
situated outside of the Discovery Centre would encourage more and
more people to ride their bikes to the centre and back, (and lock
their bike up outside the centre). Riding a bike to destinations
are extremely beneficial as you are getting fit and physically
exercised, and you are not damaging the environment.
