According to the "Sustainability Efforts," (n.d.) web page taken from Gardens by the Bay (GBTB) website much effort was made to plan and design for sustainability for water and energy throughout the Gardens. Firstly, GBTB uses their lake system to filter water naturally with aquatic plants. This system aims to promote the importance of clean water and how plants can play a significant role in our ecosystem. Also, the web page further explained the two conservatories which consume lesser energy due to the specially chosen glass, along with the incorporation of thermal stratification and "Combined Heat Power (CHP) steam turbine". Some "Supertrees" in GBTB act as the exhaust air storage while others have solar cells to collect solar energy. I acknowledge the effort GBTB did to reduce pollution and conserve energy however the web page lacks the statistic that supports it. Environmental sustainability starts by protecting our environment. We should be protecting our ecosystems by not wasting any resources (Mason, n.d.). Protect our environment from any preventable damage will be the key to this sustainability.
Reader response
In my opinion, GBTB did a great job to conserve energy and reduce pollution. The Dragonfly Lake and Kingfisher Lake is able to maintain the aquatic ecosystem for the fish and dragonfly living in the lake by using reed beds and aquatic plants to absorb nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus in the water. It is important as, without nitrogen, the alga is not able to bloom. ("Reed-Beds,"n.d.).
The web page also talks about the "Super Tree". The Super Tree is a large structure that is made up of reinforced concrete wrapped with a steel frame. The trunk is a steel frame that attached around the reinforcement concrete core. It is as tall as a 16 -storey building. 11 Supertrees have canopies embedded with environmentally sustainable functions. Some have photovoltaic cells to generate electricity by using solar energy to lighting up the Supertrees at night, while the other is build with the Cooled Conservatories and serve as air exhaust receptacles. The "Super Tree" upholds the sustainability concept.
However, to truly measure the sustainability of GBTB, it must be able to endure the test of time and maintain its conditions for the next decades
(EDesign, October 2013). All the method stated in the web page demonstrates how GBTB is able to conserve energy and preserve habitat for animals, without showing any statistic evidence to support its claims. Since GBTB is a sustainable infrastructure, it should not only function as a tourist attraction but also a serve as a research institute and help to educate the public about the importance of sustainability.
Sustainability includes but is not limited to energy, transportation, water use, recycling, and natural resource life cycles. To be sustainable as an individual or an organisation must be able to manage resources in a responsible manner, with minimal impact on the environment and climate. Ways of living more sustainably can take many forms from inventing new technologies, building sustainable infrastructure or using an eco-friendly vehicle and electronic.(Megan Welsh, 2013)
However, besides having sustainability system and infrastructure that is designed to be made up of recycled material, renewable energy, nontoxic to the environment, like the GBTB. We have to protect our eco-system by not wasting any resources and energy. Protecting our environment from any preventable damage will be the key to sustainability.
Sustainability is equally important in both developed and developing nations around the world. A lack of access to clean water, sanitation, energy, and transportation will severely compromise the well-being of their people and the economy. Sustainable infrastructure design is not just about new green building. It is more about rehabilitation, reuse, and optimisation of existing infrastructure. By optimising existing infrastructure, money, and resources will not be used for developing the building. It will also conserve more energy, material and minimise the waste produced. The aim of "Sustainability" is to prevent problems like global warming and the lack of natural resources, by reducing as much waste as possible.
In conclusion, the web page did not show enough statistical evidence of how the technology is making GBTB sustainable. However, the article has most of the technical layout of the system. Showing more statistic would enhance the understanding of the general public.
References:
Gardens By the Bay and its sustainability(October 2013) Retrieved(September 28, 2016) from https://sites.psu.edu/designthinkingksk/2013/10/30/gardens-by-the-bay-and-its-sustainability/comment-page-1/#comments
Mason, M.(n.d) What is Sustainability and Why Is It Important?. Retrieved September 28, 2016 from,http://www.environmentalscience.org/sustainability
Megan Welsh, Crysta Orantez, Ammon Brown, Mike Moe(July 2012) Sustainable Infrastructure
Retrieved (September 28, 2016 ) from, https://sustainable-infra.wikispaces.com/4.+Sustainable+Infrastructure
Supertree Grove(n.d) Retrieved (September 19, 2016) http://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/en/the-gardens/supertree-grove/facts-and-figures.html
Sustainability Efforts (n.d.). Retrieved September 19, 2016, from http://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/en/the-gardens/about-us/sustainability.html
What are the advantages of using a reed-bed system?(n.d). Retrieved (September 28,2016) from
http://www.reedbeds.co.uk/page/what-are-the-advantages-of-using-a-reed-bed-system.php
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