Green Innovation within the WWF Living Planet Centre - Assignment Example

Green Innovation Within the WWF Living Planet Centre Executive Summary Green innovation is truly about developing ways in which humans and nature canmore peacefully coexist. Beyond that concept, however, it is looking for ways in which the burgeoning population of the world can learn to become more harmonious with nature in such a way that both cannot only survive, but that they can both thrive as well. Make no mistake that human civilisation has long been unfriendly to the environment, and we are now beginning to see the negative effects of that abuse. Learning projects such as the WWF Living Plant Centre, however, are demonstrating that certain innovations are currently in the pipeline to reverse these troubling trends. Through their focus on green innovation and various other endeavours aimed at creating a more sustainable environment for future generations, the Centre has become a model of construction engineering and design that combines functionality with eco-friendly products designed to reduce the carbon footprint left behind. Part One: Three Key Green Innovations Wilmot Dixon has long realised the necessity of incorporating more environmentally friendly building practices into the design and construction of current and future projects in a way that is both sustainable for the long term, and economically viable in the near term. Green innovation is increasingly providing us with ways to accomplish this in ways that are beneficial to both nature and mankind. To further this objective, it is beneficial to examine complete projects that are model in innovation and that have demonstrated the reality that such buildings can feasibly be completed in such a manner that demonstrates the ability to combine functionality with technical efficiency. The WWF Living Plant Centre is one such building that demonstrates these principles and can serve as a model for others that desire the same. While there are numerous green innovations incorporated into this particular building, this report will focus on three key areas. One area of green innovation incorporated into the surroundings of the Living Plant Centre is a design where by biodiversity throughout the site is actively encouraged. They have done this by planting shrubs, trees, and flowers throughout the building location. They went a step further, however, by putting up boxes that are designed to attract birds and bats to the area. In so do, a rich environment full of biodiversity has been created in order to actually gain the interest of the nature world to call the Living Plant Centre home. This is direct deference to many buildings today which actually destroy the natural environment around them and upset the biodiversity that may have been present there in the past (Benvenuti 2014). By upsetting the natural surroundings, it is quite likely that the damage cannot be undone and future generations will suffer in an area lacking any natural habitat to speak of. Through their efforts, the centre has worked hard to plant native specifies of plants that are endemic to the area. The objective here is to encourage wildlife to come back to the site, which itself backs right onto an ancient and protected hearth land. It is also bordered on one side by the Basingstoke Canal, which has become a critically important habitat for quite a large population of freshwater species. In essence, the WWF Living Plant Centre has become extremely innovative in this effort to truly create a synergy between urban living and the protection and incorporation of a rural environment (Bishop 2013). This is, once again, working to allow both people and nature to thrive in a productive and progressive manner. The WWF Living Plant Centre also has incorporated a revolutionary system on site where the building is able to collect rainwater for use around the facility, thereby conserving valuable groundwater resources in the area. In addition, the Living Plant Centre is able to reuse so-called great water from the showers and hand basins throughout the facility by utilising it as a re-fill mechanism for flush toilers, in addition to providing water for the plants, shrubs, and trees throughout the location. A third area of green innovation rests in how the actual building and site was constructed. To begin, the designers implemented recycled materials into the building wherever feasible and where it met with existing health and safety guidelines. An example of this is the fact that all of the wood on site came from sources within responsibly managed forests throughout the region, each of which has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. This commitment to recycling not only protects already dwindling natural resources, but it provides talking points for all visitors about how they can incorporate the same design into their own dwellings. It speaks volumes about the need to use resources on earth wisely, and to see ways of sustainable living that embrace the concept of allowing the earth to rebuild itself continually in a natural process (Kenward 2011). Along this same line, the appliances used on site are the most energy efficient available on the market today. The innovation does not stop there, however, as the design of the site incorporates a state of the art monitoring system that analyses the energy use taking place and then displays this data in a readable formate that enables the staff to adjust energy use as needed. In regards to electricity, it is generated from the sun via strategically located solar panels that have been placed on the roof. Through this innovative efforts, the WWF Living Plant Centre is now able to provide nearly 20 percent of its total energy needs through solar energy alone. Part Two: Identification and Description Each of the aforementioned green innovations being implemented into the building and design of the WWF Living Plant Centre has certain product and process implications. Let us begin by looking at the recycling efforts currently underway. Recycling in a conscious move towards sustainability, and it speaks to the Centre’s desire to preserve as much of the natural habitat as possible (Brussaard 2007). In this context, sustainability through recycling is connect to both biological and human process, and contributes to the overall discipline of ecology. The ecosystem around us is in a fragile state. The recycling efforts currently underway at the Living Plant Centre provide a way for the building to enhance its of functionality, while simultaneously working to maintain productivity for a prolonged period of time (Jordan 2011). The core objective is to continually replenish the area around the Plant Centre in a way that aims not only to preserve the integrity of the existing eco system, but also in a way that promotes an even greater biodiversity to become present in the region. The implication here is the support for the notion that the primary objective of recycling is to preserve the environment. In every way possible, the Living Plant Centre is seeking to live out this core objective. They are doing this with a conviction that innovative recycling efforts are the cornerstone to a flourishing community in the future (Endres 2009). Their efforts at recycling water to be used later restroom facilities and as a source for watering plants, shrubs, and trees throughout the facility speak to this truth. As humans continue to consume natural resources at a rate far greater than the planet’s ability to reproduce, we will continue to threaten our very existence. The innovations being incorporated in this particular building, however, provide a plausible solution moving forward that is both practical and relatively easy to implement. The process by which biodiversity is being encouraged throughout the WWF Living Plant Centre also has enormous process implications. The earth itself is designed to have a rich biological diversity that supports the very functions and processes that are required to sustain human and plant life. Over the centuries, however, man has crept into existing areas and wreaked havoc on the natural habitat of a region, promotion the progression of mankind, but at the expense of the planet itself (Tilman 2012). The WWF Living Plant Centre sought to actively ensure that this did not happen. In fact, it worked hard through various green innovations to ensure that the biodiversity in the area would actually increase. This refers to their desire to actually realise a noticeable increase in the number of plant and animal species in the region, in addition to an increase in the number of microorganisms that exist in the area (Suneetha 2010). This, in the end, has worked to replicate the original state of the habitat to the greatest extent possible, serving as a model that illustrates how man and nature can truly coexist once again a manner that represent harmony and peace. It is important that buildings of this sort support appropriate conservation and sustainable strategies(Marques 2011). This will enable future generations to thrive in an area that closely resembles its natural environment, and it is seen as a way to continue to preserve biodiversity. In essence, the three green innovations presented in this report relate directly back to sustainability, which was the primary objective stipulated by the innovative designers of the WWF Living Plant Centre. This all speaks to the creation of a healthy system of biodiversity, which in turn provides great natural resources for everyone around (Nakashizuka 2007). Such an endeavour, for example, has served to protect valuable water resources. By ensuring that even grey water is reused, the Living Plant Centre does everything in its power to stretch water resources as far as possible, preserving valuable drinking water for consumption. The manner in which they have planted trees, plants, and shrubs throughout the facility has served to help form the soil into a more sustainable formation, and serves to protect the habitat from future erosion. (Kleppel 2013) This has also enabled a mechanism by which valuable soil rich nutrients can be both stored and recycled. In the end, the Living Plant Centre’s energy management system, and its focus on making use of solar energy, is working to reduce pollution in the area and clean up the ozone layer. Were this same model to be implanted on a global scale, the implications would be greatly positive for human civilisation. Each of these three innovations also provide biological resources. The Living Plant Centre is able to provide rich sources of food, particularly to help sustain wildlife in the area. They are promote a diversity that is rich in genes, species, and ecosystems, further contributing the overall goal of biodiversity and sustainability efforts (Godden 2006). In the end, it should also be noted that the green innovations introduced at this location contain certain social benefits that are largely positive. The WWF Living Plant Centre has become a location that promotes research and education, in addition to the monitoring of sustainability and environmentally friendly helpful construction practices. It also promotes a sense of recreation and tourism, and serves to enhance the traditional and cultural values of the region. None of the resources and benefits listed here are easy to replace, but the cost of not doing so in enormous. In fact, while it might not be easy to develop a sustainable environment, the expense is relatively low once implemented. Consider the reality the using recycled materials is cheaper than mass produced items that also serve to destroy the environment. As mentioned, a full twenty percent of the electricity generated at the Living Plant Centre comes from solar energy. This is not only a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way to provide for electricity needs, but it is also cheaper in the long run than other forms of energy currently in existence today. All of the efforts take place within a building design that is both ingenious and practical. In fact, the features of the Plant Centre are similar to other types of buildings around the world. The reality is sustainability does not equal loss of function. On the contrary, the WWF Living Plant Centre has enhanced the functionality of the various departments on site precisely by incorporating biodiversity and recycling efforts into its design. It should serve as a model to other countries to work to implement that same into future building design endeavours. References Benvenuti, S. (2014). Wildflower green roofs for urban landscaping, ecological sustainability and biodiversity. Landscape and Urban Planning, 124, 151. Bishop, R. (2013). Economic efficiency, sustainability and biodiversity. 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