Page 144 - GreenRE_Sustainable Real Estate Book

Green Design (based on the science of ecology)

By: Dato’ Dr. Ar. Ken Yeang

1 Designing the built environment as human-made constructed ecosystem 2 Key factors in green design
Our approach to designing for humanity’s sustainable replication and augmentation of ecosystem properties. Effective green design is the seamless and benign biointegration of the 5
future must be through an ecology-based approach (as the The ecosystem as a concept is generally regarded by constituents as ecoinfrastructures. Below is a General Systems model for
development from a nature-based approach). It draws from ecologists as a model of nature where to achieve a ecological design, requiring the bio-integration of a set of infrastructures.
the process of the biomimicry of the ecosystem concept, resilient future, the built environment, its production
to enable the seamless and benign bio-integration of the and its technological systems and processes must be Design Factors Design Objectives Biointegration by Design
built environment with the natural environment and its biointegrated synergistically with the natural environment. Nature
systems and processes. (Ecosystems) NWS
Biomimicry based on the ecosystem concept requires • habitats • biogeochemical cycles
• abiotic constituents
• species
Ecology’s ‘ecosystem’ concept is adopted as the central the repurposing and remaking of the built environment to • biodiversity • biotic constituents (Net Well-
being
• biomes
• ecosystems
basis for designing, effected through the emulation, become a human-made constructed ecosystems. • biosphere & Happy
Society)
Hydrology Cycle
(Water Management)
BIOTIC • rainfall • lakes NZW
The planet is covered by this thin film called the biosphere which all biological constituents • waterways • ground water
organism exist. The biosphere consists of biogeochemical processes, • seas • water management (Net Zero Hydrology
Water)
energy and material resources and the ecosystems. Plant Green Primary • snow • water conservation
• water reuse & recycling
• dew
Community plants Producers Energy Systems
Nature
(Renewable Energy) biointegration by design biointegration by design
Primary
biosphere Herbivores Consumers • renewable • geothermal energy NPEI Energy Human
• ambient
• thermal storage
society
system
• hydrogen • passive mode systems
biome Secondary • battery • mixed-mode systems (Net Positive
Ecological
Community Animal Consumers • biofuels • smart full mode systems Impact)
• electronic
• productive mode systems
ecosystem Of plants Community Tertiary systems biointegration by design biointegration by design
Built
& Animals Carnivores Consumers environment
community Built Environment
habitat Quaternary (Zero wastes and emissions)
Consumers • artefacts • zero carbon plastic NZE/C
population Ecosystem Community of plant Bacteria and • recycling • low embodied energy
• large scale electricity
• reuse
Impact Decomposers • carbon capture storage (Net Zero
organism & Animal microbes fungi • zero carbon steel • hydrogen production Energy /
Carbon)
• zero carbon cement without emitting carbon
• zero carbon fertilizer • smart systems
Habitats within the Site characterised by given climate features Human Society
natural environment Human Built Physical (Well-being & happiness) NZW/E
society environment environment Site characterised by given edaphic • social • ecologically responsible
• economic behavior (Net Zero
Waste /
ABIOTIC • political • ecological responsible diet Emissions)
physical constituents • institutional • human health, well-being &
happiness
• culture
Impact of human activities & the built environment in the biosphere Model of ecological design
133 SUSTAINABLE REAL ESTATE | Our 10-Year Journey