Presented By Kalan Couch-Black, Liam Fujita, Reid Clark, and Sam Brinkerhoff
Written Presentation
Diversity in our surrounding environment is greatly increased using our project. Firstly, diversity is increased by our project using renewable energy. Using the vast surface area of our airport roof, we can decrease our energy costs by a large amount, by channeling the energy generated on the roof towards equipment inside of the building, such as interior lighting. Using solar panels to create energy is essential in creating an airport that is sustainable and able to run on renewable energy. As well as having solar panels on the re oof using the large areas between runways would help us get towards our being a sustainable airport which can mostly function on renewable energy sources. Additionally, we are going to use interior design concepts such as an open concept floor plan in order to reduce need for interior lighting during the day. This would allow us to spend less money on energy, therefore reducing the impact on the environment. Thirdly, we use the food from our cafeterias and restaurants to produce high-grade compost that we can then sell or donate to restaurants or community organizations.
The design of our airport promotes resource cycling with nature. Firstly, the original streams that have flowed through this environment for thousands of years will be maintained and adapted to flow through the structure of the airport itself. This allows the nutrients of the streams to provide sustenance to surrounding organisms in the environment. Secondly, the nutrients of the food from our cafeterias and restaurants will be cycled back into the surrounding environment by becoming compost. Using compost for our airport would also be beneficial. There are many good reasons for composting and see of them are saving money saving resources and improving your soil. Adding compost to your garden will not only fertilize, it actually feeds your soil with a diversity of nutrients and microorganisms that will improve plant growth.
Despite the fact that our climate is incredibly wet and rainy, we have been able to take advantage of this fact. With a large percentage of our roofs surface area covered in solar panels, we will be able to slant the solar panels at exactly 34 degrees, allowing the rain water to pool above the mouths of our roof drain. The roof drain is an opening in the airport where a controlled waterfall flows small amounts of water through dual turbines, turning the turbines and generating energy. This layout displays a visually stunning waterfall flowing through the center of the airport. We then use pneumatic pressure to cycle the water to bathroom sinks and toilets as well as an irrigation system that provides water to the external living walls. On days we have a surplus of rain water it will be stored in the airport’s reservoir to be used at a later date, possibly during the summer. Did you know that old school toilets can use as much as 18 litres of water for one flush? To reduce the obvious waste, we would use a system much like a newer type of toilet that have dual flush systems. However we can do better. We can use the accumulated rain water to wash our hands. After washing your hands the water is then collected, filtered and used to flush the toilet. For our irrigation system, we were inspired by a revolutionary system in which it saves you 20% more water than a drip irrigation system. The sub-surface pressurized irrigation system could be placed a few inches below the surface using its parallel jet sprayers to spray directly into the roots of the plant. After every cycle the tube would drain and as the next cycle comes on it pushes the air through the watering holes into the root zone. Because our atmosphere is composed of 78% Nitrogen, it is a natural way to air out the roots which results in healthier plants. We would have large garden beds that are able to sustain other organisms.
We will also be using tidal energy in our project. Because our airport is located next to the ocean, tidal energy has great potential in producing clean energy sources for the airport. First, when the tide comes in it will collect in big ponds/ tanks that have a one way valve to prevent the water from flowing back to the ocean. When the tanks become full, the water notifies sensors at the top of the tank. These sensors open the valve and allow the water to rush back towards the ocean. In this process the water turns turbines that generate electricity to power things such as lights or air conditioning. We estimate that we would need to install 3-4 tidal energy stations. These stations would have to be set up in areas where tidal flow is the highest to maximize the strength and amount of water leaving the ponds. The stronger the flow of water through the valve, the faster the turbine turns which results in more energy. Our goal would be to get the most amount of energy from the lease number of tidal energy stations, thus providing a large quantity of green energy.
Another idea we are exploring the use of recycled rubber in the floor of the airport. One of the worlds largest waste of rubber comes from car tires that get put in the dump when a car gets wrecked. If these tires were salvaged from the vehicle before it gets destroyed, these tires could be recycled and used for many things. The use of recycled rubber would have many benefits if used in an airport. Firstly, rubber floors would reduce vibrations cause by luggage and other heavy things significantly. This would make the overall airport quieter which would benefit the organisms living around the perimeter of the airport. Also, rubber floors keep the ground cool which means less energy spent on air conditioning.
Population levels of more than 700 North American bee species are declining within the recent years. A 2015 report shows from a United Nations group found that populations of bees are decreasing by 37%. The disappearing of these organisms means that basic foods like fruits, vegetables, and herbs are endangered due to the lack of pollination. To germinate these plants require the transfer of pollen from the anther to the stigma. As bees move from flower to flower in search of nectar, they leave behind grains of pollen on the sticky surface, allowing plants to grow and produce food. Bees produce honey to feed their colonies during the cold winter months. Humans have harvested honey for thousands of years, but we aren’t the only ones who consider it a sweet snack. Critters like birds, raccoons, possums, and insects will raid beehives for a taste of nutritious honey. To preserve these vital organisms we are incorporating many flowers on a small part of the upper level where bees can pollinate in a safe space without the use of pesticides for example we can use plants such as tomatoes and cucumbers for restaurants in the airport. As well as bees, butterfly population is in decline, in particular the monarch butterflies. The biggest threat to these organisms are the lack of habitat. Milkweed is the only plant that the monarchs eat and due to the recent agricultural practices milkweed is in decline. We would include an abundance of milkweed so monarch butterflies can maintain their already decreasing population in a portion of our upper level next to the bees.
Another way we can conserve energy is by having a lot of vertical windows which allows a lot of light to enter the building as opposed to artificial life. However, there are downsides to having large glass windows. The risk of many bird deaths. Did you know almost a billion birds a year just in North America are killed due to hitting windows. There are 3 reasons why documented by ornithologists as to why birds strike glass: migratory, startled flight, and territorial aggression. One way a bird might hit a window is from when they are passing through an unfamiliar area when migrating and see the sky reflected in the glass and fly right into it. A bird may be familiar with the area however they may become startled by hearing a predator or a noise. Another way a bird could strike a window is because of how territorial it is, for example Robin's during mating seasons occasionally attack windows because e they are very aggressive. way to prevent this we can have a special coating on the windows that birds are able to see but humans can't. the past 8 years 100,00 birds from 91 states have died due to airplanes and airports and the numbers are dramatically increasing from before that in years 2001-2007 just over 42,000 birds died from planes and airports which means over twice as many birds lost their life. To prevent the dramatic growth, there can be a Hawks that are controlled by people to stop them from getting hit by planes. Not only that, we can have noises that the plane makes similar to the predators of the coon bird species in that area so they don't go near. crash into windows and die. As a way to prevent this we can have a special coating on the windows that birds are able to see but humans can't. Another way that we will be helping wildlife is by covering the windows of our airport with UV reflective strips of tape that are virtually invisible to humans. This will prevent the massive number of bird deaths caused by windows every year
https://www.zdnet.com/article/tlatispecies are declining the-toilet-re-imagined-four-water-saving-designs/
http://time.com/4688417/north-american-bee-population-extinction/
https://cyprus-mail.com/2018/04/02/bees-disappearing-alarming-rate/
https://www.tsbc.ca/tirerecyclinginbc.php
https://www.thebalancesmb.com/the-importance-of-tire-recycling-2878127
http://www.energybc.ca/tidal.html
https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/index.php?page=hydropower_tidal
https://www.quora.com/How-many-birds-are-killed-by-windows
https://www.quora.com/How-many-birds-are-killed-by-airplanes-annually