Green thinking - Skanska

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New ways to conserve water 43In a world of water shortages,why use drinking water to flushthe toilet?Seeing Earth from space, you might think there’s plenty of water. But ifyou were to collect all the water on the planet, every little drop of it,including the water in the atmosphere and in the glaciers, into one bigdrop, it would only be as big as you see to the left. The majority of thewater on Earth, 97 percent, is in the oceans, while an additional two percentis frozen in the ice caps and glaciers. Only a fraction is available asa supply for drinking water, which is already in short supply in manyparts of the world.The problem will only get bigger as the planet’s population grows,and the effects of climate change become more apparent. In areas alreadyshort on water, the situation will worsen. Other parts of the world, suchas Western and Central Europe and the US, will experience insufficientsupplies.We have to start saving water and using it more wisely.By installing water-saving appliances, consumption can be radicallyreduced. Another way to reduce water use is recycling – for example,redirecting water from sinks and showers to flush toilets. In large buildings,purification systems make it possible to reuse even very dirtywater. Collected rainwater can also be used in buildings, or for gardenirrigation.In addition to conserving water, we need to manage stormwater andpreserve, or even enhance, biodiversity in critical areas like wetlands.Green roofsGreen roofs have plants growing onthem that are specifically designed intothe construction when the project isbeing developed. This is yet anotherexample of a robust, technically simplesolution with several advantages.Green roofs absorb rainwater andreduce runoff by up to 85 percent,reducing the risk of flooding. Plantsand the underlying soil layer filter outimpurities from the water, so that whatdoes run off is cleaner. The technologycan be combined with basins to collectthe water for reuse in the building oroutside. The green plants absorb impuritiesfrom the air as well.Green roofs also provide better insulation– and unlike traditional roofingmaterials such as tin, concrete or tiles,green roofs do not reradiate heatto urban areas. They also enhance localbiodiversity by providing attractivevegetation for wildlife.Sustainable drainagesystemsConventional drainage systems divertthe runoff water into a network ofpipes. This can lead to local and downstreamflooding – not to mentionthe fact that stormwater is often contaminatedwith pollution from urbansurfaces.By contrast, sustainable drainagesystems can reduce the quantity of runoffwhile reducing pollution. Thesesystems promote natural drainage, filtrationand biological treatment processes.By allo wing water to penetratethe ground, sustainable drainagereplenishes groundwater supplies.Some solutions can also enhance orprovide habitats for wildlife.On a new school campus in the UK,a sustainable drainage system hasensured that site discharge is approximately35 percent lower followingconstruction, despite an increase in theextent of impermeable surfacing.
44 New ways to conserve waterNew ways to conserve water 45Saving water at a bank.Using water wisely.1Case Study: New ways to conserve water2Case Study: New ways to conserve waterLocation: ČSOB Headquarters, Prague, Czech Republic.Challenge: Construct the largest office building in theCzech Republic, with little environmental impactand with low water consumption.Completed: April 2007.The new headquarters of the Czech bank ČeskoslovenskaObchodni Banka (ČSOB) is the largest office building in thecountry – around 2,400 people work in the 882,600 squarefeet/82,000 square meter building. It’s the first building in theCzech Republic to be LEED certified (gold level) – proof ofits sustainable construction, including energy efficiency.When it comes to water efficiency, the ČSOB headquartersuses state-of-the-art fixtures, reducing the consumption byover 20 percent compared to conventional Czech buildings.Water-efficient landscaping has reduced outdoor water consumptionby over 50 percent.The ČSOB headquarters also features green roofs, consistingof low-growing vegetation, trees and shrubs planted ina 5.2 feet /1.6 meter thick layer of soil. This reduces rainwaterrunoff and, together with climbing plants on the facade,improves the heat insulation of the building, while reducingheat reflection. The roof gardens are entirely watered by anautomatic rainwater system, which collects and stores waterin underground reservoirs for use during dry periods.Read more about the ČSOB office building at skanska.com/csobprague.Location: Eko-Viikki, Helsinki, Finland.Challenge: Create an environmentally sound residential area,with low water consumption.Completed: Fall 2004.Just outside Helsinki there is a new suburb called Eko-Viikki,created for 1,900 residents. In planning and construction,far-reaching criteria were established for the area, regardingenergy usage, indoor environmental quality, waste managementand water consumption.To meet these standards, experimental energy-efficientbuildings were constructed from environmentally soundmaterials. The houses save energy through the use of extrathickinsulation, ventilation systems with heat-recoveryunits, and a design that generates passive solar heating.Other innovative measures used to lower environmentalimpact include solar district heating and wind-poweredstreet lighting.The residents of the Skanska-built houses in Eko-Viikkiuse 30 to 40 percent less water than the Finnish average. Thelow water consumption is the result of very simple methods,such as water-saving bathrooms, water-saving appliances,and shared laundry and sauna facilities. The stormwater managementsystems absorb, filter and direct surface run-off toan adjacent stream. In addition, some of the buildings collectrainwater in a communal pond, which is used for gardenirrigation.Learn more about Eko-Viikki at skanska.com/ekoviikki.
Page 6 and 7: 8 Green thinking Green thinking 9Wh
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Page 12 and 13: 374936Green roofs123Infrastructure
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Page 16 and 17: 30 Efficient ways to conserve energ
Page 18 and 19: Smart ways to reduce CO 2 35You cou
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Page 24 and 25: 46 New ways to conserve waterNew wa
Page 26 and 27: Different ways to use materials 51B
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Page 30 and 31: Lifecycle planning 59Life Cycle Cos
Page 32: Involving the community 63The impor
Page 35 and 36: 68 Local impactLocal impact 69What
Page 37 and 38: 72 What can you do?What can you do?
Page 39: With more than 10,000 Skanska proje

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