Eco-Friendly Buddhist Temple: Poh Ern Shih

We hear of houses being built in ec0-friendly manners however it seems temples are now following suit! The Poh Ern Shih temple in Singapore was designed by architects who took even the most intricate details into account.

The temple's roof is fitted with solar panels to power their lights and heat the water. They also took advantage of the temple's windy location by putting wind turbines in place to generate electricity.

Even the rainwater c0llected by the roof is passed through hydro-electric generators and purifiers to create sustainabl energy, potable water and to irrigate temple grounds.

The Poh Ern Shih temple is slated for completion by the second quarter of 2010. If you are interested in visiting the temple be sure to visit their website for the location and more information.

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Eco-Friendly Hospital To Be Built in Orléans, France

Photo: ©Groupe-6

Three construction companies, DV Construction, GFC Construction and GTB Construction, have won the € 202 million contract to build a new eco-friendly hospital in Orléans, France.

It is said to be located just south of the city and will be the first regional hospital in France to be awarded the HQE (High Environmental Quality) label.

The new 170000 m² building will house the 42 units of the Orléans Regional Hospital's main two sites, La Source and La Porte Madeleine.

It will offer 1376 beds - compared with 800 at present - and it will boast "ultra-modern" technical facilities, including 22 operating theatres, six specialised labs and two interventional radiology rooms. It will also have an underground car park with 700 spaces.

Designed by Groupe 6 architects, the hospital will be granted the HQE label. The new building will be equipped with sun screens in coloured glass and 70% of its facade will be timber-framed with air-permeable aluminium window frames.

In a statement from Bouygues it said, "In view of the building's substantial air-conditioning and ventilation needs, eco-responsible energy management has been developed, incorporating the use of new energies, such as wood heating, deep geothermal energy and solar energy."

Passive Solar energy, sun blinds, heat pumps, LED lights and external thermal insulation will be included in the project in order to comply with bioclimatic architecture.

The foundation stone was laid last week at a ceremony attended by Roselyne Bachelot, French Minister for Health and Sport, Serge Grouard, MP and mayor of Orléans, and Jean-Pierre Gusching, chief executive of the Orléans Regional Hospital.

Construction of the new hospital is scheduled to last five years with the first patients due in early 2015.

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FilterPave" Eco-friendly pavement made from recycled glass

Presto Geosystems, a Wisconsin-based company has created an eco-friendly pavement made from recycled beer bottles and other glass, provided by municipal recycling facilities. 70-90 bottles are used every square foot of pavement. This product has gained interest in architects due to the attractiveness provided by the various coloured glass.

This "FilterPave" is also 40 percent porous which means it can trap pollutants that are usually swept into drains and streams. It also has the ability to keep pavement cool as it retains water thus helping to combat the "heat island" effect.

"It's like a Rice Krispies bar," said Bill Handlos, director of Presto Geosystems, which started making FilterPave last year.

"It's very sparkly, very twinkly," he said. "It's quite attractive."

A 1,000-square-foot walkway was poured last week at the Morton Arboretum. They are in the middle of testing a few different types of eco-friendly pavement before making its final selection.

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Condo units in Winnipeg receive Gold certification from LEED

Four condo units at 193 Horace Street in the St. Boniface neighborhood in Winnipeg, have achieved international certification and a gold rating under LEED.

Leed (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a certification program for green construction.

Cam Dobie, the president of Winnipeg-based Dobie Properties who built the units says that they are the first homes in Manitoba as well as the first low-rise multi-family units in Western Canada to achieve the highest LEED rating.

"Our company's passion for green building has been fuelled by the fact that we believe it contributes to everyone's quality of life. We also know it's beneficial to a homeowner's pocketbook in the long run," Dobie stated in a news release.

The LEED designation was awarded by the Manitoba chapter of the Canada Green Building Council. Among the ECO4 units' green accomplishments, the council cited the development for:

* The site on an existing infill lot in a historical neighborhood.
* Including a radon protection system.
* Low volatile organic compound finishes in paint, carpeting and flooring.
* Durable, super-insulated double walls with an R50 rating.
* A rooftop patio for green and outdoor living.
* A geothermal heating and cooling system and triple-pane windows, reducing energy consumption up to 70 per cent.
* A heat-recovery ventilation system.
* Water-efficient low-flow plumbing fixtures.
* Landscaping with plants that don't spread and require little watering.
* A location in an established neighborhood within walking distance of most amenities.

The ECO4 units are already sold out. Dobie Properties is preparing to build two more of the units in St. Boniface and Osborne Village to meet a growing demand.

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