Singapore brings the ideal city to Expo 2020

Zero impact, green roofs, constructed wetlands, solar tubes and renewable energy. The Singapore pavilion for Expo 2020 shows what is a greencity.

The goal is to reach the net zero energy standard for the entire duration of Expo 2020

(Rinnovabili.it) - The journey towards livability and resilience starts from the Singapore Pavilion for Expo 2020 in Dubai. The project signed by the WOHA team imagines what our cities would be like if we reached a balance with nature, adopting sustainability and eco-innovation as the foundation of future life. "Nature. Nurture. Future. " this is how this Net Zero Energy pavilion was named, which takes place within the Sustainability District of the Universal Exposition.

The city in a garden

“Not just a city of the future, but a city for our future” reads the presentation announcement.

A zero-energy rainforest fed by a self-sustaining ecosystem takes visitors on a symbolic journey through the garden city of Singapore. Entering the Ground garden (the first level of greenery) you will have the opportunity to see a phytodepuration pond and the countless floral varieties of the country, such as the famous Vanda Miss Joaquim orchid.

Despite being a city with a high population density, where 85% of the population lives in multi-storey houses, Singapore has invested heavily in its image and in the enhancement of local biodiversity. Thanks to these strategies, today almost all of the population lives just a 10-minute walk from a park, one of which is the Singapore Botanic Gardens, a UNESCO heritage site.

Singapore pavilion - credit singapore2020

The Singapore pavilion is designed to have minimal impact on the environment as a self-sufficient ecosystem. The goal is to reach the net zero energy goal for the duration of the event. 100% of the energy needs will be met by the 517 photovoltaic panels on the roof. The saline groundwater withdrawn will be desalinated through a reverse osmosis process to meet the different needs of the pavilion, first of all irrigation and nebulization of the greenery, obtaining a closed-circuit water system.

The trees and palms planted along the perimeter of the pavilion will provide natural shelter from strong winds and the scorching sun, helping the internal microclimate. A series of solar tubes will channel natural light to the innermost spaces of the structure, allowing the vegetation to thrive in the best possible way.

Although the exhibition is in the desert, the Singapore Pavilion will rely on the air conditioning system to a small extent. The large green roof, combined with a series of dry fog fans and the natural evaporation of the plants, will produce a thin layer of humidity capable of lowering the temperature by up to ten degrees compared to the outside.

The same attention will be paid to the recycling of waste, using an eco-digestor for food waste, which is then transformed into gray water, purified and subsequently recycled.

source: Rinnovabili.it