Singapore's solar forest
Competing with the massive glass skyscrapers making up the Singapore skyline is a tough task, even for nature. Yet the new Bay South Garden’s of the city are doing just this, by bringing together cutting edge technology in energy production and biological systems to create a sustainable conservatory. It stands as a rival in beauty and functionality with the concrete jungle that makes up the garden’s background.
This unique botanical installation is comprised of 3 main sections; two conservatory domes that replicate exotic climates and house a diversity of plants of high conservation value, a great lake, which serves as a filter and irrigation source plus a forest of artificial trees that capture solar energy.
Garden concept art
The biodomes replicate the cool-dry climate of the Medierranean and the semi-arid, sub-tropical and cool-moist climates of the Tropical Montane region. They feature cooling systems that save 30% of the energy used by conventional devices. The domes are made of special glass that optimizes the light for the plants and reduces absorption of heat from the sun. Retractable automatic sails open to shade the plants when temperatures get too high. This Flower dome uses chilled water pipes to cool only lower levels, and in turn where floor slabs keep the cool air settled. Desiccants dehumidify the air for more effective cooling. Warm air that rises is simply vented out.
A combined heat and power steam turbine produces most of the necessary electricity onsite. This power is generated using a biomass reactor, which burns biomass made from horticultural waste collected in-house and from outside gardens. Waste heat is used to recycle used desiccant. Even the ash from the biofuel reactor is used by the gardeners as fertilizer.
The Garden lake system is comprised of two lakes, Dragonfly Lake and Kingsfisher Lake. These act as natural filters for collected rainwater. Islands of aquatic plants and reed beds were put where water enters and discharges as it circulates through the lakes. The floating plants and reeds absorb nitrogen and phosphorus, which keeps algae from growing and ensures better water quality for the fish that live in the lakes. Biodiversity of aquatic plants, good water circulation and aeration, healthy fish and dragonflies keep away unwanted pests like mosquitoes.
Lastly, the forest that decorates the Bay South Garden is peppered with artificial trees inspired by Australia’s Valley of Giants and the Japanese anime Princess Mononoke. The structures reaching 25 to 50 meters in height serve a multitude of purposes. Aesthetically they are decoration pieces with trunks that lead living vines towards the sky and also light up at night. Some canopies are covered by photovoltaic cells and others are used as chimneys that exhaust the flue of the energy generation system.
All together every part of the Bay South Gardens is interconnected and relies on another to function, just like a natural ecosystem. This conservatory just opened in June but it will be dedicated towards being a model for technological sustainability while bridging a connection to nature for the people in one of the world fastest growing cities.
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