From Quarry to Ritzy: Songjiang Green Resort
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio on 06.28.07
A 37,237 sq ft (3,459 sq m) green roof covers the entirety of a new green resort under construction in Shanghai's Songjiang district, just southwest of China's most populous city. The hotel, built into a previously used 328 ft (100m) quarry, will feature approximately 400 rooms, restaurants, sports facilities and even some underwater areas for guests. Sounds pretty energy intensive, right? Well...yes, but like any green resort worth its weight in renminbi, the Songjiang Hotel explored alternative energy sources for their electrical and heating systems. The alt energy winner? Geothermal. The swank five-star resort is expected to open in May of 2009. Via ::Designflute Via ::Inhabitat Also in TreeHugger: Tibetan Eco-lodge
It looks very nice.The reuse and redevelopment.I have also seen old quarry turned into golf courses.Others are left back to nature and into forest.There is an old quarry in the upper peninsula of michigan.It is now lake and forest.
I like this design better than ones I have seen for Dubai as being environmentally friendly and in using Geothermal energy.
Relatively low energy will be required for heating/cooling because of the insulative effect of the quarry but some energy must be used for air circulation since carbon dioxide is heavier than air. I hope to hear more about this hotel.
adrianakau2aol.com
Energy will have to be used to for air circulation since carbon dioxide is heavier than air and there are no natural breezes to remove it from below ground level. This means that no diesel or petrol motors should be employed for any reason as the fumes would be trapped. However, the heating and cooling should be less energy intensive than in other hotels because the temperatures below ground level are more stable. The use of Geothermal will be a real plus.
If the electricity should fail, elevators would be out of service and the walk would be up rather than down but I am sure that the planners have made allowances for such emergencies.
I am wondering if LED's will be in extensive use.
If ever built, this hotel would be well worth the visit if not the stay just to see the transformation of the 100 meter quarry duckling into an elegant swan.
adrianakau2aollcom
I read an article about this called "China's Green Resort" at http://cleanerairforcities.blogspot.com/2008/09/chinas-green-resort.html
The article states that there is going to be a later article with an interview between the author and Atkins Design.
Now if China would just put more green roofs on buildings!