Nangang Depot Public Housing of Circular Economy

The Taipei City Nangang Depot public housing, to be completed by the end of 2022, is the first "circular economy building" in Taiwan. It is designed as a recycling residential community with rental services with the energy-saving and carbon-reducing concept. In the design concept of this community, solar power generation, rainwater recycling and green energy electric car rental are introduced, with recyclable building materials and equipment to promote sustainable resource use. Our teacher took us to visit the first circular house in Taiwan on Wednesday afternoon, so that we could learn about its features.

Taiwan's first circular economy building.

Public housing with the introduction of the thinking of recycled building materials .

Introduction of Renting instead of Buying

“Renting instead of buying" is one of the strategies to achieve circular economy in Nangang Depot public housing, where quality and safe property management is provided to reduce the loss of resources for the subsequent renovation, remodeling or redevelopment of the building. This helps to reduce the generation of various types of waste and promote the sustainable management of assets.

Creating a circular economy system for public housing in Taipei City and promoting the sustainable use of resources.

The water tower is made of FRP fiberglass material instead of the traditional reinforced concrete storage tank.

20% Recycled Resources and Waste Reduction　

In the material recycling, the target is to use more than 20% of the resources invested in the Nangang Depot public housing site in principle. It is planned to use more than 60,000 tons of recycled materials or reusable building materials in the future to significantly reduce the consumption of natural resources, reduce the damage to the environment, and promote the development of the recycled materials market. For example, the steel reinforcement is made from 100% recycled steel from domestic steel mills, and 100% of the steel removed from the main structure in the future can be recycled in electric arc furnace steel mills and made into new steel products. The "sky runway" pavement of Nangang Depot public housing is made of PU material or recycled tires, which is not only environmentally friendly but also heat resistant and durable. Green cement is used to reduce the need for natural resources such as limestone, clay, silica sand and iron ore. The future demolished concrete blocks are not wasted either, as they can be used for low-grade concrete and engineering filler, after recycling.

The components are disassembled with bolts, without damaging the components themselves.

The modular design facilitates quick and time-saving installation.

Energy Self-Sustaining Smart Green Building

Energy saving and carbon reduction are the main focus of the design of Nangang Depot public housing. Solar panels will be installed on the top floor of the building for the power use by public spaces, inorder to reduce dependence on external power supply. An intelligent system will be linked to allocate power during peak and off-peak hours to avoid unnecessary waste and regulate the cost of electricity purchase. In addition, 22 power recycling elevators are planned to generate braking power during the daily use of the elevators and recycle it to the building, which is estimated to save about 100,000 kWh of electricity per year.

In terms of water recycling, 5,228 tons of water will be collected in a modular detachable water tank hidden in the building by permeability and interception design, which will be used as public water during normal times and as a three-dimensional flood pond for a sponge city during heavy rainfall. An urban garden will also be installed on the roof for residents to plant, and watering water will come from the rainwater recycling system.

Circular housing community environment.

Afterthoughts

We are glad that we visited Nangang Depot public housing, the first "circular economy building" in Taiwan, so that we can directly understand the design of "circular housing" from various aspects. During the visit, we were impressed by the many energy-saving designs of the community housing, such as the use of insulated glass on the exterior walls, which reduces the need for electric lights by using natural light from the sun. Moreover, flowers and plants are also planted around the building to lower the temperature inside the building in addition to greening. Moreover, there is also rainwater recycling from the roof and faucets, and the recycled water is used to water the flowers, which can save a lot of money on utility bills! The promotion of "circular economy building" has the advantages of achieving energy saving and carbon reduction, using environmentally friendly green building materials, saving resources and reducing waste, and can reduce the impact on the environment. When the government has started the planning of Nangang Depot public housing, it has been well received by the public and set a good example for the community housing. Finally, we hope that through the government's efforts and people's support, we can implement the concept of sustainable recycling and keep the earth alive forever.

Group photo in front of the circular housing base.

Possible more circular economy housing in the future.

References:
Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Governmenthttps://www.travel.taipei/zh-tw/pictorial/article/24354

Image Source:
Photographed by the research team
Taipei International Grouphttps://reurl.cc/nZ4Rld
Environmental Information Centerhttps://e-info.org.tw/node/234204
Liberty Timeshttps://estate.ltn.com.tw/article/5103

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