Tribe, have you visited Terra, the Sustainability Pavillion at Expo 2020 site yet? If not then, visit soon as it will be open for preview only till 10th April.
What was our first impression of Terra?
I would like to call Terra a Sustainability Theme Park! At Sustainability Pavillion, all the sustainability learning is gamified where the entire family can learn about our natural world, environmental issues, and sustainable development in a fun learning way. Sustainability Pavillion is a great example of how members of society can be given a space to understand all about Sustainability, even if you are a novice. And definitely, it’s a carnival for people who are eco-conscious and want to learn more, take actions like our own Sustainability Tribe!
What is inside the Sustainability Pavillion?
The interactive experience of Terra starts outside the building under the ‘Energy Trees’ highlighting ‘understanding of the natural world’ of our planet and how nature thrives even in harshest climates. Then as you enter the dome, you walk across human being’s journey from early development to industrialization and up to the modern contemporary era.
There are interactive games under the dome from there you enter the building and can visit the rest of the exhibitions. Throughout the games and exhibition, overconsumption of natural resources since the industrial revolution and adverse consequences on natural capital is highlighted. Very necessary topics like biodiversity loss, degradation of natural resources and climate change, etc. are conveyed to the audience through simple games which makes the visitor pause and think. ‘Would you rather’ games give visitors a chance to choose from two options and the results are displayed on the scoreboard. The questions like ‘reintroduce wooly mammoth using DNA sample’ or ‘Safeguard the current elephant population’ are much simpler. However, questions like ‘always have clean air to breath’ or ‘always have clean water to drink’ are really tricky but definitely thought-provoking.
Very aptly there are exhibits like ‘The hall of consumption’ and ‘Sea of consumption’ in both Under the sea and On the land exhibits, which nudges visitors to re-think about their own consumption.
What I loved the most was, Laboratory of Future Values. Sustainability Pavillion not just raises awareness about the grim situation of the environment but also gives you information about solutions. Here you get to learn about many different sustainable solutions for the entire humanity from across the world. I always mention that sustainability is not limited to any industry or region, it applies to us all. Here in this exhibit, you can take your time to understand how different aspects of our life can have sustainable transformation and how businesses, startups around the world are working on it, finding innovative solutions, or sometimes getting inspired by our forgotten culture or even Nature!
For example, how food can be more sustainable? If you want to learn more, here is our Guide to Sustainable Eating.
Yet another example, reducing the use of plastic. You can find a lot more information about it via our #ZeroWasteUAE Social Initiative.
This Laboratory of Future Values gives you and your kids hope and inspires you. I can’t resist mentioning that, our Ambassador Program does exactly the same, it takes to on a step-by-step journey of transforming your lifestyle to a more sustainable lifestyle. So do join our social education program.
During the preview Sustainability Pavillion’s exhibits, Under the Sea, On the Land, and Laboratory of Future Values were open for the public apart from the open space in and around the building. During the Expo, there will be few more features like education rooms, center stage, etc. Post-Expo, during legacy, Terra will be converted to a Science center.
Sustainable Design & Build of Terra
Now, let’s talk about the sustainable design of this one of the most sustainable buildings of our time! Terra, the Sustainability Pavillion is designed and built to become net-zero energy, net-zero water, LEED platinum building apart from complying with Expo 2020’s sustainability requirements. The purpose behind Sustainability Pavillion is not limited to just educating and captivating visitors, it extends to make Sustainability Pavillion a demonstration of sustainability and living landmark. It is one of the three pavilions of Expo 2020, which represent the three sub-themes Opportunity, Mobility, and Sustainability.
The Sustainability Pavillion is designed by Grimshaw Architect and its design is inspired by complex natural processes like photosynthesis, capturing energy from sunlight and fresh water from humid air. That’s exactly how the Energy Trees and water trees at Terra function harnessing clean energy from the sun using the most advanced photovoltaic cladding and using atmospheric water generation systems for Water Tree. These e-trees or solar trees don’t just generate energy (and water) but also provide shading to gardens and winding pathways creating a livable outdoor space for visitors (improving thermal comfort) and enhancing their experience.
To make this building net-zero energy and net-zero water there are more features apart from Energy and Water Trees. The PV cladding is used over the canopy as well making the perfect use of yearlong solar radiation in the region. A total of 1,055 photovoltaic panels are used in the Sustainability Pavillion. Looking at carbon emissions of the built environment because of high energy demand in the region, this emission-free clean energy generating system creates a bold sustainability statement. Apart from using passive design features to reduce demand for resources, you can spot many interesting and unique sustainable features here. For example, reed beds or constructed wetland is created to treat wastewater from the building which then reduces potable water demand for landscape irrigation.
The Sustainability Pavillion is a great demonstration of sustainability in a true sense, you just need to know where to look. Inside the building, you find Siemens screens displayed on the walls in many spaces. These screens if you look closely are part of sustainability communication and education, they show real-time operational data of the building including water consumption, the energy consumption of the Sustainability Pavillion. They are advanced IoT (internet of things) and use AI (artificial intelligence). Features like these make information accessible to building occupants, which can further inspire the right actions to reduce the adverse impact on the environment.
The sustainability Pavillion covers almost all aspects of sustainable living. The material selection to done to reduce waste, keeping circular economy thinking. Even sustainable food is given space here by growing edible crops and integrating them seamlessly into the landscape. For the food waste composting system is used to create soil from food waste. On the other hand soil at the site is conserved by using local species in the landscape, which then helps reducing water consumption. This is just an example of how healthy ecology is promoted by using sustainable urbanization. I am sure when professionals from around the world will visit the Sustainability Pavillion during Expo 2020, they will be inspired to replicate some of these creative, innovative ideas in their own countries. Isn’t that the main purpose of The Sustainability Pavillion?
So Tribe, don’t miss the chance to visit Terra before it closes to re-open directly during Expo-2020. Just a friendly warning if you are going there with your 7 or 8-year-old. Be very ready to spend the next few days answering the weirdest ‘would you rather’ questions when you are waking up, cooking, having a meal, working, or even bedtime! The Sustainability Pavillion leaves a very long-lasting impression on people of all ages.
