Dalian is currently served by Dalian Zhoushuizi International Airport, which has been expanded four times and reached its capacity in 2016. Because of the growth of metropolis on the land, the government has no choice but to build an artificial island in Jinzhou Bay, Bohai Sea, Northeast of China. As advertised, Dalian Jinzhou Bay International Airport will be the largest airport on an artificial island. However, as the environmental issue became more and more severe, it is imperative to focus on sustainability perspective for an architecture project, especially for a project in such an area that has a plenty of opportunities to be sustainable.
Tidal power is one of the oldest forms of renewable energy; it is a form of hydropower, which converts the energy captured from tides into electricity. Compare to the other renewable energy, such as solar and wind energy, tidal power is more predictable and efficient, but the cost of the initial investment is significant, and the site to develop tidal power energy is limited. However, as a coastal city, Dalian has a great opportunity to take advantage of the tidal power energy, additionally, blend tidal power infrastructure into an artificial island will not give a significant increase on the initial investment, and further, the tidal power will not only benefit the airport, also the surrounding neighborhood.
This thesis paper will present a design of Dalian Jinzhou Bay International Airport, which aims at being a sustainable, educational, and Net-Zero airport that powered by tidal energy on an artificial island. The project will approach the Net-Zero energy by “subtraction” and “addition,” in other words, “minimizing energy conservation” and “maximizing energy production.” By optimizing building envelope design, utilizing passive design and some other tactics, the project will minimize the energy consumption. On the other hand, incorporating the tidal power organically into the airport design will increase the interestingness and educational character of the airport. Indeed, it will be the major approach to produce energy on the site.
Typically, the tidal power infrastructure captures the tidal energy by building a massive tide wall. A tide pool was placed inside of the sea wall with separated sluice gates and built-in energy-generating turbines. When the seawall opens up during high tide, the water will fill the tide pool by passing through the open sluice gate and turn the turbine. Meanwhile, at low tide, the seawall will open again to release water back into the sea to generate even more electricity. Base on the above methodology but not limited to, this project will explore how to incorporate the tidal power plant infrastructure with the airport terminal complex and the artificial island master plan.
The word “sustainability” in architecture conveys comprehensive meanings. With the stool of sustainability, its addresses on the environment, economy, and society. The environment and economy aspects probably are the first two come to mind think about sustainability. However, the society is the most important when we think about long-term. How to blend the sustainability into the design organically rather than stack the sustainable building technologies; how to influence people’s conscious and change their mind and behavior by design, if the project will create a sustainable community and culture is the key to a successful architecture project. Therefore, this project will not only be aiming to be Net-Zero, but also it will explore the design flexibility for the adaptable phasing of future building expansion and the ability to respond to future needs, and also explore on improving the educational character of a Net-Zero airport, further change the people’s mind and behaviors.
Airport on an artificial island is not a fresh idea. Also, the tidal power is one the oldest form of renewable energy. However, integrating these two concepts together is motivated and neoteric. This thesis will conduct researches on both tidal power energy and artificial island airport first and will develop a design base on the knowledge I learn from the researched I did.
The word “sustainability” in architecture conveys comprehensive meanings, a Net-Zero architecture is an approach towards sustainability but is not enough. When people hear about sustainability, the first things appear in their heads are the solar panel, wind turbine, or any other building technologies. A net zero architecture or a sustainable architecture can be built everywhere. However, the metrics to judge the sustainable building is the stool of sustainability; economy, environment, and culture. The cost of the development discloses if it is worthy to build. The energy consumption of the building will tell the building performance. The last unnoticed aspect is the culture, which I think is the most important one. Overview the architecture in different time and generations; each architecture style carries its perception and thoughts. At present, a sustainable design should not only focus on the energy saving respects; the most powerful to achieve sustainability is influencing the occupants, let them get involved, change their mind and behavior. Dalian Jinzhou Bay International Airport does not only provide an energy and time efficient aviation facility, but it also satisfies the needs for physical convenience and comforts and the demands for the future. Additionally, it plays a role as an educational center of sustainability. The terminal provides an innovative space for exploring sustainable technology, educate the audience the importance of being sustainable, and encourage the building users to change their behaviors. For the long term, I expect this artificial island is not an “exhibition” to show off the sustainable technologies; it should be the first example of sustainability education field... I hope everyone on this artificial island knows that technology is only the tactic to slow down climate change an environmental destruction, the fundamental method to answer the challenge from nature is to respect the nature, respect the earth. Start to change the mind and behavior right away; Act as a pioneer of sustainability. If you change your day-to-day behaviors, you will influence your families, your friends, and your community. Put in a nutshell, sustainability is not a career for certain people; it is the life of human being,
