Green airports and stations

Airport and train station buildings are among the most environmentally hazardous structures. The problems arising from their operation include deterioration of air, water and soil quality, as well as negative visual and acoustic impact on people.
The number of projects for certification of infrastructure facilities - railway and bus stations, railway stations and airports - is currently growing due to the desire to reduce the negative impact of such facilities on the environment, and in the case of railway stations to attract passengers to use this most environmentally friendly mode of public transport. According to RIA Novosti, railroads are currently the most environmentally friendly means of transportation. For example, in Russia they produce no more than 2% of all greenhouse gases in the country.

Next, we will tell you about interesting transport infrastructure, including certified by ESG factor company.

1) Depot of Podmoskovnaya station of the Moscow railroad. Certification was conducted according to the scheme for commercial buildings - BREEAM Europe Commercial Industrial (2009). The depot was certified at the design stage and received a Good rating with a score of 47.87%. The assessor was Ksenia Agapova - the founder of the company "ESG Factor".

In the areas of construction management, energy efficiency, quality of indoor environment, more than 50% of the criteria were implemented, more than 80% of all criteria were implemented in the categories of "waste management" and "transport accessibility". For example, demolition waste was recycled and used by the contractor directly at the construction site, separate waste collection was organized. Inside, the space is organized by means of transparent partitions. The windows have automatically adjustable blinds, which are controlled by activators connected with each other via the KNX protocol. In automatic mode, depending on the position of the sun, the activator controls the actuator, setting the required position of the blinds for the desired degree of shading.

Rainwater from the roof, roads and production sites is discharged to the local treatment facilities, where it is treated and used at the washing complex for washing trains and for watering lawns and roads. The maximum saving of domestic and drinking water consumption in the depot is 40 m3/day or 14.6 thousand m3/year.

2) The "Olympic Park" station complex received the BREEAM Very Good environmental certificate. The facility was the first BREEAM-certified station in Russia.

3) The new HS2 station to be built in Solihull, UK, is the first railway station in the world to receive BREEAM "Outstanding" certification.
The design of the station includes minimizing the need for carbon through the use of natural ventilation and daylight. Energy-saving technologies such as air source heat pumps and LED lighting will be used. In addition, the Automated People Mover station and maintenance facility has more than 2,000 m2 of solar panels generating zero-carbon electricity.
Landscaping includes sustainable drainage systems to reduce surface water drainage loads while naturally irrigating the planting areas, and new natural habitats will be created around the station, leaving a legacy of biodiversity and increasing the number of native species. The parking lot will have 222 charging points for electric vehicles, as well as storage space for 176 bicycles, with room for further expansion as needed.

Airports

The Oslo (OSL), London Heathrow (LHR) and Helsinki (HEL) airports are currently BREEAM certified. Heathrow Airport's design team has used innovative solutions to provide the building with low-carbon energy: snow collected in winter is stored and used to cool the building in summer, grey water and groundwater under the airport are used for heating.

LEED Gold certificates were awarded to the Galapagos airport terminal building, which is built with 75 percent recycled materials and uses 100 percent renewable energy, and to San Francisco Airport Terminals 2 and 3, the interior design is quiet in tone with natural light and wood finishes.

There are also a number of airports that use eco-design, but have yet to show progress in reducing harmful emissions. The most famous is the Singapore airport with a lot of greenery and the Changi Airport Pearl complex, which looks more like a botanical garden or greenhouse. The new complex built on the site of the old airport parking lot has not just increased capacity, but has become a new landmark of the country.

A special feature of the complex is the 40-meter Rain Vortex waterfall - it flows rainwater at a rate of nearly 38,000 liters per minute. This flow naturally cools the space under the dome, creating a comfortable temperature. It rains a lot in Singapore, and the waterfall is a great way to use the water. First the water will flow onto the roof and then flow into a glass funnel and fall. Multiple uses are planned. Tourists, while waiting for their flights, will be able to stroll not only through the stores, but also through terraces filled with more than 200 species of plants and an indoor park.
Every year the number of such examples grows, airports pay more and more attention to the quality of service, emotional comfort of passengers and the environmental environment.

In Russia, the development of eco-technologies in airport design is not a priority at the moment. However, some elements of eco-design can still be found in new terminals designed by international teams. As examples we can mention the Simferopol airport with its bionic shape of the building, landscape park and 50 thousand living plants inside, Rostov with its soft color palette, smooth roof lines and tree lined, Novy Urengoy with its architectural image reflecting the natural features and national identity of the place. Nevertheless, there are no examples of eco-terminals in Russia corresponding to the international level.