There are numerous possibilities of sustainable infrastructure that can be implemented into the Jeppestown area. I have chosen to focus on three main areas of sustainable infrastructure and those areas are solar energy through the use of solar panels, a water collection and recycling system and urban farming. By implementing these sustainable infrastructures, the neighbourhood will be able to be self sustaining and be able to function while being off grid if necessary.
SOLAR ENERGY
The energy obtained through the solar panels on the roofs of various buildings will be stored and used to illuminate the park at night. Large street lamps around the periphery of the park will illuminate the majority of the park and the smaller walkway lamps will illuminate the paved pathway across the park. By illuminating the park, people will be able to stay in the area for longer periods of time and they will feel safer as it will be a lit area and they will be able to see what is happening around them.
The excess electricity that will be produced will be distributed evenly to reduce the monthly cost of electricity for the people within the neighbourhood.
The visible elements of this type of infrastructure are the solar panels on the roofs and the lights in the park, each of which are nodes in the whole process. The connections between these nodes are hidden as they can not come into contact with water. In this instance, specific elements of the infrastructure have to be hidden while others are visible.
RAINWATER COLLECTION
Rainwater collection and recycling systems will be put in place on the majority of the flat roofs. The system will harvest the rain water and purify it so that you can drink it and use it for domestic purposes. After its been used for domestic purposed, the recycling part of the system comes into play. This is where it takes the grey water and filters and cleans the water so that the water can then be used to water the urban farms.
At point 1 the storm water infrastructure will be visible in order to catch all the water run off from the drinking fountains that will be put into place.
At point 2 the storm water infrastructure will also be visible in order to catch all the surface run off from the park and streets.
The rest of the system is hidden as it is linked to the existing storm water disposal systems.
The visible elements for this type of infrastructure would be the collection, storage and filtering systems on the roof of the buildings and on the ground it would be the 2 collection points at the ends of the park. The rest of the system could in fact be visible and easily accessible even though I have chose to link it to the current storm water disposal systems that they have in place already.
At point number 1, the urban farm is on the first floor story of the building as the first floor story was not being used and there is no roof on that building. The urban farms that will grow on this particular building will need to be grown in planter boxes.
At point number 2, the urban farm will be on ground level and so the plants and crops will be able to be planted straight into the earth in order for it to grow.
The urban farming infrastructure is all visible in terms of seeing the soil and the plants and vegetables growing and the urban farms will be open to anybody to grow their own food and be able to share the food with the rest of the neighbourhood.
The hidden elements for this type of infrastructure would be the irrigation system and the connections that get the water from the roof of the buildings all the way down to the urban farms so that the recycling grey water can be used to feed the crops that will be grown there.
At point 1 the storm water infrastructure will be visible in order to catch all the water run off from the drinking fountains that will be put into place.
At point 2 the storm water infrastructure will also be visible in order to catch all the surface run off from the park and streets.
The rest of the system is hidden as it is linked to the existing storm water disposal systems.
The visible elements for this type of infrastructure would be the collection, storage and filtering systems on the roof of the buildings and on the ground it would be the 2 collection points at the ends of the park. The rest of the system could in fact be visible and easily accessible even though I have chose to link it to the current storm water disposal systems that they have in place already.
URBAN FARMING
At point number 2, the urban farm will be on ground level and so the plants and crops will be able to be planted straight into the earth in order for it to grow.
The urban farming infrastructure is all visible in terms of seeing the soil and the plants and vegetables growing and the urban farms will be open to anybody to grow their own food and be able to share the food with the rest of the neighbourhood.
The hidden elements for this type of infrastructure would be the irrigation system and the connections that get the water from the roof of the buildings all the way down to the urban farms so that the recycling grey water can be used to feed the crops that will be grown there.
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