Australia’s first environmentally friendly fire station has opened in East Maitland, NSW. Called ecopod, the $1.52m building has been designed to reduce water and fuel use as well as cut back on waste and pollution.
Ecopod’s most significant feature is a structurally efficient steel ‘cocoon’ that reduces energy consumption for climate control. The design separates the internal work areas from the roof via a large void that acts as an insulating climatic buffer zone from extreme temperatures. Solar power has been installed, enabling the station to be largely self-sufficient for its electrical power needs. Similarly, rainfall will be collected and stored for water consumption and general use.
Simeon Glass, ecopod’s designer, says that ecologically self-sustainable buildings are powerful symbols for society’s future. “They represent a kind of total responsibility and accountability to the natural world around us,” he notes. ‘They help us to understand our limits … and also help us to see the beauty and delicacy of the environment.”
Water solutions contractor E-Co Shower have installed a special custom-made shower to suit the gravity-fed water system in place at the station. The shower reduces water usage yet maximises the quality of water delivery using an innovative method of mixing air and water together. The solar power system consists of 48 150W monocrystalline panels and two inverters. Electricity generated should save around 60t of greenhouse gas emissions a year.
Source: Building Products News.