Recycling the Buildings of Our Past

On a recent lunch date with my husband, we got to talking about a program we had watched on the Discovery Channel about alternative energy sources. One segment in the program mentioned a little town in Sweden by the name of Malmo. Around 2000, developers began construction on a futuristic community that was to be completely self-sustained. The community known as Western Harbour, was inspired by the plan of medieval Lund, a nearby town. Surrounded by greenery and water features, the futuristic buildings of Western Harbour display their solar panels and residents are able to walk the short distance into town. Many of the residents are students and single families, all of whom appreciate the fact that they contribute to and use 100% renewable energy.

Driving home, I got to thinking about all of the vacant buildings that are available for lease in downtown Wichita. There are quite a few empty warehouses and office buildings that have been ignored for years. They represent a beautiful part of our countries history but unfortunately have been forgotten. Many investors would rather build new, thinking that it's cheaper than the cost of reconstruction on an older building. That may be true but if that construction included changing the way that the building created and used energy wouldn't it be cheaper in the long run? New buildings are great but all over this country we have older buildings that can be utilized. By reconstructing these older buildings we would be saving the stories of our past as well as teaching our children about how to live for the future. Waste not want not! Soon, newly developed "dye-sensitized solar cells" may replace traditional solar panels because of their flexibility and efficiency, allowing for cheaper commercial production and mass distribution. Rather than depleting resources with new construction, recycled materials could also be used to make these older buildings self-sustainable.

Imagine an old warehouse, completely gutted and rebuilt with on-site recycling facilities, wind, solar power and water aquifers. Inside the warehouse there could be apartments downstairs as well as a market and small restaurant. Upstairs there could be a gym, park and other facilities as needed by the community. This complex could create and store it's own energy and also be able to store surpluses to be used elsewhere in the neighboring communities. Individuals who work in the downtown areas could walk to work and feel more connected with their fellow citizens and coworkers. Instead of taking our planet for granted we could work together, create a solution and build a better, cleaner future for our children.

References:

1. Peter, Lawrence. "Green living takes root in Sweden". BBC News, Malmo, Sweden.

2. Staedter, Tracy. "'Printable' Solar Cell Factory Revs Up." Discovery News.

3. The Discovery Channel.