By: Inas Essa
t is undeniable that preserving our natural resources has become an urgent issue to which each one of us can actively contribute, starting with wasting less food and water, avoiding non-eco-friendly products, and choosing energy-efficient appliances over others. On a larger scale, science centers and museums can have more noticeable sustainability efforts. To meet this goal, several science centers and museums have been raising public awareness of sustainability through their design and structure, as well as immersive experiences and interactive games.
Different Sustainability Features
While some science centers and museums consider sustainability standards while setting the foundations, others include sustainable refurbishment through their work, applying the following guidelines throughout its different phases:
- Responsible management of the waste generated by emptying and demolition.
- Optimal use of materials to cause the least impact on the environment.
- Improving insulation to reduce energy consumption.
- Sustainable maintenance once the work is finished.
- Implementing recycling and reusing measures of materials.
Sustainable Architecture in Science Centers and Museums
The concept of sustainable architecture mainly promotes three practices:
- Efficient energy use in buildings to prevent unnecessary energy costs.
- Taking advantage of local resources for system operations.
- Ensuring there are no negative environmental impacts.
In science centers and museums, the key to sustainable architecture promotes that the design is aligned with nature. This could be achieved by choosing the appropriate location and orientation of the structure to take advantage of sunshine for lighting and cooling.
Moreover, these entities can shift to using recycled materials that are purchased from local suppliers to reduce the carbon footprint from shipping. Furthermore, proper insulation is used to reduce the need for heating and air conditioning as much as possible.
Throughout this entire process, new technologies are essential; such as evaporative cooling towers, water recycling systems, solar panels, smart temperature and humidity management.
Examples of Sustainable Science Museums
Besides their eco-friendly structure, which fights against climate change, sustainable centers and museums implement different elements that protect the environment; such as bike parking, vertical gardens, and rainwater catchment and treatment.
Below are 4 examples of science museums that have implemented sustainable architecture in their design:
1- The California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, USA
This entity, which was opened to the public in 2008, aims to be the greenest museum in the world. It has several sustainable features, such as the Living Roof, which is surrounded by solar panels, and can catch excess stormwater, provide insulation to reduce energy consumption, and transform carbon dioxide into oxygen. It is also considered home to about 1.7 million plants that can work as a haven for birds, insects, and more.
2- The Prado Museum, Madrid, Spain
This museum has worked to achieve sustainability by implementing a new, more sustainable LED lighting system that resulted in an annual energy saving of 75% besides cutting its emissions by 320 tons of CO2 each year. It has also worked on projects to raise awareness of climate change and partnered in 2019 with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to alter four well-known works of art from its collection.
3- Boston Children’s Museum, Boston, USA
This museum is sustainable both in design and content. In design, it has features such as stormwater reclamation, efficient lighting, real-time heating and cooling, and green housekeeping. Additionally, it has a 6,400-square-foot green roof covered with plants and organic materials. It also collects rainwater and reduces air pollution.
To raise visitors’ awareness of sustainability, the museum explains these sustainable design features to them throughout the venue, with its Green Trail and how they work, each station on the trail suggests different ways that people can implement these features in their own houses and communities to make them greener.
4- MuSe, Trento, Italy
This science museum, which was opened in 2013, uses advanced technology to minimize its impact on the environment by using a range of renewable energy sources including solar power. Its design also plays a role in energy saving as other elements like windows, wall thickness and blinds are designed to maximize the building’s energy performance. Moreover, the museum reuses rainwater for the toilets, the greenhouse, and the aquarium. Furthermore, the museum uses locally sourced materials where possible to minimize pollution from transport and it is easily accessible by bicycle or by public transport.
In a nutshell, sustainability as a mission has different faces to be achieved; not all are on big scale, yet all can positively impact the environment.
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