Spotted: Recent research into the productivity of mature trees as carbon sinks found that the average age of peak net primary productivity ranged from 35 to 75 years. As a result, the many millions of trees being planted as part of reforestation efforts are not going to be fully effective at helping to mitigate climate change for several decades. Reforestation should therefore not be seen as a panacea for climate change, especially if it normalises people to the destruction of forests on the mistaken belief that we can ‘bring them back’ at will.
This is the argument of Green Sanctuaries, which is focusing its attention on preserving the forests that are still intact. The French organisation connects financial supporters with forests and communities needing support. It oversees projects around the world, including forest ecosystems in Ecuador, Zimbabwe, and Namibia that are especially important to the world’s biodiversity. Companies can get involved by donating money, time, and equipment. Individuals can contribute financially via a one-off or regular monthly donation.
The Green Sanctuaries team includes a global network of ‘forest watchers’ – biodiversity experts who identify the most precious plots of forested land in private hands. Once a parcel of land is confirmed as at risk, Green Sanctuaries tries to buy or long-term lease as much of it as possible. Once ownership has been transferred, the organisation works closely with local communities to design and implement long-term management strategies that include water access, creation of conservation jobs, and the opening up of the forest to research projects. In some areas, the Green Sanctuaries team also helps local and Indigenous communities protect the land from neighbouring pollutants, such as runoff from industrial farms.
The world’s forests are such rich spaces for biodiversity that in just one of Green Sanctuaries’ projects, a 3,500-hectare habitat, protects more than 100,000 species of insects, around 200 species of amphibians and reptiles, and 550 species of birds, while providing critical habitat space for the endangered tapir.
From creating a database of the world’s forests to using forest products as new food sources, innovations in Springwise’s library highlight the diversity of the projects working to save some of the world’s most important carbon sinks.
Thatched roofs, recycled bricks and bundles of sticks were used to construct this hostel on Shanghai’s Chongming Island, which Chinese studio RooMoo has organised around two existing buildings.
The site is surrounded by water and forests, creating a secluded rural environment on the island that’s located across the Yangtze River estuary from the vast metropolitan area.
RooMoo completely transformed two existing buildings using materials found on-site
The Som Land hostel was designed to integrate with this natural landscape and respect the local customs and traditions.
“The resort’s name Som Land comes from the traditional Chinese colour, the warm green between the mottled gaps in the tree shadows, representing a state of relaxation and slow-paced life,” said Shanghai-based RooMoo.
“In terms of overall space arrangement and planning, Som Land focuses on nature and humanistic traditions.”
The buildings are clad using recycled bricks in a pattern based on a local cloth
The architects revived two old houses on the site, manipulating their existing forms and layouts to meet the new requirements while adhering to planning restrictions.
The larger two-storey structure that acts as the accommodation block was overhauled and extended to include an additional floor – now totalling 552 square metres.
In the larger of the two buildings, the staircase was moved to the north side
“Because the original building has problems, it is necessary to adjust the old and inappropriate space layout and add new design strategies to provide reconstruction to match the new requirements,” said RooMoo.
While its perimeter footprint remained the same, the building was transformed both internally and externally.
The rooms are decorated with neutral tones and natural materials
Planning codes limited the height of the eaves. So to provide extra space, RooMoo steepened the pitch of the roof so that the extra storey could tuck inside.
Large dormer windows create even more space on this upper floor, while balconies were added to the lower levels to extend these, too.
Wood furniture and woven textiles connect the interiors to the rural setting
The staircase was also relocated to the north of the building, allowing three guest rooms per floor to fan around the glass-topped circulation core.
Each room has its own bathroom facilities, and some suites include a bathtub that overlooks the balcony and the forest beyond.
Neutral tones and natural materials decorate the interiors, which feature wooden bed frames, tables and chairs, plus woven textiles and lighting.
Tree branches gathered from the site are framed into panels that cover parts of the ceilings in both the rooms and corridors, while bamboo poles partition the staircase flights.
The second building was extended on the west side with a glazed addition
“The guests staying can feel the space environment of non-machine standardised production, so most of our material selection is from nature and the local site,” said RooMoo.
The second single-storey building that was originally a tool shed was also completely rethought, becoming a reception and communal space where crumbling walls and a tiled roof once stood.
This building is used as the reception and a communal space for guests
As with the larger structure, the roof pitch was increased to its maximum allowed height and its boundary was also pushed outward.
The top of its gabled form was cut off and the flat plane turned into a window to allow plenty of natural light into the interior.
A central brick fireplace divides the open space
On the west side, a wood-framed glass addition is extruded from the building’s profile to face the water.
Inside, thin strips of wood swoop down and curve outward from the skylight, helping to distribute the light.
A variety of local products are displayed in the reception building
A curvaceous brick fireplace and chimney stack are positioned in the centre of the open room to separate the reception area from a lounge and dining space.
Both buildings were re-clad in bricks recycled from the original structures, in a pattern based on local cloth that casts shadows across the facades.
Strips of wood curve from the ceiling to funnel in sun from the skylight
Thatched roofs were also added as a nod to the region’s historic building traditions. “In our practice, we tried to recall the traditional way of manual binding to build a roof of reed poles,” said RooMoo.
“Therefore, we hope to bring out the first impression of the sustainable concept and practice of earth materials returning to nature,” the studio added.
“The design treatment is to provide hotel guests with a warm and relaxing vacation with a deeper understanding of the local style of the environment.”
The top of the gabled roof is cut off and covered in glass
Som Land is longlisted in the hotel and short-stay interior category for the 2023 Dezeen Awards, becoming the latest hostel in China to receive recognition from the program.
Previously, the Capsule hostel and bookstore by Atelier Tao+C in a small rural village was named interiors project of the year at the 2020 Dezeen Awards.
Spotted: The world loses almost six million hectares of forest each year to deforestation. That’s like losing an area the size of Portugal every two years. And around three-quarters of this deforestation is directly attributable to agriculture. To respond to this problem, From Sand to Green (FSG) has developed a nature-based solution for transforming desert agriculture.
FSG has developed a three-pronged approach to deforestation. This includes developing customised desalination modules that run on solar energy, creating adapted tree plantations and crops that refertilise the soil and produce food, and building agroforestry software to effectively create and manage plantations in arid environments.
One of FSG’s first projects is the Domaine de Nzaha, a 20-hectare agricultural farm in Morocco that uses permaculture and agroforestry techniques to produce organic vegetables and fruits. The organisation’s projects involve using microalgae to recycle the salty wastewater produced during desalination, using drip irrigation and biochar to retain water and store carbon, and installing nurseries of native species.
In addition to revitalising soils and growing food, FSG’s methods create carbon sinks, preserve biodiversity, and help local communities.
Methods to reverse deforestation and desertification are seen by many as an important part of the fight against both global warming and food insecurity. This is why we are seeing a number of innovations in this area, including digital smart forest technology to improve forest management, AI-powered drones for replanting forests, and a cardboard planter that improves subsistence food production.
To get the long-planned, 65 kilometre-long Rawalpindi Ring Road project off the ground, Rs6.5b released to buy land for Ring Road by the government.
This was disclosed by the Punjab Project Management Unit (PMU) Deputy Director M Abdullah on Sunday.
He said that the proposed project includes the construction of industrial zones as well as a health city, dry port, bus and truck terminals and theme parks.
In a detailed presentation to traders of the city as part of a briefing session on the Ring Road at the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), the deputy director said that a proposal for rapid rail transit was also under consideration in the project.
He assured that suggestions of the stakeholders will be shared with the relevant officials so that they can be incorporated into the project.
RCCI President Nasir Mirza said that the project can prove to be a game-changer for Rawalpindi as the proposed industrial zones can turn the city into a hub of trade activities.
The stakeholders, he said, should be taken on board while finalizing the allocation for and demarcation of industrial zones, he added. The RCCI president further emphasized that this was an important project for the development of Rawalpindi and should be completed on priority.
