No matter what steps your library is taking to become greener it will be hard to beat The Grove Library Project in Western Australia. The entire project, designed by architects Cox Howlett + Bailey Woodland, utilized environmentally sustainable design from soup to nuts.
climate-sensitive building design (e.g. thermal maze, in ground heat exchange, double glazing and use of natural lighting);
energy and water-efficient fixtures and fittings (e.g. dimmable lighting control and waterless urinals);
rainwater harvesting;
onsite treatment and reuse of wastewater;
renewable energy (solar panels and wind turbine); and stormwater treatment.
“The aim is not only to generate water and energy savings, but also to have an educational impact and tell a story about what is being achieved.
The necessity of leaning green in these turbulent times is summed up nicely by William Yeoman in his piece, Ultra-modern Grove sets library standard, in The West Australian
With dwindling natural resources and the future of public libraries hanging in the balance, so-called ESD (ecologically sustainable development) lighthouse projects such as the Grove, which extend the traditional brief of libraries by making the very building itself a living, evolving book as well as a depository of knowledge, are now essential.
And here are 5 Eco online games for kids courtesy of The Grove