In the article “Advancing
Sustainable Infrastructure with Envision”, Nelson (2015) shared that Envision
is a holistic rating system which acts as a global reference for all types of
infrastructure. Envision is the brainchild of the Institute for Sustainable
Infrastructure (ISI) and the Zonfnass program at Harvard University Graduate
School of Design. Nelson mentioned that Envision offers a triple bottom line
approach, which focuses on people, profit and the planet. It promotes end to
end documentation from the design phase to the completion phase, which covers
the entire cycle of the project. In addition, projects are graded based on
these 5 aspects: Quality of Life (QL), Leadership (LD), Resource Allocation
(RA), Climate and Risk (CR) and Natural World (NW).
I believe that organizations should consider Envision for
their existing or new infrastructure projects as the benefits of using the
triple bottom line approach far outweigh the potentially high initial costs in
terms of sustainability.
As mentioned above, projects that incorporate Envision in
the design phase enjoys triple benefits i.e., people, profit and planet. For the “people” benefit, it provides a safe
environment for workers and helps to create jobs as engineers are required to
run and manage the system. “Profit” can
be measured by the costs savings through reduction in resource usage e.g.
energy. As for “planet”, it promotes a
better and sustainable environment.
The first reason to use Envision is the people factor. The
William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery (WJHSFH) designed their project to
improve visitors’ safety which enhances their learning experience
(William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish
Hatchery, 2015). Jobs were created which also helped to improve the quality of
life for people. Another project that used Envision was the construction of the
Nuevo Necaxa-Ávila Camacho Highway. This
project had detailed safety measures taken, such as signs indicating the
maximum speed for vehicles, evacuation routes and precautionary measures
(Nuevo Necaxa-àvila Camacho Highway
- Mexico, 2015, pp. 36, 39). Moreover, vaccine shots were given to the
workers to ensure that they were healthy for work. These measures taken created
a safe environment for the workers, thus enhancing productivity (Haberman, 2013).
Therefore, with Envision focusing on the people factor, organizations and
workers will be able to benefit greatly.
Secondly, Envision helps organizations to save cost by using
sustainable designs. The WJHSFH used sustainable designs for water re-circulation.
They achieved a 95% reduction in water usage as only 5% of water was required
to be heated. This helped to reduce water usage thus reducing cost
(HDR, Inc., 2013; William Jack
Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery, 2015). Furthermore, with the Envision systems in
place, unexpected breakdowns and loss of manpower hours were minimized.
Additionally, the Nuevo Necaxa-àvila Camacho Highway project saved cost by
prohibiting night activity and used solar panels to power the detour signs
(Nuevo Necaxa-àvila Camacho Highway - Mexico, 2015, pp. 36, 39). With this in
mind, Envision aids organizations to optimize the available resources whilst
saving cost.
Lastly, Envision helps organization to tackle environmental
issues and promotes ways for a healthier and more sustainable environment. The
brownfield site which WJHSFH was built on, was restored without contaminating
river Ship Creek and damage to any cultural artifacts was prevented (Storm,
2013). Another project that benefitted from using Envision was the South L.A.
Wetland Park. It was stated that the project used solar lighting to reduce
energy consumption by 77%. Furthermore this wetland project was converted from
its original brownfield state into a current urban park which upland plants
contribute in restoring species biodiversity (Institute for Sustainable
Infrastructure, 2015). Consequently, using Envision helps to restore greenery
and promote nature diversity.
In conclusion, Nelson (2015) was accurate when she mentioned
that “The Envision rating system for sustainable infrastructure is the new
international reference for best practices for all types of infrastructure”. I
believe that Envision is a good tool for new projects as it aids engineers to
progressively track and monitor their projects. In addition, by focusing on
using the triple bottom line approach, organizations would be able to benefit
much more over the high initial cost in terms of sustainability.
References
Haberman, M. (2013,
December 19). A safe environment is a productive environment: Ensuring
workplace safety and security. Omega hr
Solutions, Inc.. Retrieved from http://omegahrsolutions.com/2013/12/4562.html
HDR, Inc.. (2013).
First-ever Envision Project award, HDR-designed William Jack Hernandez Sport
Fish Hatchery. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTuueSJvZTg
Institute for
Sustainable Infrastructure. (2015). South L.A. Wetland Park Receives Envision®
Platinum Award. Retrieved 21 October 2015, from https://www.sustainableinfrastructure.org/news/wetland_award_013014.cfm
Nelson, D. (2015,
June). Advancing sustainable infrastructure with Envision. Civil + Structural Engineer. Retrieved from http://cenews.com/article/10098/advancing-sustainable-infrastructure-with-envision
Nuevo Necaxa-àvila
Camacho Highway - Mexico. (2015) (pp. 36, 39). Retrieved from http://idbdocs.iadb.org/wsdocs/getdocument.aspx?docnum=38832852
Storm, J. (2013). The
William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery – A marvel of modern science and
art. Alaska Business Monthly. Retrieved from http://www.akbizmag.com/Alaska-Business-Monthly/October-2013/The-William-Jack-Hernandez-Sport-Fish-Hatchery/
William Jack Hernandez Sport Fish Hatchery. (2015).
[PDF] Retrieved from http://www.hdrinc.com/sites/all/files/assets/knowledge-center/wjh-sport-fish-hatchery-brochure.pdf
