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 projects. 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 the “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 could enhance 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 in Mexico. This project had detailed safety
measures taken, such as signs indicating the maximum speed for vehicles,
evacuation routes and (other?)
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 a 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 whose 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
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
