Project description by jury

Through a step-by-step approach, the Liyumen Waterway Park transforms an inefficient drainage system of the Qianhai district, Shenzhen, into an efficient and desirable green-blue network for the city. The proposed infrastructure provides a new green area for Shenzhen’s inhabitants while integrating flood control and wastewater treatment systems. The new 15-km2 CBD is expected to accommodate over 700,000 people, where greenspace will be highly valued in the dense business/residential district. The concrete canal of the existing drainage infrastructure is partly reconfigured to allow the creation of a wide terraced wetland and the development of a lush vegetation. Concrete is recycled to form the gabion for planters, retaining walls and the boardwalk.

As a Main category prize winner in the regional Holcim Awards 2020, Green-Blue Network in China automatically qualified as a finalist in the Global Holcim Awards 2021.

View Global Holcim Awards Entry – Green-Blue Network in China

The built environment has a significant role to play in addressing climate change and enabling the transition to a net zero and more inclusive future. The Holcim Awards for Sustainable Construction global winners showcase the cutting edge of approaches to sustainable design, green architecture and materials innovation. In the 6th cycle, a Global Holcim Awards Bronze and two Global Commendations went to projects in the Asia Pacific region. The global prizes were presented at a handover ceremony at the International Architecture Biennale in Venice, Italy. The regional Holcim Awards Main category winners for Asia Pacific were recognized at the same event.

Nature-Based Symbiotic Solution to Transform Conventional Gray Infrastructure into green

Single-objective counter flooding infrastructure has turned hundreds of rivers into concrete channels around the world, losing ecological resilience and visual appeal. Globally, 85% of sewage is untreated, polluting rivers and oceans. While for developing countries, it is affordable to primarily treat domestic sewage to remove odor, heavy metal and harmful pathogenic bacteria, but to remove the nutrients like nitrogen (TN) and phosphorus (TP) needs deep treatment and is extremely energy intensive and costly (Energy consumption for deep sewage treatment is 3% in the developed countries). The rich nutrients are fertilizers for plants that are underused in the urban area but wrongly treated as pollutants. Liyumen Park demonstrates a nature based solution that addresses these issues in a symbiotic way.

The designed lush glen, wetland and vegetation will reduce carbon emissions by 2,491t per year: Cooling effect in the cool glen is equivalent to the power of about 145 domestic air conditioners, which can save about 3,840KWH of electricity per day, to reduce carbon emissions by 724t per year (Shenzhen use air-conditioning for 8 months per year). The constructed wetland could cleanse about 5.1km3 of pretreatment wastewater per day, which save energy consumption of sewage treatment plants by at least 5,000KWH, and reduce carbon emissions by 1,500t annually. Rehabilitated vegetation will reduce carbon emissions by at least 267t per year.

The reuse of concrete materials for ecological planter alone can reduce 735t of stone consumption and reduce carbon emissions by 78t.