Located on the mountainous outskirts of Shenzhen, the Waste-to-Energy Plant will be housed inside a single circular structure that comprises all the auxiliary buildings and industrial facilities. The plant’s simplified and compact form helps minimize its building footprint and the amount of site excavation required. To further reduce the plant’s environmental impact, two-thirds of the 66,000-square-meter roof will be covered with solar panels, while the remaining third will be used for green roofs, water collection and recycling systems, and skylights.
The circular facade that wraps around the building will be punctuated with openings to allow for natural ventilation, and the waste incinerated will be protected inside noise and odor-proof facades. The landscape design emphasizes the circular layout with a series of planting strips that radiate outwards from the plant. The site will also include wastewater treatment pools, a dormitory, a booster station, and a pressure station.
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“The plant is intended to showcase the Waste-to-Energy production as an important technical process that is geared to deal with the issues of growing waste, as well as the issue of finding more environmentally friendly ways of generating electricity,” write the architects. To facilitate public education, a visitor experience is integrated into the design. A panorama discovery path will also be added to the rooftop and overlook views of the mountains, forests, and city. “At the same time visitors become informed on the challenge of the growing amounts of waste we produce every day and are also educated on initiatives on how to reduce their own amount of daily waste.”
+ Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects
+ Gottlieb Paludan Architects
Images via Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects
