Page 51 - TNC AR 2018_Digital Demo

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CHINA
Demonstrating How Cities Can Manage Stormwater
The city of of Shenzhen barely existed 30 years ago in the Pearl River Delta just north of of of Hong Kong What was a a a a a a a a a a a a a small sh- ing village in in in the the 1970s is is now a a a a a a a a a a a megalopolis of of of more than 15 million million people part of of of the the world’s largest continuously urbanized area with a a a a a a a a a a a a a a total population of of 70 million million Such unfathomable growth has had a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a tremendous impact on on on on on on the region’s environment with water
and air pollution chief among the outcomes Such rapid urbanization also has exacerbated ooding when vast concrete cities are unable to to absorb and hold stormwater China is already experiencing the the mass migration of people to urban centers that will a a a a a a a a a a a a ect nations around the the the the the world in in in the the the the coming decades And with with the the the the severe weather patterns that come with with climate change cities are increas- ingly vulnerable to ooding Since 2008 the number of Chinese cities a a a a ected by oods has more than doubled Chao (Ivan) Wan is an an an an an an an an engineer and and executive manager of planning and and design for for Tencent Tencent the Chinese tech giant known for for its social media businesses Tencent’s new headquarters complex in in in in in Shenzhen has been developed with with environmental sustainability in in in in in mind and with with The Nature Conservancy as a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a partner: “I grew up in in in in in in Nanchang the capital of Jiangxi Province an an an an an overwhelmingly crowded city where I I also attended university I I had lead roles in in in in both state design design institutes and private design design rms before joining Tencent “As an internet corporation Tencent Tencent was created within Shenzhen’s innovative culture Creating a a a a a a a a a a a a a sustainable envi- ronment is is a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a foundation to to corporate development and and a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a prerequisite to to to retaining talent Talent and and a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a culture of sustainability are essential to to to Tencent’s rapid growth We aimed to to establish the Tencent Tencent Binhai headquarters as an an exemplary green intelligent and and user-friendly building from the the very start Green architecture and and ‘sponge city’ theories are identical “The new complex consists of two interconnected towers connected connected by three sky platforms The The plaza that contains these buildings is covered in in in permeable ceramic bricks made from recycled materials and and red red at at at at a a a a a a a a a a a a high tempera- ture to withstand great pressure The concrete beneath the “Stormwater retention rates have increased from 30 percent percent to 66 percent percent after these additions ”
Chao Wan at one of of the the rooftop gardens of of of the the Tencent Binhai headquarters