Green. Exploration
“Taipei Public Library Beitou Branch is Nominated as one of the 25 Most Beautiful Libraries on Earth”
When Beitou Library is broadly reported by mass media on account of its nomination as “One of the 25 Most Beautiful Libraries on Earth”, which brought our notice and discussion, our group members started to collect lots of information of Beitou Libruary and Green Building . To our surprise, the advocate of Green Building in Taiwan has already into a certain level ; however, we didn’t know about this wat all. “Why does a library breathe?” one of our group members asked. After reading, we learned that Beitou Library has always been famous for being a Green Building. Then, we started to think that what if we start to do a survey about Green Building and Beitou Library, maybe we can let everyone know how this so-called Green Building library amazed the world. Furthermore, we can make people know more about Beitou Library so that people can learn the importance of Green Buildings and the benefits of them . This is the reason why we started the journey of our survey on Beitou Library and Green Building. Here is our plan:
1. Decide the Research Topic
In the beginning, we wanted to start from the cuisines and snacks around Beitou Library. However, our research is mainly about environment and ecosystem, we figured foods may not be a proper start. Besides, Beitou Library is the first library which is rated “diamond-level” as a Green Building library. We were pretty curious about what “diamond-level Green Building” is, and wondering what other levels are there in rating a Green Building. As a result, we decided to choose Beitou Library as the topic of our research. We feel like going on a treasure hunting journey and wish to know more about Beitou Library and its green miracle!
2. Collect Information
“Why is Beitou Library nominated as one of the 25 most beautiful libraries in the world?” After our research, the reason why it is so beautiful right now is a reconstruction in 2001. The old Beitou Library was determined as a fixer upper. And in the year of 2001, a project team for Green Building library was founded. They suggested that the new building should embrace the idea of Green Building such as sustainable, eco-friendly and so on while at the same time educate people about environmental protection. While we were reading the information we had gathered, we found an eye-catching flier, which provides chance to visit a demonstration base of Green Buildings. Therefore, we decided to take the chance before we visit Beitou library. We paid a visit to the demonstration base of Green Building, which was held by Architecture and Building Research Institute from Ministry of the Interior and Taiwan Green Building Council.
▲We had collected lots of information and newspaper about Green Building, and held a study group with our teacher. |
3.Plan the Schedule
In order to know the meaning of Green B uilding, we read “Architecture O2” and watched “Our Island - Our Green Building” , a documentary made by Taiwan Public Television. Besides, when we applied for the visit to the demonstration base of Green Buildings, our teacher asked the project assistant of Taiwan Green Building Council if we could take a course about Green Building. The warm-hearted project assistant, Mr.Chen, provided our project to the Architecture and Building Research Institute and Taiwan Green Building Council . To our greatest honor, both organizations praised our project and agreed to provide resources ! This is how we began our exploration on Green Building miracle.
Schedule
Date | Places We Visit | Time | Course |
September 22nd, 2012 | Architecture and Building Research Institute, Ministry of the Interior | 08:30-12:00 | Lesson on Green Building |
October 14th, 2012 | Taipei Public Library Beitou Branch | 09:00-11:00 | Green Tour |
October 27th, 2012 | Civil Service Development Institute | 09:00-11:00 | Green Tour |
October 28th,2012 | Tamhai Sewage Treatment Plant | 09:00-11:00 | Green Tour |
November 7th, 2012 | Taiwan Green Building Council | 16:30-17:30 | Green Building project research |
4. Prepare for Visits
Now the schedule was set. We went online to look for the addresses, transportation routes and so on before we paid a visit. We also assigned different jobs for each of the group member. Some of our members were responsible for the interview, some had to contact Taiwan Green Building Council, while others took charge in photographing, recording and meeting minutes. We were definitely busy with our reading about “Architecture O2” and “Our Island- Our Green Building”. This was the moment that we learned that a tour is no way to be accomplished without cooperating with each other.
PS:The pictures above are provided be “Green Miracle” ,October 11th,2012
Nine Indicators of Taiwan’s Green Building
Taiwan establishes its Green Building rating system (EEWH) for Taiwan’s Green Building after consulting the humid subtropical climate features in Taiwan, and the domestic building’s needs for the ecology, energy saving, waste reduction, and health. The Green Building rating system EEWH, second only to America’s LEED, is enacted in September, 1999. The original rating system comprises 7 indicators: “ greening ratio,” “soil water content,” “water resource,” “energy saving,” “CO2 emissions reduction,” “waste reduction,” and “sewage and garbage improvement.” Another two indicators, “biodiversity,” and “indoor environmental quality” were added in 2003, composing today’s so-called “Taiwan’s Green Building Evaluation and Indicators System.” (EEWH)
Besides, in order to enhance Taiwan’s Green Building level, to connect with the international Green Buildings, and to encourage private enterprises to be competitive in promoting the level of Green Building designs, “Green Building Grading System” is revised and enlarged into the system. The five grade levels of Green Building, according to the sequence from qualified rank to the best rank, are “Qualified,” “Bronze,” “Silver,” “Gold,” and “Diamond.” This grading system synchronizes with the global trends, and can effectively enhance the Green Building level. Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Green Buildings can be redefined as ecological, energy-saving, waste-reducing and healthy.
The Green Building rating system EEWH refers to the first letters of 4 chief indicators: Ecology, Energy saving, Waste reduction and Health.
Taipei Public Library Beitou Branch Comfortable Designs
Bookshelf Height 110cm
The library intentionally uses the 110cm wooden cabinet as the bookshelf so as to create the excellent space permeability. Meanwhile, it hopes that such design will allow readers to appreciate the pleasant outdoor scenery at any time, and brings readers a step closer to the park’s natural environment.
Lovely sink
In order to make Children’s Reading Room more interesting, outside the Children’s Restroom, the designer designs a sink shaped like the writing brush and ink stone. It gives reader a different experience upon washing hands.
▲Sink shaped like the writing brush and ink stone▲Children's Reading Room
Indoor Reading Area
A variety of designed seats makes the indoor reading area more diverse and interesting. For example, the window seats with independent lighting permit the readers to read while appreciating the landscape in Beitou Park; the seats placed in the midst of bookcases make it convenient for the readers to take and read books while enjoy the feeling as if owing piles of books.
▲Independent Chairs ▲Window Seats with independent lighting
▲Tables and chairs for reading newspaper ▲Tables and chairs with inclined plane
▲Tables and chairs placed in the midst of bookcases
Outdoor Reading Area
The outdoor reading areas, which stretch from the first and second floor of the library, are extremely popular when the weather is cool and comfortable. It’s such an enjoyment to read by means of natural sunlight, while appreciating the natural landscape and embracing the breeze. The wide beveled wooden railing is the designer’s ingenuity. Readers can place their books on the wooden grid while leaning against the railing and enjoy reading and breathing in the nature beauty.
▲Outdoor Reading Area ▲Wide beveled wooden railing allow readers to place the books
Staircase Reading Area with Tree-Shaped Steels
Staircase area that leads to Children’s Reading Room in the basement is designed with the concept of trees. Sunlight penetrates through the French windows. Children can therefore sit on the stairs, as if enjoying reading under the tree with sunshine glimmering. They can also pick up the seats at their wills, sitting or lying on it. Such design makes reading more interesting and relaxing.
Buoyancy-Driven Ventilation
The entire library applies outward-opening windows, one on the top and the other in the bottom, to produce buoyancy-driven ventilation. It not only saves energy, but also ushers in fresh air.
▲The heightened windows, one on the top and the other in the bottom ▲Outward Opening Window
Wooden Desks and Chairs
Desks and chairs are all made of woods in Taipei Public Library Beitou Branch. It makes the library looks consistent in designing. In addition to that, the library meets the standard request of waste reduction since woods can be recycled and reused. What’s more, there are various insect-figure designs on the back of the chairs, which makes the library looks lively.
▲Wooden desks and chairs (Dragonfly-figure and butterfly-figure on the back of the chairs)
Termite Control
It is known that what wooden buildings or furniture fear the most is termite. However, in order to meet the requirements of Indoor Health and Environmental indicators, even though Taipei Public Library Beitou Branch is overall constructed with woods.the woods are not smeared with any other paints except the bore oil. Hence, it employs the methods of applying drugs inside the corner of the woods to prevent termite from harming the woods. (Reference: Li Wen-Ling, from Beitou Branch)
Pictures/ Provided by Li Wen-Ling and Green Miracle, 2012/10/14
Taipei Public Library Beitou Branch lies in Beitou District, a place which is full of cultures. MRT Xinbeitou station is the main traffic hub of this area. Many people come to Beitou library to read every day. It is even more crowded on weekends or when performances are held. So we decided to gather information by sending out questionnaires to the visitors and readers in order to known their expectations for Beitou Library. |
Design Questionnaire
In order to look into the readers and visitors’ understanding and perspectives to Beitou Library and Green Building, we get together to discuss how to design the questionnaire. Firstly, the teacher asked us to divide into two groups, each of which raised 20 questions, and then we come together to think about what else could be asked. We sent out 80 questionnaires for the readers and visitors who went to Beitou Library, and analyzed the answers with Excel.
▲Teacher told us the process of making a questionnaire survey, and she asked us to think about the questions. |
Design Questions Design questions according to our research. |
Revise Questions Discuss the relevance of the questions with our teacher. |
Conduct Research Send out the questionnaires. |
Analyze Questionnaires Analyze the answers with Excel. |
Explain Our Finding Explain our finding with the statistics. |
▲The questionnaire flow chart |
Questionnaire Survey
Download the Questionnaire( Subjects: Readers)
Download the Questionnaire( Subjects: Nearby Shops)
▲ 2012/10/14 We interviewed readers and visitors in the library. |
▲ 2012/12/01 We interviewed nearby shops around the library. |
Pictures/ Provided by Green Miracle
The Result of Questionnaire Survey
Part A. Individual Background Information
In our research, 70 questionnaires were sent out, and 68 of them are valid questionnaires. The effective response rate is 97%.
Part A. Individual Background Information
Question 1: Gender
The number of female is twice as many as male among the interviewees, and it means that female’s willingness to answer the questionnaire and the frequency of using library is higher than male.
Question 2: Age
Most of the interviewees who use Beitou Library are under 20, which implicates that the Green building is more attractive to young group. People at the age of 21-30 are the second largest group.
Question 3: Occupation
Most of the interviewees are office workers and students, and it means that young people like the environment of Green Building.
62% of the interviewees are female; 38% of the interviewees are male.
37% of the interviewees are under 20; 25% are 31-40; 24 % are 21-30; 14 % are 41-50.
46% of the interviewees are office workers; 43 % are students; 7% are house wives/househusbands; 4% have other kinds of occupation
PartB. Statistics of Library Using
Question 1: Almost 80% of the interviewees use the library once or more than once a week, which meets the public habit of using library. We presume most of the readers are not local people.
Question 2: Most of the visitors come to Beitou Library to visit. From the result, it implicates that Beitou Library works not only as a library, but also as a tourist attraction.
Question 3: Almost 70% of the interviewees know that Beitou Library is a Green Building, which reveals that Beitou Library is a the most famous and beautiful library in Taiwan.
Question 4: About 50% of the readers come to Beitou Library for its wooden design. It shows that the wooden appearance of the library catches people’s attention.
Question 5: The most common used area is the outdoor wooden path, which gets 25% of using among nine areas in the library. It reveals that readers like the environment where they are close to nature and discuss in a quiet voice while reading.
▲1.How often do you come to Beitou Library?
▲2.Why you come to Beitou Library?
▲3.Do you know there is a “Green Building reading area” in Beitou Library?
▲4.What attracts you to come to Beitou Library?
▲5.Which area of Beitou library do you use often? (Multiple selections accepted)
PartC. The Understanding to Green building
Question 1: About a half of the interviewees know that Beitou Library is the first Green Building library in Taiwan. The other half of interviewees do not know. The result reveals that it needs to be promoted through media or advertisement.
Question 2: Beitou Library was rated as one of the 25 most beautiful libraries in the world in 2012, but only half of the interviewees heard about this. This glory should be broadcasted as “The Honor of Taiwan” via media.
Question 3: Beitou Library meets the indicators of Green Building. Most interviewees think that Green Building emphasizes on energy saving, biodiversity and carbon dioxide reduction.
Question 4: 70% of the interviewees think Green Building is important to our living environment, which shows that people hope that Green Buildings exist in our daily lives.
Question 5: The top three indicators of a Green Building that most people meet in their daily lives are energy saving, by using less air conditioning, carbon dioxide reduction, and water reusing. Comparing with the above three indicators, people put less emphasis on garbage reduction and eco-environment.
▲1.Do you know Beitou library is the first Green Building library in Taiwan?
▲2.Do you know Beitou Library was rated as one of the 25 most beautiful libraries in the world in 2012?
▲3. What are the indicators that Beitou Library meets as a Green Building?
▲4.Do you think Green Building matters to our living environment?
▲5.What are the indicators of a Green Building that you meet in your daily lives?
Conclusion
Through the questionnaire survey, we looked into the feedback from the public about the library using, environment planning, the satisfaction of the facility, and people’s understanding to Green Building. The research shows that most of the visitors come to Beitou Library because it is a beautiful tourist spot, and they like to read on the outdoor wooden path so as to get close to the nature. It is important to support Green Buildings in our living environment. We could start from saving energy, reducing carbon dioxide, and reusing the water resource. However, only half of our interviewees know Beitou Library was rated as one of the 25 most beautiful libraries in the world in 2012. We suggest the government, social media, and the school work together to promote such glory of Taiwan in order to invite more people to experience Beitou Library’s beauty.
Images/ Provided by Green Miracle
Questionnaire Survey for Nearby Shops
Part A. Individual Background Information
The second questionnaire survey is mostly for the shops around Beitou Library.
Question 1: Gender
Female 53%, Male 47%.
Question 2: Age
Most of the interviewees are under 20, 21-30 is the second largest group. This result is similar to the first questionnaire survey.
Question 3: Occupation
Office workers and students are the most, which is similar to the first one as well.
Question 2 and 3 both reveal that most of our interviewees are around 20-30 years old.
53% of the interviewees are female; 47% of the interviewees are male.
27% of the interviewees are under 20; 25% are21-30; 23 % are 31-40; 20 % are 41-50; 5% are over 50.
80% of the interviewees are office workers; 13 % have other kinds of occupation
5% are house wives/househusbands; 2% are students
Part B. Effects of the Library
We designed some questions to ask residents what do they think about what are the things that the library has changed the neighborhood in this questionnaire.
Question 1: Among four choices, traffic, people, rising consumption, and business stimulation, each of them gets 23% to 27%. It means that the residents hold a positive perspective to these four effects that the library brings about.
Question 2: As a Green Building, how does Beitou Library improves the living environment of the neighborhood?The result people enjoys the healthier, prettier and the greener that Beitou Library brings to the neighborhood. The most touching thing is that, almost 90% of the residents are willing to promote Green building in the community.
▲1.What kind of business does Beitou Library bring for the communities around?
▲ 2.As a Green Building, what kind of living quality does Beitou Library improve for the communities around?
▲3. Do you know that Beitou Library and the communities often work together to hold activities?
▲4.Do you think those people who visit or read in Beitou Library will become consumers?
▲5.Beitou Library is the model of Green Building. Are you willing to work with the community to promote the Green Building?
▲6.Do you like Beitou Library?
Part C. Understanding of Green building
In order to compare residents with visitors, we keep the same question in question one in this part. The result shows that, there are nearly 90% of the residents know that Beitou Library is the first Green Building in Taiwan and it was rated as one of the 25 most beautiful public libraries in the world. The statistic is far more than the visitors and readers, which is about 40%. We can see that this glory should be honored to the whole residents and communities.
▲1.Do you know Beitou Library is the first Green Building library in Taiwan?
▲2. Do you know Beitou Library was rated to be one of the 25 most beautiful public libraries in 2012?
▲3. Do you think Green Building matters to our living environment?
▲4. Do you fulfill the elements of Green Building in daily life?
Conclusion
We understand residents’ perspectives to Green Building library by doing questionnaire survey. In order to compare with the first questionnaire survey, we designed the second one which aims at the the residents’ thoughts. The most impressive part is the positive attitude that the residents have. The residents’ attitude is totally different from the time when the old library was about to be reconstructed.
Pictures/ Provided by Green Miracle
Refelction
Certificate of Green Building Advocation Workshop
▲We were so happy that the president of ABRI gave us the certificate of Green house advocate study after ten hour’s research.
PS:The pictures above are provided by Green Miracle.