Goyang New Town and University Campus

Sustainability is inherently based on the integration of ecology, social patterns and economic prosperity and is most valuably applied at the watershed and community scale, beyond individual buildings. Brightworks conducted a resource assessment and developed master planning concepts for a 7,000-acre and 250,000 citizen New Town in South Korea for a program of mid-density residential development and high-density urban centers.

The site and development plan provided the opportunity for free energy resources: the area receives relatively calm and inconsistent wind year-around, but benefi ts from plentiful sunshine. The estimated population of the New Town also guarantees high waste loads from water, oil and organics that would be best captured in a district combined heat and power plant. The district plant, coupled with solar voltaic highways and building integrated solar thermal systems, can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 72% and methane off-gassing by 100%.

The geography of the site is primarily fl at with rolling foothills to the northeast that historically served to filter and drain water to The Han River. Years of farming degraded this function and channelized streams, reducing their ecological integrity. Brightworks designed a stormwater infiltration and treatment system to restore healthy management and stormwater filtration to cleanse The Han River, which has long battled pollution from nearby developed areas. The wastewater system also acts as a recreational and alternative transportation network for boaters that integrates with a multi-faceted and interconnected recreational system for bikers, pedestrians and hikers. The system connects urban areas to residential communities and urban farm plots, where food is grown for local consumption, and honors the historic tradition of farming in the area.