Summary - Reader Response Draft #3

The article “From Use of Green Materials to Renewable Energy: Green Airports are the Future of Air Travel”, written by Swamini (2022), details how the increase in fuel prices and trade disputes have caused the airlines to be compelled to reduce their flight schedules and in some cases, discontinue entire routes. As a result, airfares went up and airports and aircraft became more congested. It is challenging for airports and airlines to concentrate on their green initiatives because of these issues. Building a green airport, though, might advance the cause. A green airport makes environmental sustainability a top priority and works to reduce its environmental effects while operating. Green airports often undertake many actions and activities aimed at curbing energy usage, mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, conserving water, and safeguarding natural habitats. One remarkable example is the Jewel Changi Airport in Singapore. The article “Focus on Jewel Changing for Sustainability: The Ultimate Guide”, written by De Guia (2023), describes Jewel Changi as an airport that incorporates several unique key features that set it apart in terms of environmental sustainability with its energy-efficient yet innovative designs, natural ventilation and daylighting, sustainable and eco-friendly materials, water management, and biodiversity. Thus, given the effectiveness of green building technology, when innovating newer and progressing green airports, engineers should take a look at the design aspects and unique features of Singapore Changi Airport.

One of the most distinctive features of this airport is its indoor greenery. According to De Guia (2023),  there are thousands of trees, plants, and bushes illustrating a lush indoor garden known as the “Forest Valley”. Additionally, there is a centralized cooling system that uses the Forest Valley and the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, the Rain Vortex’s cool water to reduce the building's overall temperature. About extremely clever water savings, built-in sensors detect enough rainwater to cause the waterfall to cease using water when it starts to rain (Zach, 2022). Furthermore, all that rainwater is stored in enormous basement tanks during heavy downpours. This waterfall will then utilize this rainwater harvesting system to collect up a desirable amount of stormwater runoff for irrigation and toilet flushing. Hence, by saving lots of water and keeping the air cool inside, there’s less need to use a lot of air conditioning reducing its carbon footprint which makes it an impressive green airport that others should follow.

Another unique feature of JewelChangi Airport is the double-skin facade that optimizes daylight and reduces solar heat gain. The façade is made up of almost 9,000 unique, high-performance architectural glass panels. The glass was chosen because it minimizes heat gain, is energy-efficient, and transmits daylight—all qualities that are crucial considering the tropical climate (Shi Ping, 2019). It integrates energy-saving design elements and technologies to reduce energy usage. This involves using motion sensors to maximize lighting use, energy-efficient lighting systems, and high-performance glass to minimize heat gain (De Guia, 2023). 

Despite the many benefits that Jewel Changing Airport has to offer, being a green airport has certain possible disadvantages or difficulties. One would be the maintenance costs. The article “Greener flights will cost more, says industry”(2023) BBC, describes how having or building a green airport may eventually become more expensive to maintain sustainable systems and green infrastructure. Rainwater harvesting systems, energy-efficient technologies, and vegetation may require specific knowledge and resources for routine maintenance and upkeep. According to Gorman (2023), sustainable aviation fuel (Saf) is generated from sustainable resources, like agricultural waste, and has a 70% lower carbon footprint than conventional jet fuel. Adding on, airline costs will increase due to the cost of utilizing carbon offsetting programs to achieve net zero. This will prove a huge issue in the airline industry until the gap in price between Saf and traditional jet fuel is closed.

In conclusion, Jewel Changi Airport is a prime example of a green airport with distinctive characteristics that prioritize sustainability and improve the visitor experience. Despite the cons, it still displays best practices in energy-saving technologies, zero-waste objectives, green areas, recycling, biodiversity, and sustainable building, materials, and education thus, creating a world-class destination that benefits the people and the planet.

References:

BBC. (2023, 17 April). Greener flights will cost more, says industry.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-65295258

Krees. (2023, 25 September). Focus on Jewel Changi for Sustainability: The Ultimate Guide.

https://billionbricks.org/updates/focus-on-jewel-changi-for-sustainability-the-ultimate-guide

*OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (3.5) [Large language model].

https://chat.openai.com

Shi Ping. (2019, 15 August). The Architecture And Design of Jewel Changi Airport 

https://www.designandarchitecture.com/article/the-architecture-and-design-of-jewel-changi-airport.html

Initial research pathway - Singapore Changi Airport, our very own green airport

                                   

                                                   Jewel Changi Airport (Wikipedia)

        

•  Started from choosing green airport because the team both just went overseas last month and the green features of T3 Changi Airport amaze us
• The fact that Changi Airport is ranked 1st in the world; renowned for its unrivalled passenger experiences and unique green features making it the #1 airport in the world.
• The team conducted further research into sustainable materials through Google search engine
• The team analysed the idea of a green airport and the key features that make a green airport a possibility 
• The team researched those said features and utilised my understanding of the features to carry on my research on SG's very own green airport by utilising gAI using ChatGPT
• The team went on Google Scholar to research on journals and articles that can be used for reader analysis based on Singapore's green airport

Descriptive Reflection - Formal Introductory Letter

Dear Mr Brad Blackstone,

I am Mohamed Haziq, currently a Y1 student at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) pursuing a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Civil Engineering. I am writing this letter to formally introduce myself to you as a student attending your module: "Critical Thinking and Communication".

I graduated from Singapore Polytechnic in May 2020 with a diploma in Civil Engineering. I have always appreciated doing math and physics and the idea of building construction fascinates me to a huge extent. I was even drawn to railway construction when I was doing my internship with Land Transport Authority (LTA).  I was attached to the project team that was responsible for the building of Orchard Boulevard MRT station and that was when my passion for civil engineering grew deeper. I personally feel that civil engineering will always be needed here all the more since Singapore is rapidly growing in terms of population and technology. This implies more brilliant, innovative, and sustainable ideas are needed to accommodate Singapore's progress and growth.

Having initiative, great suggestions, and being a great team player has always been my strength. However, I lack in having a strong voice and being firm & critical in decision-making. I do admit I struggled a bit when communicating with others in the hopes they may or may not get my message. Nonetheless, one thing about me that is far different from others is my tenacity. I do not back down that easily and always like a challenge. With that being said, I hope by graduating from this module, I will be able to become better at communicating and improve my writing skills too. Furthermore, in the workforce, engineers will be writing a lot of meetings and reports so I hope to achieve the right level of articulation when getting my messages across them.

I am grateful to be part of your class as I know it will help me find my voice so I can speak better professionally in the future and I hope to make a change in the first impression that you have on me. I look forward to seeing you in class with the hopes of improving my communication skills. Thank you for taking the time to review this letter.

Yours Sincerely,

Mohd Haziq

• “Communication skills are an essential component in the education of engineering students to facilitate not just student's esucation but also to prepare them for their future careers."

 This quotation highlights the value of effective communication in engineering education. In addition to improving learning, effective communication helps students become successful professionals by fostering teamwork, clarity, and the capacity to explain complex ideas to a wide range of listeners.