SAN FRAN TAPS GEOTHERMAL POTENTIAL

The new design has several amenities that cater to all kinds of demographics, and a clubhouse that dominates the area. Boeddeker Park is one of the first urban projects to tap into San Francisco's geothermal energy potential.

The adjacent Boeddeker Park has been a problematic area for years, earning it the nickname ‘Prison Park’. A few years ago The Trust for Public Land and the City of San Francisco‘s Recreation and Parks Department teamed up with WRNS Studio to bring life into this green area and completely rebuild the clubhouse.

The new clubhouse is organised around two flexible gathering spaces. A large skylight draws daylight into the interior and creates an atmosphere that makes the clubhouse feel integrated with its natural surroundings.

Park amenities include a basketball court and different areas for recreation and relaxing, and the project was designed with a focus on sustainable water and resource conservation. Examples of this include solar panels, denim insulation, bioswales, native plants and water conservation via efficient irrigation.

Thanks to these energy-efficient solutions, Boeddeker Park has been named one of the first participants in the Sustainable Cites Initiative led by the American Society of Landscape Architects.

Geothermal energy is heat contained within the earth. While research and development into the harnessing of geothermal energy is an ongoing enterprise, the Boeddeker revitalisation is an encouraging example of the potential this resource offers urban projects.

Geoscience Australia claims that Australia has great potential for energy to be used for electricity generation and for direct use applications. These applications include agriculture, and heating and cooling of residential buildings, though more exploration is needed before large scale projects become an everyday reality.