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Sustainable Architecture: The Case of Holland Casino

Written by:
Flaminia Saccavini
Photography:
Corné Clemens

Nowadays, sustainability is the top priority of most Western governments. It also impacts private ventures. Preserving the environment is something everyone has a stake in, and creating sustainable buildings is a large part of the process.

Read on to  explore one of the most impressive examples of sustainable architecture. This one proves that even entertainment can be environment-friendly - without impacting negatively on the user experience. 

Holland Casino as an Example of Sustainable Innovation

Holland Casino is a 25-meter-tall building. This casino offers luxurious entertainment in the city of Venlo, Netherlands. From the outside, it looks like yet another modern building, with LED lighting making it shine like a diamond in the darkest night.

However, environmental considerations were taken into account when Arcadis was tasked with planning construction. The agency had to coordinate with the complex building location, close to the Maas Natura 2000 nature reserve and on the flight path of a bat colony. 

The building addresses its environment in more ways than one. The roof has solar panels to help generate the energy the facility requires. There’s a hybrid ventilation system, which is also able to heat the rooms. The cooling system uses rainwater to refresh the building when needed. Moreover, they only used renewable building materials. As a result, this casino is the most sustainable building in Europe.

What’s the Most Sustainable Way to Play Casino Games?

This land-based casino proves that it’s possible to provide players with a sustainable environment without impacting the gambling experience. Contrary to traditional land-based facilities, this building is close to zero emissions. However, it was made in the Netherlands a notably rich country, and the cost of sustainability is much higher. 

Therefore, it’s very unlikely that other companies in Macau, or even the United States, will follow this example any time soon. However, there’s already a more sustainable way to play that won’t require any significant investment. Or, at least, not on the scale of such a building: online casinos.

These websites can offer all the games available at a land-based casino and even more without requiring excessive amounts of energy. They can be accessed 24/7 on a laptop or a smartphone, so, the only energy costs are the device used and the energy to power the servers hosting the site and games. The former, will be used for other tasks regardless. Moreover, this cost is minimal since these apps can be played for real money by millions of players with less energy than a land-based casino.

The Importance of Choosing Sustainable Entertainment Solutions

Sustainable architecture is critical to ensure the longevity of mankind and Earth. Construction accounts for 37% of greenhouse emissions globally. Therefore, reducing the environmental cost of construction would be a huge step forward. It’s also about having optimized facilities that can deliver what people need without needlessly consuming energy and resources.

It starts with more eco-friendly construction tools such as idler rollers. They can be reused and serve many purposes on a construction site. The use of new technologies such as 3D printing or AI can also assist in waste management. There are examples of 3D-printed projects where the leftovers can easily be melted and reused for other projects.

Many improvements are still possible for the construction industry, but it’s already shifting. Government aid in some countries clearly helps motivate private companies. Soon, the world could be a little closer to living on an emission-free planet.


By Liliana Alvarez

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