Hammarby Sjöstad is an all-multifamily neighborhood that has elevated the Swedes’ environmental awareness towards development by planning the community entirely around innovative green practices and technologies. For example, the sludge and cleaned water from processed residential wastewater is converted to biofuels and used for heating and refrigeration. The sludge also is turned into biogas to power biogas stoves in the residences and can be used to run city buses and cars. Since the treated water is still warm, it’s run through radiators to heat dwelling units. After the heat is removed, the water can then be cycled through the district’s cooling system and finally post-filtered and released into the environment safely. —Glen Baurhyte, architect, Forum Architecture & Interior Design, Altamonte Springs, Fla. Baurhyte
