Beijing’s Green Courtyard.doc

Beijing’s Green Courtyard NANLUOGUXIANG Street， one of the oldest communities in Beijing， is usually thronged with tourists. One of the most captivating features of the area lies in the old courtyards. However， due to disrepair and poor living conditions， this unique construction， the symbol of Beijing， is on the brink of disappearing. To fight this threat， the old constructions are transformed to meet the de- mands of the 21st century. The No. 3 courtyard of Banchang Alley in Nanluoguxiang is an example of this. A “water recycling” concept integrated into the repair work has allowed the courtyard to operate in a green way. Saving Rainwater This is an average courtyard， free from the luxuries reserved for the rich； but the tranquility as well as the vitality of the compound is palpable from the first step inside. Walking through a short passage and a circular entrance， you find yourself in a small courtyard where two big trees stand. The newly-decorated main house in the northern quarter of the courtyard， two wing houses to the east and west， and a house opposite the main building constitute a standard Beijing courtyard. “This courtyard was passed down from my grandfather. It is home to three generations of our family，” said the courtyards owner， Chen Geng. “Three years ago， it became dilapidated and wasnt fit for living in， so I decided to knock it down and rebuild it.” After surveying the construction， Sino-Ocean Land Holdings Ltd. concluded that the construction needed moderate repairs instead of full-scale reconstruction. Its proposal included the courtyard’s inclusion into its zerocarbon demonstration project， which has sponsored environmental renovation in over 100 communities so far， and covers all expenses. In the courtyard， the alterations consisted of three parts? rainwater collection and recycling， the construction of an artificial wetland for wastewater treatment and adaptations to the courtyard environment ? aiming to make the old courtya