ABSTRACT
This chapter shows how old buildings can be converted into attractive, affordable, energy-neutral, low-carbon footprint, green sites using the World Wide Fund for Nature 12 Principles. It provides a great place to work, meet and live, with maximum flexibility and sharing of facilities. The chapter examines a good business case to investors and hirers, even though the goal is minimisation of carbon footprint, not maximum profit. It aims to develop a standard approach and a coalition of partners to renovate other old buildings. The Business Garden stands directly opposite Amersfoort train station. Schiphol airport and Amsterdam are only 35 minutes away and Utrecht is only 15 minutes away. The operation of the Business Garden uses closed-loop systems and eliminates waste through exploring all possibilities, including a zero-waste restaurant, local seasonal food with less packaging, paperless offices, an on-site composting van, biowaste, recycling to origin all non-degradable wastes, rainwater harvesting, cooking on wood and biogas.
