5 surprising ways to improve the environment and us with sustainable real estate

You might think that real estate development always negatively impacts the environment, but that is not correct. There are some surprising ways that you might not have thought about to improve the environment as well as our health and wellbeing.

1.    Do nothing! We regenerate the land before a spade has even touched the soil

2.    Get wet and wild. We have built new water channels feeding dry areas and supporting waterlogged areas, promoting new natural growth and parks

3.    Short circuit the process. Our innovative smart grids and energy circles remove carbon and enrich the land

4.    Grow the world. We develop new, healthy biome and hedgerow

5.    Then feed the world. Our planned farmers’ markets and similar on-site schemes to promote organic, carbon saving and make people healthy

 The Quantum2 team have been developing real estate sustainably for over 20 years. In that time we have planned some great projects which have a positive impact. With the introduction of the Quantum2 ecosystem, members can now benefit by buying Land Units. Not only do you receive a constant 7.5% per year, increasing daily, every year, but we use the funds to buy land which we manage sustainably – for regenerative agriculture and sustainable real estate development.

Repair and regenerate the land

The first step in many of our planned areas is to do nothing! Well, almost nothing. Both people and the planet wants healthy land and soil. We leave many areas to grow naturally and in others plant Miscanthus which we have been using for around 15 years to self-treat polluted soils naturally. 

The natural growth builds new soil, stabilises the existing soil, attracts new animals, worms and returns the soil to the natural level it was 100s of years ago. Miscanthus naturally processes various pollutants and can itself be use yearly without replanting.

 Improved soil makes for great gardens for future residents and the improved soil supports better natural drainage, foundations and can be used to create nature-friendly play areas and similar features.

New channels

Various areas around the world have dry, low-producing earth – due to the previous action of man… be that over-farming, exploitation, pollution or chemical treatment. This severely limits the type of natural growth and in some cases nothing grows. Conversely, some areas are waterlogged, perhaps due to excessive building, redirection of water, or other intervention.

By creating water channels, these areas can both be improved. The result - growth returns to normal, before human actions. At the same time the water channels become an attractive feature in any new development. Walking along a water channel, looking at the blue water in the distance from your at-home office or sitting with a snack and watching water flow in the middle of green areas are some of the most relaxing things to do.

When seeding certain plants in these water channels, they also become self-cleaning and additionally clean the surrounding pollution, creating a wider net of improvement.

Energy circles

Energy circles are about creating an energy lifecycle. One example might be growing Miscanthus to improve the soil, using the woody crop for burning in a biomass unit and returning the fertile ash to the soil. The energy flows from the earth and returns to the earth. Meanwhile, during the burning process, all the carbon captured in the fast Miscanthus growth can be extracted or filtered out, so every yearly cycle there is a large reducing in atmospheric carbon, improving climate effects. 

Another example is to involve residents in the process. A simple idea is solar panels which residents use to generate their own energy, selling excess production to the local commercial or other residential clients via an on-site smart-grid. The development then turns into an income-generator for the residents and that money often goes straight back into the local areas in a multiplier effect stimulating jobs and economic development. In addition they may have other own energy sources and organic production which can also be cycled around the new multifunctional real estate project.

 Healthy biome

This might include the re-use of excess growth as woodchips to create accessible forest paths, re-wilding or creating new hedgerows and green areas, leaving growth natural, generating on-site parks. Supporting animal routes and green networks.

It all means more (accessible) nature, animals returning to the areas, people living and working in a

 Anyone coming to the area can walk through the new forest, greenery and enjoy the nature, bringing them closer to the same principle so some people go back and further promote the ideas themselves – creating a positive environmental feedback loop.

 Plus let’s not forget beauty. Nature is beautiful and it has been shown in many studies that looking out to green areas, interacting with and walking through forest, fields and by rivers improved immunity and health of people

 Feeding the world

By building and stimulating farmers’ markets and similar activities on site, it encourages a market for more organic produce, which, done correctly, can be more productive and certainly without pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals is more healthy for us.

We just don’t know all the damage these chemicals do to our bodies. Very few people question the fact that eating organically and naturally is better for us. By stimulating this in our developments, we help feed the world in a healthy way.

5,4,3,2,1 – these were a few ideas how Quantum2 is using real estate to benefit the environment and people.