With the earliest morning of the trip thus far, the voyage to Enschede was one full of people sleeping on the bus. Once we arrived, though, that all changed. We landed at the University of Twente(UT) early that morning. Quickly, we got into a tour where we were able to see the entire campus from a student’s perspective. Both of our tour guides were UT students, so they were able to give us the inside scoop on the university. One of the main methods we learned about how UT is sustainable is their initiative to reshape rather than rebuild. Although a lot of their buildings are completely different from what they looked like when they were first built, they always choose to remodel and build off of the old base to construct a new masterpiece. This reduces wasted materials, time of construction, and pollution in the area. Their main sector of sustainable engineering arises from what they call the Kristelbad. This is an interconnection of different canals, lakes, and rivers that are used to purify the water that travels between Enschede and its neighboring city, Hengelo. Due to how the campus uses dikes and the different topography that affects water levels, the Kristelbad is essential in preventing flooding in an area swamped with canals. The Kristelbad also uses reeds to purify the water to make it safer for usage in any industry.
I believe this continues to follow the pattern of the Netherlands being one of the most sustainable countries in the world. Thinking back to Pitt, although our campuses were comparable, as you look deeper into their architecture, planning, and energy systems, you start to notice how much more developed UT is and how much consideration they have toward being green. At times, it’s frustrating to think why a school as big and with as much funding as Pitt has similar initiatives. Our campus lacks renewable energy systems, even though they don’t seem like the most complicated implementation. Just like any other region in the country, the school had bike paths leading to every corner of the campus, adding even more to its green goals.
After the tours, we had the chance to have dinner with students from the university. I found it interesting to learn that over a third of the student population is international students. This showed true when of all the people I met that night, only one of them was Dutch! Forming these new connections with students and comparing our college experiences was an insightful way to look into the mind of a European college student and see how they differ from a Pitt student like me. That’s it for today, catch you next time!
Kristalbad. This is a project that involves lakes and canals to filter and control the water moving from Enschede to its sister city Hengelo. Because of the topography of the area Kristalbad helps prevent flooding and also through a series of reeds purifies water. Kristalbad is also an ecological safe haven for amphibians and birds, ensuring biodiversity is a pretty urban area is preserved.