Transforming towards sustainability involves a broad spectrum of practices and strategies. Communities and initiatives develop varied approaches such as capacity building, education and learning, inner transformation, incorporating social justice and equality and sustainable place-shaping.
The emergence of a new body of literature on amplification frameworks for sustainability has brought together research in the fields of resilience, social innovation and sustainability transitions studies. This research aims to support transformative change.
Sustainability
Sustainability is about building in a way that reduces the negative impact of construction on the environment. It involves incorporating materials that are recyclable or biodegradable, reducing energy consumption and using renewable resources, and making the built environment healthier and more comfortable for its occupants.
Imagine you are an architect and have been commissioned by the local council to design a new City Hall. One of your main objectives is to meet the space needs of council without imposing an imposing structure on the surrounding landscape. Another is to minimise the environmental footprint of the building through its use of durable materials that will need replacing less frequently, and by avoiding anything from non-renewable sources.
https://www.fredeo.com/general/sustainable-architecture-and-its-transformative-impact-in-the-uk/ Vitamin Green showcases many examples of exemplary buildings that demonstrate innovative sustainable architecture practices. These projects span a wide range of scales, typologies, climatic conditions and geographic locations.
Energy Efficiency
The use of sustainable construction practices promotes the preservation of natural resources and reduces waste and energy consumption. It also reduces pollution levels, greenhouse gas emissions and water usage. It also helps preserve ecological resources and biodiversity, minimises the use of non-renewable energy sources, and improves indoor air quality.
These practices can be applied at both the design and building stages. One example is the utilisation of on-site solar panels to power sustainable lighting systems, reducing electricity costs and dependency on grid power. Another is the 165-metre-high Iberdrola Tower in Bilbao, which uses an energy recovery system to cut down on its emissions.
However, to fully implement sustainability, architecture firms need to think holistically. This requires a change in approach that is not just about building ‘green buildings’, but rather changing the culture of their businesses to integrate these principles into their everyday operations. This will allow them to become leaders in transforming the built environment.
Health & Wellbeing
Increasingly, sustainable architecture is being framed in terms of its impact on health and wellbeing. This shift is a response to the growing understanding that physical and mental wellness are closely related to the quality of the built environment.
A new generation of designers are integrating health and well-being into their work to create a healthier workplace. Studies show that improved employee health and well-being can curb absenteeism, increase productivity and drive profits.
In many ways, this holistic approach to sustainability is a natural evolution of the profession. As architects take inspiration from nature to solve problems, it makes sense that they would also emulate nature in order to give back to the environment. This approach has spawned innovations such as biomimicry and energy positive buildings that are designed to give back more than they consume. A more extreme example is the Bioscleave House by Gins and Arakawa, designed to stimulate physiological and psychological renewal through a variety of disorientating spatial experiences, including shifting floor-to-ceiling heights, distinct use of color, and uneven, sloping floor surfaces.
Climate Change
The more sustainable a building is, the more it minimizes its impact on its environment. This means conserving environmental resources, such as water and electricity. It also reduces greenhouse gas emissions and waste.
Architects use a variety of tactics to make buildings as environmentally friendly as possible. For example, some use reclaimed materials that require less energy to produce than new ones. They might also look at how a building can be positioned to take advantage of natural sunlight and wind.
But these tactics are only part of the solution to the climate emergency. To really tackle the problem, architects need to shift their mindsets and practices. They need to stop thinking of sustainability as a set of isolated practices, and instead embrace holistic thinking. This is a crucial step towards addressing the climate crisis and making the built environment more sustainable. It will involve changing values, behaviours and the way we teach. It will also require a more radical approach to the design process.
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