Substantial Ways Architects Can Help Combat the Climate Crisis
The architectural profession plays a massive role in determining the state of not only the natural environment, but in sustainable development as a whole.
The ongoing Global Climate Strike saw a large number of people set up aside their day by day lives and obligations to meet up to fight political inaction over environmental change. This united people from a scope of orders identified with the assembled condition, to look at how the business can battle the atmosphere emergency.
The universe of engineering and configuration assumes a gigantic job in deciding the condition of the common habitat, however in feasible advancement overall. There have been headways as far as elective plan and building rehearses alongside revived perspectives that are better at sustaining the common habitat.
1. Value of Biodegradable Materials
The construction industry relies mainly on fossil fuels, leaving a massive carbon footprint. Driven to make the construction process greener, designers have turned to using biodegradable materials. One such material is mycelium, which is the vegetative part of a fungus. It’s made up of hundreds of interwoven fibers, making it an incredibly strong material when dried. When combined with farm waste in molds, organic bricks can be formed and used in construction. The bricks are developed with no carbon emission or waste, and after their intended use, they can decompose and return to the carbon cycle. Alternative biodegradable materials that have been used in construction include cork, bamboo, and desert sand.
2. Use of Locally Sourced Materials
Where materials originate, where they’re manufactured, where they’re used in construction, and the distances between each of these phases plays a massive role in determining a project’s environmental impact. Transportation distances determine greenhouse gas emissions as a result of burning fuel. Therefore, by reducing these distances, a project will leave a much smaller carbon footprint. Though sourcing locally has its limitations in terms of reduced price competition for materials and availability, forming a balance between what can be found locally or elsewhere, will remain to have a positive impact on a project’s sustainability.
3. From Concrete Frames to Structural Timber
Concrete is a major carbon emissions culprit as the four billion tons of cement produced each year for concrete production accounts for eight per cent of total carbon dioxide emissions, according to Dezeen. This process is also incredibly water intensive, which strains supplies for drinking and irrigation. Timber is a viable alternative to concrete as it’s the only material with a lower embodied energy level. However, an increasing use of timber must come in parallel with sustainable forestry management, which itself is a major source of CO2 emissions.
4. Move Construction Off-Site
Off-site or modular construction sees the assemblage of building sections in singular, controlled environments, which almost eliminates overage and scrap. Constructing in this way also greatly reduces the time it takes to complete a project. While the idea of modular construction has been considered for decades, challenges around maintenance and build quality have held prefabrication back from mass-adoption. Some firms are making progress in this area, though — one example is Cover, a design system for custom homes that aims to combines cost efficiency and short build times with high-quality materials and detailing.
5. Reuse Building Materials
Every year, the construction industry sends hundreds of millions of tons of non-industrial waste to American landfills. Much of this waste actually derives from demolition taken before the beginning of new construction projects. Reusing discarded raw material not only cuts down on costs, but it also reduces greenhouse gas emissions when manufacturing new materials. As seen in Europe, contractors and owners have been approaching buildings as “material banks” that serve as temporary storehouses for materials that will be used in future projects.
6. Environmental Implications of a Project’s Life Cycle
Time should be viewed in a biological perspective in order to better understand our impact on the planet. Rather than looking solely at the traditional design timeframe of project construction and life cycle, we should take into consideration of its broader implications for the natural and social environments.
7. Efficiency with Digital Technology
Certain digital technology, such as BIM, offers the ability to understand and measure a project’s impacts in advance. This increased efficiency in the design process can help guide decisions that influence a project’s environmental footprint. Projects can be completed quicker with less last minute, on-site alterations, which reduces waste and overall energy consumption.
8. Designing for Humans and Nature
Designing in a way that generates mutual benefits and shared value for humans and nature combined must be practiced. Natural capital needs to be considered in cost-benefit analyses and in designs.