For decades,ย scientists have been warning us about global warming, and theย consequencesย of human actions on the planet in the form of environmental disasters.
The construction sector is today one of theย major contributors to global warming and the climate crisis.
According to data of the United Nations (UN), currently, 36% of the global energy is dedicated to buildings and 8% of all pollutant emissions are caused by the production of concrete alone.
Therefore, the architectural community is directly related to climate change,ย throughย the energy wasted on buildings and material production for the construction sector.
Reflectingย on this, we have compiled a set of five projectsย from different parts of the world thatย offer solutions to aid the fight against the climate crisis.
Rotterdam Climate InitiativeIn orderย to address the challenges of global climate change,ย and aiming to be the world capital of reduction of CO2ย by reducing 50% of its carbonย emissions, Rotterdam developed a set of self-sustainable floating structures in 2013, with ambitious plans to adapt to rising sea levels.
Rotterdam Climate InitiativeThe project is a catalyst for combating climate change, operating from three connected domes anchored within the Dutch cityโs old harbor. The pavilion was designed by DeltaSync and Publicdomain Architects and is an unprecedented example of innovative, sustainable and climate-proof architecture. The idea is that the structures host different uses, but above all a community of floating houses. The translucent shelter relies on solar energy and its structure is made of anti-corrosive plastic ETFE, which is 100 times lighter than glass and therefore ideal for a floating structure.
Akshay AroraBuilt in India, this housing projectย is an applied research and demonstration project ofย Sustainable and Integrated Urban Living Project,ย usedย for benchmarking in housing. Appropriated due to theย present global crisis of energy and climate change, it presents solutions in order to achieve a sustainable development, seeking to upgrade the capability of the currently unorganized construction sector of India, encouraging the transition of buildings with high embodied energy materials to technology and building materials that may reduce the carbon footprint.ย
Auroville Design Consultants CourtesyUsing local building materials and skills, the residences become a net energy-positive habitat by generatingย their own renewable energy. Some crucial items of the project are: zero-discharge of water, reduction and recycling of solid waste,ย local endemic species landscaping, and growing organic food. In addition, some natural consequences of the campus set-up are the reduction of journeys by integrating work and living spaces, coordinating community and infrastructure, as well as the adoption ofย clean mobility options like e-vehicles for external contact.
Via GizmagTaking into account the impact of climate change and sea-level rise in the last few years, and the coastal erosion and tropical rains that have overloaded the current system, NLร Architects developed this project for Makoko school. It was designed as a floating prototype to encourage architecture and urbanism of the coastal cities of Africa, creating houses, community centers and playgrounds with the same system.
Designed for 100 students and their teachers, the schoolย offers 100mยฒ of area and 10 meters of ceiling height. The project uses around 256 recycled plastic barrels to float on the water and reused wood structure. The electricity relies on solar panels, while the rainwater collection facilitates the use of odorless composting, installed as a solution for the nonexistent sewer system, making it self-sustainable.
Aaron PocockUsing zero waste as a constructive strategy, this project was developed around two highly rapidlyย deployable and reusable systems. The zero-waste strategy considered time, materials, costs and the afterlife of the elements. The box-truss system, including the roof, takes a maximum of approximately 7 days to deploy. The membrane takes a maximum of approximately 3 days to install. ย Overall, the time frame to complete Wonder|Wall would be of about 10-15 days. The cellular membrane once taken down can be reused for other functions.
Bjarke Ingels Group CourtesyAs part of UN-Habitatโs New Urban Agenda, this project developed by Bjarke Ingels Group seeks to respond to the imminent threat of climate change, proposing the creation of the worldโs first resilient and sustainable floating community, designed to accommodate 10.000 people. โOceanix Cityโ is a response to the prediction that by 2050, 90% of the worldโs largest cities will be exposed to rising seas, resulting in mass displacement, and the destruction of homes and infrastructure. The scheme is anchored in the UN Sustainable Development Goals, enacting circular flows of food, energy, water, and waste, becoming self-sustainable.
Bjarke Ingels Group CourtesyAccording to Ingels, “The only constant in the universe is change.ย Our world is always changing, and right now, our climate is changing. No matter how critical the crisis is, and it is, this is also our collective human superpower. That we have the power to adapt to change and we have the power to give form to our future“.Author:ย Written by Matheus Pereira | Translated by Amanda Peixoto Almeida
This article was first published in Arch Daily and is republished with permission.
Green Building Africa promotes the need for net carbon zero buildings and cities in Africa. We are fiercely independent and encourage outlying thinkers to contribute to the #netcarbonzero movement. Climate change is upon us and now is the time to react in a more diverse and broader approach to sustainability in the built environment. We challenge architects, property developers, urban planners, renewable energy professionals and green building specialists. We also challenge the funding houses and regulators and the role they play in facilitating investment into green projects. Lastly, we explore and investigate new technology and real-time data to speed up the journey in realising a net carbon zero environment for our children.