Climatic conditions are changing around the world, and with more extreme temperatures and limited resources, architectural and urban solutions must also change.
How could our homes look and function effectively in a post-climate change scenario?
Analyzing in detail the forecasts of these climatic variations, the architects of W-LAB have developed a Low-Tech habitat proposal for humid, hot, and arid climates, incorporating bio-materials, transportable solutions, and configurations that promote life in small and resilient communities.
The project responds to a series of computational simulations that visualize the climate scenario we will face during the coming decades, mainly warning that many areas with a temperate climate could become arid areas with hostile climates. According to the team of architects, “for a settlement in an arid place, we think of transportable cabins that can be supported on the ground, on bolted piles. These can be unmoored and leave no mark on the ground, further reducing their footprint on the environment.”
The residential units are intended for small-scale living; sustainable, self-sufficient, and technologically hyperconnected. To be built, each unit uses recycled materials of natural and local origin, following the logic of kilometer zero materials. Specifically, the architects propose the use of panels and laminates made with American agave wood, popularly known as “desert wood.” Its fibers and roots can be reused to make thermal and acoustic insulation systems, thus avoiding artificial products.
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.