Adaptable Infrastructure
Adaptability ensures that infrastructures keep meeting an individual’s, community’s and society’s changing needs over time, but also includes adapting to a changing climate. Adaptability ensures longevity: it reduces risk of premature building obsolesce and demolition when they no longer meet our needs (because they can be adapted) – this is part of circular thinking and climate change mitigation and adaptation approaches. Adaptability reduces transient communities and supports stability, diversity and community cohesion, this is also part of creating inclusive and equitable infrastructures and long-term resilience. As such your project should put adaptability at its core, at micro, meso and macro-scale. A key aspect of this is the creation of different scenarios and personas over time (e.g., scenarios of possible functions, changing climate, modes of use, etc.) and reflect this in at least one alternative layout (i.e. design) scenario for your project. Ensure that your project also enables future adaptability at different scales.
Inclusive Infrastructure
Designing inclusive infrastructures is an essential part of climate emergency design and is an iterative process that you need to see through all stages of your project design (i.e. explore, define, imagine, test and feedback). Inclusive infrastructures means that inhabitants are part of the design and decision-making process through democratic processes. It also means that spaces can be used and accessed by as many people as possible regardless of age, gender and ability, i.e. they are accommodating and welcoming all. A solution can’t be resilient by itself. It is only resilient when it is adopted and taken ownership of by the community and this is best done through inclusive bottom-up approaches. There are many ways you can include democratic processes and inclusive design in your project, even as a student. For example, you can create a ‘Democratic Design plan’; this helps you to Identify your users (human and non-human), acknowledge and involve your users and to create design approaches that care for your users (including nature & non-humans).
Social Infrastructure
Social infrastructure encourages the connection and coming together of people and this includes formal and informal public & private spaces and places that provide opportunities for people to interact with each other in their everyday lives. Social infrastructures supports the building of social capital in the community; this in turn reduces conflict and increases trust, care, connection and feelings of safety. This helps to build individual and community resilience and health and well-being. In your project, always consider what kind of spaces can bring people together from different walks of life and how you can create links with the existing communities. Be careful to impact the existing social spheres positively and not negatively i.e. restorative actions. Ensure that the social infrastructure you suggest answers to the needs of people and are adaptable to their changing needs in the future, otherwise they will not meet needs and remain unused – so undertake inclusive and democratic processes. Always prioritise inclusion of social infrastructure in each and every project, including retrofitting of social infrastructure as the societal, community and individual benefits are significant.
Green Infrastructure
Green infrastructure is the network of natural green spaces and landscapes within and around urban environments, such as food-growing areas, wetlands, forests, parks and wildlife gardens. Green infrastructure supports biodiversity, enhances ecosystem health, absorbs CO2 and manages adaptations to a changing climate (e.g. flood prevention and overheating). Co-benefits are supporting social activity and human well-being. Your project must tread lightly: after all, placing a new structure is hugely disruptive, as the developed land will have lost its existing ecological value forever. Your choice of site is therefore vital and value and protect existing natural habitats and leave the place better than it was before (i.e. retorative action). To do that, create a green infrastructure plan for your project that identifies and creates a map of the potential impact of your design on existing green infrastructure and on stakeholders and propose remedial measures to ensure a restorative approach. Distribute green spaces of different scales and diversity throughout the city within short walking distances and connect wildlife habitats through parks with green corridors and pedestrian spaces. Prioritise views of nature and trees, integrating generous physical access to different kinds and scales of nature for human and non-humans.
Blue Infrastructure
Description Blue infrastructures are natural and human-made water systems at different scales. Integrating blue infrastructure at different scales in your project has multiple benefits, for example for biodiversity, the urban micro climate, reduced water consumption, and they can act as social infrastructure and for climate adaptation. Working with water rather than against it can lead to restorative actions (e.g. by giving water space; recharging the ground water through permeable paving; enabling the thriving of other species).
In your project:
• Map natural and human-made water bodies and understand how your site is affected by water as a threat or an opportunity (e.g., rivers, sea) now and in the future.
• Use permeable landscape surfaces, include space for water retention systems that are also dual-purpose, i.e., spaces for leisure to act as social infrastructure and space for enhancing biodiversity (restorative actions) and that can store water in extreme weather events as part of climate change adaptation.
• To mitigate climate change at micro-scale, always consider efficient appliances as a priority. Then consider water recycling strategies that are low in energy use and embodied energy, e.g. simple rain water harvesting techniques.
Finally, sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDs) need to be combined at all scales: they all act together to mitigate and adapt to climate change and tackle the biodiversity crisis.
Justice
Designing for the climate emergency is not only about focusing on direct impacts (i.e., reducing energy use and CO2 emissions), but responding to its symptoms, (in)direct causes and often unequal consequences. As architects we also hold a significant responsibility towards the public in our work: we are designing the spatial frameworks in which people live their lives and participate in society. As an architect you have a moral obligation to make better decisions, even if you are not rewarded for doing so. This requires a commitment to continuous research, conscious decision-making, curiosity, and creativity to innovate and to challenge the often damaging and unfair status quo. It also requires an in-depth understanding of questions of fairness and justice related to one’s own work.
Planetary Health
Your project should never contribute to tipping points and ecological or climate breakdown. Instead, use your design to identify how you can positively impact the planet and restore some of the previous damage done. This means redirecting current human-centric design approaches towards an inclusive, biodiverse, restorative future using the principles of radical inclusivity, biophilia and topophilia. We should strive towards an approachable architecture that can be used by different living-beings in different (adaptable) ways. Following these principles steers us towards more ethical professional practices that support planetary health, instead of damaging it.
Dandaji Daily Market
An outdoor market organised around an ancestral tree that has become a public space. The project design references the area’s traditional market architecture of adobe posts and reed roofs, pushing the typology forward using compressed earth bricks and metal for durability. It results in an infrastructure that is visually appealing that the users can be proud of, and that has the potential of consequently attracting more people and activities to the area. The design of the project is kept very simple, using a colourful recycled metal canopy produced through a succession of individual shading structures that compensate for the difficulty in growing trees in such an arid, desert climate.
Home for Life
The 200m² single family house is a CO₂-neutral demonstration project. VKR Holding, which is the mother company of VELUX and VELFAC, initiated the construction of eight demonstration houses in a number of European countries following the Active House principle.
Rokko Shidare Observatory
Perched on the Rokko Mountain in Kobe, the Rokko Shidare Observatory is a unique landmark that not only takes in spectacular views, but also provides a place to experience the natural energy and beauty of the Rokko Mountain. A key visual feature of the observatory is the 16m diameter meshed dome that provides partial shelter against the weather.
Villa Wood
Nestled in the Copenhagen suburbs, Villa Wood stands as a prime illustration of sustainable living and construction practices. Utilizing mass-timber elements (CLT) and guided by digital design, this new housing typology offers a versatile home for families of all kinds, embodying a fresh perspective on architectural innovation.
METI School
The school is an impressive example of a hand-crafted endeavour, highlighting excellent principles of sustainable design and architecture that resonates with the community. By skilfully integrating tradition wisdom, easily accessible renewable resources, and innovative building methods, the project preserves its traditional identity while also welcoming contemporary elements in its appearance and function. The school (for 168 students) adopts an alternative child-directed work method over conventional frontal lessons. Mirroring this philosophy, the two-story school architecture offers diverse spaces for children’s activities, aligning design with the educational approach.
Everyman Theatre
The redesign of the Everyman Theatre was no easy task. It is a newly built naturally ventilated theatre building in the middle of Liverpool with a strong link to the past and ambitious environmental goals, designed by the architects together with engineers, theatre staff and the public. It uses an earth tube in a large air plenum (void space) under the building to cool (and in winter pre-heat) the spaces that acoustically separates the spaces from the urban soundscape. Everyman is fitted with an airtight and well insulated envelope and together with the natural ventilation, the theatre manages to run with significantly less energy, compared to other performance spaces. The architects have run a post-occupancy evaluation report in 2021, and it reveals that both the staff, and customers are extremely happy with the new theatre.
IAQ Indoor Air Quality
Indoor air quality (IAQ) is an important factor in human health, comfort, and productivity. It includes factors such as temperature, humidity, and the presence of pollutants. Poor IAQ can lead to a variety of health problems, such as respiratory diseases, allergies, and asthma. It can also impact building performance and energy efficiency. IAQ is affected by activities and materials inside buildings, as well as outdoor air pollution. Sources of indoor air pollutants include combustion sources, building materials, cleaning products, pesticides, and people. Sustainable architecture seeks to minimize the environmental impact of buildings, including minimizing the release of pollutants and creating buildings that are resilient to climate change. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought renewed attention to the importance of good ventilation and air filtration in indoor spaces.
Meeting User Needs
User Centered Design is an approach to architecture that places the needs and preferences of the end users at the center of the design process. This involves conducting research to learn about demographic, makeup, behaviors, and the preferences of people who use the space. The goal is to create buildings and spaces that are functional, accessible, safe, and appealing to the people who use them. Inclusive public spaces are critical for creating communities that are welcoming, safe and equitable for all individuals. These spaces may play a critical role in promoting social cohesion, reducing discrimination, and building stronger relationships among diverse groups of people. By considering the needs of people with different physical abilities, we can design spaces that are more accessible, and by considering the needs of families with children, architects can design spaces that are safe and appealing for children to play in. User Centered Design can lead to higher levels of user satisfaction and a sense of ownership and responsibility for the spaces that they actually use and care about.
Whole Life Carbon Approaches
Embodied carbon is the carbon footprint of material calculated as multiplied embodied energy by the carbon intensity of the fuel used in production and construction. It is important to reduce both operational and embodied carbon in order to achieve zero carbon buildings. To reduce embodied carbon, we can opt for adaptive reuse of a building or use of reclaimed materials, design structures, services and finishes that are long lasting and adaptable, use materials produced and processed with renewable energy, reduce transportation of materials and products, and undertake embodied carbon and lifecycle analysis. We can also consider using timber frames, bricks, recycled bricks, and rammed earth for low embodied carbon structures.
Life Cycle Assesment
Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) is a methodology used to evaluate the environmental impacts of buildings, products, and materials at all stages of their lifecycle. It looks into resource use, pollution, waste, toxicity to air, water, land, humans and ecology, energy and carbon used for extraction, transportation, and manufacturing, and maintenance, demolition, recycling, and waste disposal. Lifecycle Costing (LCC) is a method to assess the financial impacts of buildings, products and materials at all stages of their lifecycle, including the cost of extraction, transportation, production and construction, maintenance, and replacement. In Denmark, from 2023, LCA will be obligatory for all new buildings with more than 1000 square meters. LCC and Whole Life Costing (WCC) are important to consider the long-term costs and benefits of design decisions, and to take into account the resale value of dismantled building elements for reuse in the future. LCA and LCC are useful to understand and evaluate the impacts of material choices, and make more informed decisions.
Sustainable Sources of Materials
Key points in material selection include aligning with the environment, socio-cultural factors, and economics, while also focusing on local availability, craftsmanship, and construction methods. Priority lies in minimizing resource use, opting for non-toxic, low-energy, and low-carbon materials, like carbon-sequestering timber. Attention to human health and regional construction practices is crucial.
Local availability and climatic suitability often dictate material choices. Investigate local artisans, existing solutions, and production processes for improvements.
To prevent over-harvesting, explore nearby renewable material sources with clean extraction. Certified materials, like FSC timber, uphold sustainability.
Reuse is paramount; existing structures and materials should be considered first. Urban mining views buildings as material banks, advocating for reuse and repurposing of anthropogenic materials. To source reused materials, create a harvest map detailing resources from demolished buildings, recycling centers, and local surpluses.
Natural Materials
Natural materials are found in nature and can be used for structure elements, roofs, insulation, external and internal cladding or furniture. Renewable materials are those that can be easily replenished, such as timber, fax, cork, hemp, cob, stroke, grasses, salt, bamboo and seaweed. Non renewable materials should be natural and abundant, such as stone, earth, clay, sand or organic slightly processed materials. Biogenic materials sequester carbon and absorb more CO2 than they produce in extraction and manufacturing. Recently, there has been an approach to natural materials that focuses on innovation in cultivating, breeding, raising farming or growing future resources, such as wood foam, bio polymers, and fungal mycelium. These materials are cost effective, biodegradable, and have high insulation properties, flame resistance, and a favorable indoor climate