If the past few years were a perfect occasion for reflecting and debating on well-being, digitalization, and democratization in architectural design, this 2023 has been a tremendous opportunity to delve deeper and comment on other urgent topics: The climate crisis and the natural environment have unquestionably entered the global agenda of architecture and construction, alongside circularity, energy efficiency, and decarbonization. It's time to engage in dialogue about these matters to conscientiously build for the future.
Reviewing the future of wood, water, and lighting, in each of the related topics that ArchDaily developed month by month, we posed an open question for you - our dear readers - to actively contribute with your experiences and knowledge. After reading and compiling an immense amount of received messages, from construction professionals to students and architecture enthusiasts, it's time to present you with a summary of the main perspectives. Many thanks for your opinions, and we look forward to your comments for 2024!
Circular Economy: Towards Efficient Adaptation for All Urban Stakeholders
If the circular economy is increasingly present in debates about architecture and urban planning, it is for a reason: The world's population living in cities will grow by 68% by 2050. The environmental challenge will be significant as the demand for natural resources, such as materials or energy, increases, and it seems that circularity offers some opportunities to reduce this impact.
How can we progress towards this more sustainable model in our cities? This question was posed to our readers, and it was surprising to find shared views and perspectives on policies and programs that genuinely promote responsible consumption and collaboration across different sectors. A range of insights emerged on adaptation and efficient collaboration, spanning from the existing indifference in academia to the need for fostering productive connections among various city stakeholders.
Light and Architecture: The Lighting of the Future is a Challenge that Involves All Living Beings
From fire in caves to public lighting in cities, illumination has consistently evolved alongside technological advancements—and in recent years, it has begun to change even more significantly due to growing awareness of its impact on the environment and people's health. Nowadays, it is not uncommon to find an automatically lit LED in workplaces and homes, both to enhance energy efficiency and well-being. Simultaneously, public squares and streets are increasingly integrated with sensors and software configurations that enhance safety and mobility.
But to make the most of these opportunities, we must think of lighting as part of a comprehensive vision and work together to create better solutions. What will be the future of illumination? We asked our readers, who responded with the importance of going a step beyond the current state without adding more—while also reducing—light pollution. At the same time, they brought up the issue of lighting that can be more friendly to all living beings (yes, including animals and plants).
Contemporary Housing: What it's Really Like and How We Can Improve It
Housing is not just the place where we live. It is a reflection of our society, our culture, and our aspirations. It is a space that influences our quality of life, health, and well-being. In a world that is changing at unprecedented rates, where technologies are advancing rapidly, where the population is growing, and where resources are becoming scarce, it is crucial to reflect on how we inhabit our homes and how we can improve them.
Here, opinions converge on the idea that contemporary housing speaks volumes—both about adaptability, innovation, and diversity, and about real estate speculation, lack of appropriate public policies, and economic inequality. This involves a range of perspectives, from contemporary housing designed to support future work to contemporary housing caught in a state of paralysis.
Water and Architecture: A Debate on Water Footprint and Rainwater as a New Material
The global water usage data is not encouraging, and the construction process plays a significant role in its consumption. It was time to consider how to reduce this impact. The necessity to design buildings that do not require water provided us with a unique opportunity to explore innovative and sustainable alternatives that minimize or even eliminate water usage in construction.
First, we have a pending challenge: measuring and truly understanding the actual water consumption of each architecture project and figuring out how we can address this issue from both a construction and material perspective.
Design Process: Good Design (Not) Always Depends on Software
While the discipline has been advancing in new fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), parametric modeling (BIM), and other cutting-edge tools for years, their implementation and systematization in the everyday design processes remain slowed down.
We explore together how the latest innovations that are transforming the development of the profession are being applied. The relevance revolves around how we filter—what is beneficial and what is not—when approaching a design process, and how we update the technologies we use in the design processes.
Color in Architecture: It Already has a Technical Justification for its Choice, Energy Efficiency
Colors have played an essential role in the history of modern architecture—from Le Corbusier's polychromy theory to the aesthetic concepts of the Bauhaus. However, we find ourselves at the beginning of an era in which the interpretation and implementation of colors in architecture are undergoing a shift based on their impact on the built environment.
The future is today, and we must use color with sustainability arguments. We hear some consensus regarding the importance of considering energy efficiency in the choice of colors. However, beyond energy efficiency, we should never forget about mental and physical health. At the same time, there is a pending issue: exploring the virtual dimension of colors. Dive deeper into the discussion here.
The Future of Wood: If Wood is the Future of Urban Construction, Technological Possibilities Will Need to Expand
Atrium Ljungberg unveiled Stockholm Wood City in Sweden, the world's largest urban wood construction project, and in Norway, just four years ago, Voll Arkitekter completed the construction of the Mjøstårnet Tower by Lake Mjøsa, one of the tallest wooden buildings in the world with 18 floors. At the other end of the planet, the Tamango project by Tallwood Architects is an example of the challenges and opportunities of wooden construction in Chile, as it could be the first 12-story building with a prefabricated wooden structure in Latin America. Meanwhile, Uruguay recently concluded its social housing competition made of wood, marking a step toward innovation in social architecture.
Across the globe, we see that sustainability and innovation in construction are constantly evolving, and wooden structures are presented as a promising option. But is wood the key to a more sustainable and livable urban future? Are there challenges we must address before embracing this trend? What are the implications for architecture, cities, the economy, and the environment? We find consensus in favor of using wood due to a lower carbon footprint, efficiency, aesthetics, and opposition regarding its fire resistance, susceptibility to pests, durability, and environmental impact.
Decarbonizing Architecture: Entering a New Era of Cooling and Energy Efficiency
The world has just witnessed the hottest months in recorded history, and the outlook is far from optimistic. Rising temperatures are leading to an increased demand for cooling, threatening to trigger a vicious cycle of higher electricity consumption and carbon emissions. On a planet facing both unprecedented urbanization and a climate crisis simultaneously, the intersection between building energy efficiency and cooling technologies has never been more crucial.
"Buildings, traditionally significant energy consumers, now face the dual challenge of providing comfortable indoor environments while minimizing their environmental footprint," says Clara Camarasa, energy efficiency policy analyst at the International Energy Agency (IEA). "The ever-increasing demand for cooling has led to widespread use of energy-intensive air conditioning systems, contributing significantly to both peak electricity demand and greenhouse gas emissions. Striking a balance between indoor comfort and energy conservation has become an urgent mission." Read more about this topic here.
This article is part of the ArchDaily Topics: Year in Review, presented by Randers Tegl.
“When creating unique architecture, visionary ideas aren’t always enough. A unique look demands character, courage, and distinctive materials. And a format to achieve the extraordinary. At Randers Tegl, we aim to add a unique touch to exceptional brickworks by bringing premium bricks to life and into the world of architecture. Making the impossible possible. We are proud to be a part of unique architecture worldwide since 1911.”
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