Tag: carbon-neutral | ArchDaily

Bauhaus Earth Transforms Disused Car Park into Bamboo Community Pavilion in Bali, Indonesia

Antonia Piñeiro — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 05:30:00 +0000

Bauhaus Earth is a Berlin-based non-profit organization working toward a systemic transformation of the built environment. Its mission includes transitioning to bio- and geo-based materials, reusing existing buildings, and restoring ecosystems. Together with the Bamboo Village Trust, a philanthropic financial vehicle, and Kota Kita, a participatory urban design organization, Bauhaus Earth has developed BaleBio, a bamboo pavilion designed by Cave Urban and rising above Mertasari Beach in Denpasar, Bali. The pavilion transforms a disused car park into an open community meeting space, offering a counterpoint to the city's tourism-driven coastal development. Designed as a regenerative building, BaleBio stores carbon instead of emitting it, challenging the extractive construction model that is replacing traditional wood and bamboo craftsmanship with concrete structures across the island.

Dialogue with the Code: Calibrating Standards for Adaptive Reuse to Thrive

Jonathan Yeung — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 07:30:00 +0000

There is growing awareness around sustainability—and the environmental cost of prematurely demolishing safe, structurally sound buildings only to replace them with new construction. In the broader race to reduce carbon emissions, corporations and institutions are placing greater emphasis on ESG performance (environmental impact, social responsibility, and governance). Many now require carbon accounting, set "carbon-neutral" targets, or purchase carbon credits to offset footprints.

Barangaroo South Masterplan by RSHP and Lendlease Completes a 15-Year Transformation of Sydney’s Western Waterfront

Reyyan Dogan — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 06:30:00 +0000

RSHP has announced the completion of the Barangaroo South Masterplan in Sydney, marking the realization of a 15-year redevelopment that has reconnected the city's north-western harbour edge to its urban core. Once a disused container port, the 22-hectare site has been transformed into a mixed-use, carbon-neutral precinct, integrating commercial, residential, and public spaces along the waterfront. Developed in collaboration with Lendlease following an international design competition, the masterplan is organized into three zones: Barangaroo South, a high-density extension of the Central Business District; Barangaroo Reserve, a reconstructed natural headland that reintroduces native landscapes to the harbour; and Barangaroo Central, a low-density residential area linking the northern and southern ends of the development.

Populous Unveils New Images of Germany’s First Climate-Neutral Event Arena in Munich

Antonia Piñeiro — Fri, 23 May 2025 05:30:00 +0000

Architecture firm Populous was chosen to design a new multi-use, climate-neutral event arena in Munich, Germany. The structure aims to create a "compact, efficient, and visually stunning" venue that will be instantly recognizable and reflective of the character and culture of the Bavarian metropolitan area, serving as a new landmark. The 20,000 capacity venue draws upon Bavarian heritage through a support structure that pays homage to the lozenge shape used in the Bavarian state flag. Populous developed the design with general planners HENN from Munich and landscape architects Latz+Partner from Freising.

BIG Unveils Design for Bhutan's Gelephu International Airport, to Be Showcased at Venice Biennale 2025

Nour Fakharany — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 06:30:00 +0000

BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) has unveiled plans for Bhutan's Gelephu International Airport, a project that aims to combine traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design. As the country's second international airport, it is a key component of the Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) masterplan, designed to accommodate future growth while reflecting Bhutan's cultural and environmental values.

Alejandro Aravena’s Elemental and Holcim Collaborate on Carbon-Neutral Housing at the 2025 Venice Biennale

Antonia Piñeiro — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 06:30:00 +0000

From May 10 to November 23, 2025, a carbon-neutral housing project designed by Elemental, the firm led by Pritzker Prize winner Alejandro Aravena, will be showcased at the Venice Architecture Biennale. The project aims to combine the Chilean office's expertise in social housing with the construction products of Holcim (the company behind the Holcim Foundation) to create a prototype for resilient and affordable housing.

COP29 Launches in Baku, Azerbaijan, to Address Climate Finance and Resilience

Maria-Cristina Florian — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 06:30:00 +0000

The 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) takes place between the 11th and 22nd of November in Baku, Azerbaijan. The event proposes a global gathering of business leaders, governments, and civil society with the aim of taking effective measures to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. As the construction industry is responsible for approximately 37% of global emissions, the conference is of particular interest to architects, urban planners, and researchers in this field.

The Hidden Carbon Cost of Climate Retrofits

Ankitha Gattupalli — Sun, 21 Jul 2024 07:30:00 +0000

Evolving urban conditions call for an evolving builtscape, and retrofits have been a key mechanism to allow buildings to adapt and respond to new needs. Amidst global environmental concerns, climate retrofits have become a popular strategy to upgrade buildings based on improved operational efficiency. Global decarbonization plans have even called for city-wide retrofits, such as in the case of London, to meet civic goals. While such upgrades significantly reduce energy consumption, they often come with a hidden cost - embodied carbon in retrofit materials and the potential for future waste.

15 Landscaped Offices With Garden Space For Free-Range Employees to Roam

James Wormald — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 07:30:00 +0000

Representing 32% of the global population, Generation Z (those born between 1995 – 2010) accounts for a healthy chunk of the workforce (27% by 2025 and rising every year). These are the fresh young minds employers are fighting to attract. With prospective employers’ impact on society (93%) and a healthy work/life balance (77%) the two biggest motivators in deciding where Gen Z’ers want to work, a large part of any new office building’s design brief is green space.

How Landscape Architects are Taking on Embodied Carbon

Jared Green — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 03:30:00 +0000

“Landscape architects have started conversations about embodied carbon. There is a realization that we can no longer ignore the grey parts,” said Stephanie Carlisle, Senior Researcher, Carbon Leadership Forum and the University of Washington, during the first in a series of webinars organized by the ASLA Biodiversity and Climate Action Committee.

Unites States Plans to Create A Nationwide Definition for Zero Emissions Buildings

Maria-Cristina Florian — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 06:30:00 +0000

In an effort to find effective strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change, the Biden-Harris administration has released a draft of a new legislative initiative that strives to impose a National Definition for Zero Emissions Buildings. Overseen by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the draft proposes a standardized and verifiable base for defining the common minimum conditions for such buildings, as well as pathways for transparent verifications by public and private entities. DOE has now launched a ‘request for information' asking for feedback from industry, academia, research laboratories, and other stakeholders before finalizing the document.

BIG Unveils Gelephu's 'Mindfulness City': Bridging Bhutan's Heritage and Future

Nour Fakharany — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 05:30:00 +0000

BIG has just unveiled “Gelephu,” an envisioned master plan that draws from Bhutanese culture, Gross National Happiness principles, and spiritual heritage. During the 116^th National Day of Bhutan, His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck introduced the plans for the prospective economic center in the country. Designed in collaboration with Arup and Cistri, the master plan is adhering to the sustainable standards of the world’s first official carbon-negative country, Bhutan.

Navigating COP28: Key Takeaways for Architects from the Dubai Summit

Maria-Cristina Florian — Thu, 14 Dec 2023 06:30:00 +0000

COP28, or the 2023 United Nations Conference of the Parties, was held in Dubai between November 30 and December 13. The annual meeting gathers representatives from 198 countries, as well as industry leaders to discuss and establish strategies to limit the extent of climate change and its adverse effects. The ultimate goal of these meetings is to find ways to limit the global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial times. At the moment, the global temperature rise is already at 1.2 degrees Celsius. As the construction industry at large accounts for 39% of global emissions, architects and planners have a shared interest in the results of thee international summit, Read on to discover some of the key takeaways of COP28.

Are Carbon-Neutral Buildings Expensive?

Ankitha Gattupalli — Mon, 09 Oct 2023 07:30:00 +0000

Decarbonization of the building sector is no longer a choice but a necessity. As nations strive to curb their greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, it is increasingly clear that current building standards do not go far enough to drive tangible change. Achieving climate goals requires economies to advocate measures that drive carbon neutrality while managing associated costs effectively. How would net-zero performance strategies impact building costs?

Embodied Carbon in Real Estate: The Hidden Contributor to Climate Change

Anneli Tostar — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 03:30:00 +0000

The window for solving climate change is narrowing; any solution must include embodied carbon. The Sixth Assessment Report published by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) concludes that the world can emit just 500 gigatonnes more of carbon dioxide, starting in January 2020, if we want a 50 percent chance of staying below 1.5 degrees. In 2021 alone, the world emitted about 36.3 gigatonnes of carbon, the highest amount ever recorded. We’re on track to blow through our carbon budget in the next several years. To quote the IPCC directly: “The choices and actions implemented in this decade will have impacts now and for thousands of years (high confidence).”

BIG Reveals Concept for a Self-Sufficient Off-Grid Island for Experimental Clothing Brand in Nova Scotia, Canada

Maria-Cristina Florian — Fri, 26 May 2023 06:30:00 +0000

BIG has partnered with experimental clothing brand Vollebak to create the vision for a self-sufficient off-grid island in Nova Scotia, Canada. The 11-acre Vollebak Island will receive several pavilions built of natural and innovative materials such as seaweed, hempcrete, and 3D-printed concrete, all powered by carbon-neutral energy. The island, located in Jeddore Harbor, one quarter off the Nova Scotia mainland, will be auctioned via Sotheby’s Concierge Auctions beginning June 8. Bidders will vie for the chance to own the island and to be granted exclusive rights to the design vision, including the planning permission for those designs.

CARE, a New Digital Tool, Helps Designers Quantify the Value of Reuse Versus New Construction

Maria-Cristina Florian — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 06:30:00 +0000

Refurbishment and adaptive reuse have been at the forefront of architectural discourse in recent years. This demonstrates that the profession is becoming increasingly aware of its impact on the environment and the opportunities presented by reusing what has already been built. Architecture 2030 has recently launched CARE, or Carbon Avoided Retrofit Estimator, a new digital tool that enables designers, owners, and communities to quantify the carbon benefits of adaptive reuse. By entering a streamlined set of project information, such as energy targets and potential building interventions, users can quickly estimate both operational carbon emissions generated by the use of the building and embodied carbon emissions, which are tied to the building materials employed.

What COP27 Meant for Architecture and the Construction Industry

Maria-Cristina Florian — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 06:30:00 +0000

The 2022 United Nations Conference of the Parties, more commonly referred to as COP27, was held between November 6 and November 18, 2022, in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. The conference included more than 90 heads of state and an estimated 35,000 representatives, or delegates, from 190 countries. Aimed at encouraging and guiding countries to take effective action against climate change, the next edition of these conferences, COP28, is already scheduled from 30 November to 12 December 2023, in the United Arab Emirates. The CEO of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co, an oil company chief who also oversees renewable energy efforts in the Emirates, was appointed to preside over the negotiations and talks, which led to a wave of criticism from environmental activists.