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All prices are subject, te change without etice iss ooes- 8504)6 8 Snakes in Utopia; A Brief History of Sustainability 20 Design Challenge of Sustainabity 34 Jan Kaplicky of Future Systems nr Quescierna lord Rogers of Riverside — Gr==" “h 2 Global Perspectives: Learning fram the Other Side 46 Bringing Together Head, Heart and Soul 60 Ken Yeang ~ G~ver Cusstiann 82 ustaining Interactions 8 the Natural a . 68 Green Architecture in Hong Kong, the Densest Cit 74 Thomas Herzog of Herzog and Pa » Quest ia Desighiin The N 82 Breen Architecture in Narth America Architectural Design + In the Realm of t ie Senses he Building Profile: The Eden Project Practice Profile: Zombory-Ma fan Moore Sook Reviews Highlignts from Wiley-Academy Site LinesAs sustainability enters the mainstream, becoming the accepted goal if not always practice of governments and architects alike, it seems to be slipping through our fingers. No langer an alternative route out in the cold, green architecture is, as a result, ever more elusive and chfficult to define. With increasing numbers claiming it for themselves, it is no longer possible to describe it in counterpoint — purely in terms of what it clearly is not. It seems to be everything for everyane who wants it — the Queen and President of the Riga included Tn this important issue of Architectural Design, the quest-ecitor, Brian Edwards, has created an essential survey that in the widest and most specific sense looks at what it means to be green By bringing together contmbutars from six differing geagraphical regions — South Africa, Austraha, Singapore, Hong Kong, The Netherlands and North America — a view is yielded that is simultaneously glabal and local, In South Africa, for instance, Chrisna du Plessis shows sustainability to be rooted in an existing ecasystemic world view that is part of its pastoral and agriculturist heritage, whereas, in contrast, in North America, Brian Carter describes haw the design of ‘green’ buildings is limited rather than aided by cultural factors, particularly saciety's adherence to the power of industry and commerce. This comprehensive world view is shored up by three introductory chapters by Brian Edwards and Chrisne du Plessis, which sum up green architecture's history end its design challenges, as well as the varying global perspectives involved. By interspersing the issue with interviews or ‘Green Questionnaires’ from world- leading architects ~ Lord Foster, Thomas Herzog, Jan Kaplicky, Lord Ragers and Ken Yeang — green architecture is alsa presented at the point at which it is an individual expression What is clear is that there is no still point of the turning warld, as far as green is concerned. Variations are thrown up by social, political, cultural and economic factors, as well as by individual preferences. What this issue does provide, however, is some indication of the full spectrum of perspectives that exist under this over-arching umbrella term. Helen CastleSUStaINGMINty the Se Tor an Earui This issue of 4 has been developed n Brett substantiate the argument thatthe agenda of sustinability fs leading, not toa single MAREN sive but toa rich and complex ariel dng design are drawn fom order around the world. Mest books of ola word: South rica, ‘lustrate green projects without pighlight ia ong Kong, The Netheriands cultural, social and environmental dlerohed he wide geographical spread Inso dong, this issue has set aut tofu ‘work to be brought to demonstrate: ‘The existence of regional differences it both the philosophy of sustainability and its practice, nt distinction to be made between + The way sustainability addresses potent al design. In countries where lobal problems (such as climate change fe than rainforest protection or but also local environmental issues feNeh ae 3 the concept of sustainabitity township regeneration) integrated decision-making ‘architectural order and + The existence of high-tech and l@we-teEh 5 urban layout, the building solutions, often used in partnership iia single project ‘+The way space (the mediuin of architectural is altered by sustainability ity order’ is not universal bul, fied by regional circumstances. The main argument made by the interftioiall cess and thought necessarily array of contributors to this iseue fe that stances ~ the rightness of a diverse interpretation of sustainable design s cultural relevance relies upan exists around the world, The forces witich lead ce. In this sense my task 9 lo this complexity ~ climatic, cultural ut the particular, showing professional and social factors > afl (90 easily political agendas, craft skills be overwhelmed by the internationals Bf ‘are connecting with sustainability a5 evidenced by scientific literature, A more appropriate greening ofsnakes In The roois of the environment movement can be traced back to the 19th century. Jahn Ruskin, William Morris and Richard Lethaby all in their different ways questioned the assumption that industrialisation wauld satisfy mankind's physical and spiritual needs. Ruskin in The Seven Lamps of Architecture called for development to be madelled upon the harmonic order found in nature. Morris advacated a return to the countryside with implications for sell~ sulficiency and a revival of local craft skills, Lethaby, in one of several rhetarical statements, called an architects ta recognise the beauriful remy order of nature, All three used the term ‘nature’ but today one can usefully substitute the ward sustainability, The 19th century closed with the emergence of a clear, sustainable design Bef of Sustainabilhty Utopia History Patrick Geddes in Scotland, Buckminster Fuller and Frank Lloyd Wright in the usa, Hassan Fathy in Egypt and, mere recently, Richard Rogers and Norman Foster in the uk have all developed the ideas of these pioneers, Gu! their responses have been quite different. Nature has been replaced by low-energy design because af the immediate and pressing problem of glabal warming, Whereas Rogers and Foster have developed fresh prototypes for energy-efficient offices, schools and even airport terminals, an opposing thrust of 20th-eentury designs has been towards improving the environmental condition of urban areas generally. Thi 5 has found expressian in climate-modified cities where an umbrella of glass or plastic has kept heat in and cold Dut. Geddes and Fuller argued that within such urban areas crops could be grawn and a benign nature brought into direct contact with the human race. Fathy and Wright took a different approach: both sought toArchigram’s walking city and organic urbanism were extreme green visions predicated upon the nation of migrating species and the integration of complex ecclogical and architectural orders Use local materials and crafts in an endeavour to praduce a modern architecture out of regional building traditions. In the pracess they introduced us to the idea that social bility and ecological design were lated, Archigram, too, in the early (0s sought a distinctive reconciliation between high technology and environmental problems. Herron’s watking city and Chatk’s trganic urbanism were extreme green visions predicated upon the nation of migrating species and the integration of complex ecolagical and architectural orders. The flame of the green movement never realty expired in spite of the material excesses of the ‘madern movement. High Tech, the major flowering of modernity in Britain, had managed by the 1990s to embrace sustainability, The close of the ¢ sda fascinating blond of ‘as eea-tech or eca-cool that embraced precision engineering, cornputing and ecology. Buildings ceased to be fixed heavyweight objects but became lightweight, stretched, flexible and in part mobile. As Rogers noted, buildings should be like birds which ruffle their feathers and change thelr shape ‘and metabolism to suit different environmental conditions.’ This responsive form af design bridged the warlds of man and nature successtully and gave final built expression Jo the predictions of Ruskin, Morris and Lethaby, In this, Future Systems have been surprising champions, ‘Adopting a bigger Irame of history, itis possible to ‘argue that pockets of good sustainable practice existed throughout the medieval period in the West survive in relatively undeveloped areas af South, The mon: F Europe produced tl food, created buildings from local material and recycled water, and developed renawal technologies {in the farm of water mills and windmils e were structured societies which taak care of thy nd old, cultivated the land according ta ecological principles and farmed fish, birds and animals with humanity, Such practices can still be found in rural communities in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Sustainable development is not a term one hear in such settlements, but in reality these are places from which the rest of humanity could usefully dram lessons rather than seeking to ‘improve’ them The Enlightenment in Europe promulgated a ciontific rationalist view of the world. I has survived istic perception of on in the locus upon energy, fc s and definitions, The West lends to ‘mes stainabilty whilst the South and East simply ‘feel it Asia and Africa act out good green practices by instinct, and their point of reference isnot Newton of Einstein but the local shaman or wisdom keeper. Itis one of the iranies of the modern world that the societies which talk mast about sustainability (the usa, Germany and Francel are ecological in action, There is an inverse ratio betwee green and Asia ric and sound green practice, Much of Africa 3 tiny environmental impact per capita) 1 iii The close of the WIT or eco-ccol that emt precision engineering, computcompared to the West and their examples of n design are rarely to be found in the rowing genre of books and journals that deal with sustainability. As a general statement, the spiritual approach to green design is found in the underdeveloped world and the low-energy, hhigh-material approach in the developed Both history and geography provide valuable lessons which allow today's practice to be set in a wider social and cultural context, Sustainability. has been a recurring challenge far mankind since men and wamen began to setile the surface of the earth. Being nomadic retieved the human race of a duty of care towards the land s soon as they formed villages they could not hide from the environmental consi of physical development. Th sequences expressed themselves in a variety of ways: pollution, scarcity af resources and sickness, Health has been a perennial problem as towns have grown ~ illness arguably has been a gi motor of sustainability than energy It was the search for healthy living that introd contro! in classical cities, that ensured open space existed in medieval towns, that regulated the use of building materials, contralled the extraction and use of water, and laid down a iced refuse natwork of drains in countless settlements fram the Renaissance onwards. This legacy is apparent in the countless building acts and model by-laws of the 19th century, What is obvious f that it was not low-eneray design or the need to preserve bia environmental resources that structured early European sattlements, but public health, And today itis health - both global and personal - which is ‘emerging as the ‘wild card’ of sustainability. The future promises a new contract between glabal energy use and health, and in this equation buildings and citie will play a crucial role One losson of history is that the constraint on rity or protect stainable development js rarely resource scarcity What Limits human action is waste and it consequences - the sink’, not lack of energy and other rasources, tends to curtail the system. The limits to prosperity in cities like London or Hong Kang are not resource constraints but pallution ones, And with pollution health goes and disease cames. Urban road pollution is now the second biggest killer in Europe, ‘accounting for 69,000 deaths a year {rom lung cancer, heart disease and bronchitis." Road traffic and urban cexhauist air from buildings kill more smoking. Sink limits threat insidiousty than resource limits, And at the fc pollution lies consurnption - that insidious search for consumer happiness promoted by countless glabal ‘multinational ple than in the human race more of With this change in emphasis comes a clear new. agenda for building design. Architecture, which accounts for roughly half of all resource consumption in the world (materials, energy, water and the loss of Fertile agricultural land), has te come to terms with the fact that the wastes fram buildings are busy polluting planet and destroying the health of people. What sal risk here is the health and wellbeing not only of people in buildings but also of cities, and with this the viability of human civilisation itselt Consurnption is itself a problem. We more per capita than ever belore - consumer gaods, cars and space itselt. Exces expressed in exce consumption is often architectural display, in ‘exaggerated High Tech posturing and over-ambitlous ‘space and comfort levels. Buildings are fashion accessories ~ the backcloth fo commercial and private lives. Within our homes we create space fer gadgets rather than people, we fill our offices with computers, ‘our airports with shops. So whereas buildings consum half of ail environmental resources, they either house the space where the other half is consumed or form the destination for the essential journeys required for human conection. As a system, cities are the focu! of resource use and pollution ~ buildings are an ecology af global impacts which understand, are only beginning toies with their ui Green: the Search for an Earthly Paradise to universally place juito ace and increasingly hopping malls, suburban estates, business park airports, ete are challenged by the green mavernent Ina world of universal inability offers neti complex web of cultural diversity even within a and the World Climate Change Conference at Th “paste staschibe the Egan proposal Jural and environmental valu ent er There may be no other environm environmentat action from cultural action. Place : a 2 \o rethink more th wi ituries of esources. Placelessness [the p1 lent 20th-century dustri forces which have mode of development] was indi phy. phitohungry future. And itis not only a matter tem of cities with the terns of recycling, articular places, whether vernacular oF design alued for the meanings they carry. Social meaning lows towns and their buildings to be cherished, but in our multicultural society meaning in its broader ser has to have wide app ind much depends upon cultural conditioning. What architects value tel may net be the same as what is valued by socie jsit a MeDonald's hamburger bar to see the mismatch between professional and public taste. Sustainability offers the chance to unit values around common enviranmnental goals, bringin shared agendas back on ta the architectural stage ‘ar this to happen we need to look low. energy design as the panacea ainability. L rgy buildings can produce dull, culturally impoverished architecture. True sustainable design ake. an board the full complexity af ecology with life-enhancing agenda. Nature uses the minimum 9 ‘man, en the other hand, uses the max meet new co, targats we need to value fo resources to build cities of minimum richness an as scarce and diminishing resources, and _beauty, erplaying less than 10 per cent of recycling i we-need to exploit renewable energy source: the process. Man and nature urgently need to get ther [cun, wind, biomasc]. We need ta develop new two logether: When this happens [and thi technatogies and new solutions to building reeds ta be our goal for the 21st century) aur matu yee each place is diferent ill begin to approach the complexity an prograr neon sources, climate, expasurel building solutions b ests or coral reefs. There will be lay will need to differentiate themselves more with each system using the wi ‘ Afectively than his means selecting lower or sel eo more appropriate technologies, using the best sufficiency, The spiral c ot cheapest, method of construction, employing architectural ambition will be upwards, not downward ; =i yele assessment, seeking out local a What wi ral of energy and materials, employing lo fresh currents of sustainable imperative which, lke worse ulding skills and knaw- how Cult Stream, derive ult of : iy differentiation is nat just a que: un. Quy old divisions b intr rm 7 Itis about valuing old Wd nature, ecology and Nk racular was the eyelution of patterns Architecture wil at last be free of the tyranny of mp rat building best suited to tions ‘exploitative modernism: we will have in sight an iy " inefficient solutions became extinct over time Earthly Paradise e rae, ing only the fittest to survive. Old tewns, E ynether in Asia, Africa or Europe, are reminders _Ungustainable Biblical Origin: calabrtn beeen haw to build when materials are scarce It cauld be argued that Christian philosophy helped sam entar our is valued for its workmanship (as against the seeds of anti-enviranmentalism in much of th et : speed); resources of energy, food and water are Western world. The Bible is full of refer oe cally sourced, The Aga Khan Awards fo der and dominance of the natural world. Man's rle in maton tinore Architecture are armang the few that give fe was to subdue the earth (Genesis 1.28) and tor oes recognition to the past as informing the future. over the garden (Genesis 2,15), What the Bible = Fea Sustainable design needs to recognise th describes as mankind's ‘dominion aver fish fo ‘ lessons af cities which grew up in periods of nd every creeping thing” led inevitably to an ethic afdominance, Our cities are a direct consequence of biblical unsustainability. The Christian foundation upon which Western society is buill had an unfortunate tendency to place man apart from the natural order, By way of contrast, Eastern religions intagrate mankind inte a global ecological system. Such integration is nat only physical but, more importantly, is also spiritual The worldliness of Christianity - the call to multiply, exploit and prosper ~ has became in many aspects the international order af big business. It is the motor of steck exchanges from Tokyo to Lima, the basis upon which companies conduct their business and governments manage resaurces, Inevitably it is the basis, too, for cities and the countless buildings which, in their subtle variety, stl express the Christian exploitative ideal, uv definition af ‘Sustainable Development’ cained in 1987 by Gro Harlem Brundtland ~ a woman whose ‘words have changed the course of history, The 'he-ness ‘of the Bible has been usurped by the ‘she-ness’ of sustainability. Brundiland followed in the steps af other prominent female environ mentalists: Rachel Carson IsSitent Spring), Barbara Ward who first coined the phrase ‘sustainable development’, and Donetla Meadows of the Club of Rome [Limits to Growth) The relationship between man and nature is more ‘organic than cerebral, Though intellectual abstraction is a necessary component of human thaught, the general attitude to the natural warld is vital, immediate and revalves around the question of survival. However, though the outer face of nature appears increasingly hostile and unpredictable, the human condition also assigns a meaning beyond dependency for ife to the: environment, This search for deeper insight is lur ouilding technology has become leaner, more efficient and tter integrated. It has allowed greater efficiency ta be achieved terms of energy use, construction output per man (or woman) id internal space per unit of structural resource ‘The means by which dominance aver nature has been achieved is largely facilitated by scionco and technology, and to an increasing ‘extent by design. Bath are at the centre af architectural practice. ur building technology has heeome leaner, more efticient and better, integrated. I has allowed greater efficiency to be achieved in terms of energy use, constructian ‘output per man (or woman] and internat space per unit of structural resource. These objective gains have, however, filed to address the other reality ~ that which is behind the rational and underlies the scientific. The inner lite, nat only of people but of cities, has suffered. In effect we have lost sight of the building as a living thing Our modern ualy cities with their pollution and stress are a kind of illness that reflects nat only Global environmental sickness but also a wider érisis in the human condition A the root of much green thinking lies an attempt ta contront these issues and to provide a better balance between man and nature. Conceptually, sustainability reverses biblical teaching, It seeks net dominion aver God's éreation but gentle guardianship af the earth's bounteous resources, The human race isnot apart fram the global system but is integrated into it via the discipline of ecalogy ~ hurnan, soctal and environmental. This is the basis af the interpreted differently according to culture or religion ‘Though all people depend upan nature for sustenance, varying cultural constructions are assigned to ecology around the world. For example, Jesus equated God with nature ~ the Christian position has always been that ‘beyond nature is the hand of a superior farce aver ‘which mankind has guardianship. Christians looked through nature at God and in the process gave themselves dominian over all living things tu crops, the nit crisis, cloning and climate change all demonstrate the foly of this position The Greeks, an the other hand, lacked through the gods at nature. The role of the gods was to express. natural laws and to be ga-betweens for the human, race. Classicism celebrated nature nol as a natural or primeval force, but as an object of harmony and beauty, Ecology was reduced to cull objects. Eastern religions adopt a quite different interpretation to that of either the Christian or the classical world. The Buddhist posilion treats nature as art, creating illusion in, and distorting, the natural world. There are no deen messages here ~ the human mind transcends the tertiary reality of nature.’ Buddhist philosophy is a contract between man and God, acted out, with nature sven a sublime role as a tranquil setting far meditation There is a interdependence between mankind and the ‘world at large ~ an inner and outer harmony which places nature within a bigger cosmic order, The Taoist posilion is again quite different: here there is ansesthetic, almost stoical, appreciation of nature. The natural world is not the ultimate reality but prepares mankind for the eternal beauly of the afterlife. Nature is framed, captured, manicured and brought indoars in idealised form. In old shamanic retigions, the shaman had a special role to act ag an intermediary between the present and past 08 and plants. He had powers ta heal pagple and the environment. There were often both special places and special plants ~ the cultural heritage ‘was. blend of man-made and natural feature From these grew cultural and social constructs which placed nature within the human condition collective knowledge was essentially ecalogical in spirit These general interpretations of different religions help to explain the paradax af modern attitudes to nature. There is no universal view, but a series of distinct cultural translations. As a pirts of people, pla consequence one cannot expect a single global reading of the ecological crisis ~all peoples interpret the changing climatic and natural reality ina different fashion. Architecture, espacially green architecture, is necessarily influenced by retigious, social and cultural factors, There is na ecumenical green movernent = merely a range of responses ta the overriding agendas of sustainability and global warming, We need to bring inte locus the delightful and unexpected respanses to current environmental problems araund the world. Only a global view wil counter the perception that there is a ubiquitous sustainable style irrespective of custom, climate culture or place. Haw we see our buildings is central dosign them. Richard Rogers talk about an s, of buildings modelled upon the complexity and changeability of natural arganisms. He cites birds and chameleons as uselul models, Santiago Calatrava, on the other hand, uses the eye as an example of perpetual adaptation to differen canditions within a unified whole. Louis Kahn, in similar Spiritual mood, asked the brick what it mast wanted te fed ‘an arch’. If we ask a piece of land what it wants to be it will not answer ‘a city’. IFwe azka flood plain it will not reply ‘a housing estate’. Our task’ to go beyond the rational - to seek an architecture which is a living thing, hich enriches Uife at many levels and understands a few ecalagical truth ‘Sick buildings and inefficient building types area form of i architecture af responsiven be and it answ <6." Their ugliness is an expression of ssulfering which affect Thomas Moore said that Buildings are hound to us as another species. They are a kind of living pr member of the family, like our pots. Sinc least 0 per cent of our lives in buildings their impact ‘upon human life s enormous, Our health, our souls ad everybody. The American poet we spend aes Ti aes Pinson stn to Pe fs es Bais Een ton, Fess ese bem Basin Herc ia os Pel bao Bas es eset, ‘ur memories are fashioned by them, In Jungian psychology buildings only animate our life f they have an ‘an inner personality. Without anima all is rational, cool and sterile. Green thinking is a way of giving living presence back to-our architecture, We may argue that the agenda is low-energy design but in reality architects like Bill Dunster, Ken Yeang and Norman Foster are seeking to confront the lost ianer world of architectural space How Many Planets Does the Human Race Need? At present levels of consumption, the human species requires about three Earths to sustain itsell, We are exceeding the carrying capacity of natural systems by a factor of three generally, ix in the West and one or one and a hall in Africa, The areas of resource stress are in fossil fuels, in agricultural tang, in the availability of an drinking water, in hardwood products, i lish and, mast importantly, in terms of the glabal climate, As we modify the Earth to meet human eed there is a lass of species, genetic diversity and virgin habitats. The planet is becoming an ‘enormous farm te support rapidly growing cities ological strain is evident everywhere and the human race readily accepts the global extinction of perhaps 4,000 species a year in arder to streamline the Earth into a preduction line to Lupport its own activities. In this we have godlike qualities as Genesis predicted. Mother planets were available the problem would not be so great. As itis, we are alone in the universe [a least in terms of nearby potential habitation) and cannot yet begin to exploit the resources elsewhere. Though Mars and Jupiter have enormous resources, th embodied energy invalved in extracting them is prohibitive, So we consun at a factor of exhaustion that approaches 3:1 and face the prospect af cettinction in a few hundred years. Unless, that is, we can manage our way out > crisis ~ manage in the addressing a broad spectrum of human activities including design, The two a fuels and climate instability - are both directly influenced by decisions. nade by architects, consume half ofall fossil-fuel energy uildings nd the totality of cities consume three-quarters. Our decisions as building de igners and city makers are crucial to the survival nat just af mankind, but of natura systems generally. I said that 81 per cent of global photosynthesis naw goes to supporting Hama sapren: dominant, aggressive and at the top of like'the dinasaurs we a food chain Mankind holds in its hands nat only its own dostiny but also that of nature's rich inheritance, Mankind has been given guardianship of a living system and architects need to realise that they shape all life through their designs, not only human habitats, «©eee CCImEne aa RC n ase conti aac! CeCe Concise rn Gent oi PERE eae enon aac toe we de CCE earch. ea) ek amet cake mai Senescence menace CeCe ci Seca Cn en icea each acne eR ec aee aera Reena ek cnc iemene neta) Pee Cen eee CHR n ecco accesny ome 3, rane mW ere eae The evidence that global warming exists is overwhelming. Science has established beyond doubt the correlation between burning fossit fuels and planetary warming. More recent evidence shows that other activities of mankind are accelerating the rise in global temperatures. “These include the destruction of rainforests {mainly to supply the world’s construction industry], waste and the associated release of methane gases, Global warming is an uncomfortable fact for politicians, designers, the construction industry and the human race. Itis also an uncomfortable realty for many other global species who see their habitats destroyed by forest clearing, sea-level rise and desertification, We not any place ourselves Under threat; the whale ecosystem is stressed by slobal warming But global warming is only part of the challenge. We are witnessing a major drift to cities by the human population. The year 2000 marked the first time in manking's history that the urban population exceeded the rural one, Of ‘ur global population of six billion, more people now ive in cites than inthe countryside, This not only entails an intensification of urban problems (pollution, space, crowding and resource stress] but also raises expectations of {an enhanced lifestyle. With this go the personal goals of air conditioning, car and energy- consuming gadgets of various kinds. As the hhuman species becomes more urban we consume more and pollute more. This, 5, Richard Rogers pointed out in his Reith lectures in 1996, shifts the emphasis from buildings to turban design, and from simple choices (such as energy) to complex anes (such as ecology). The environment is increasingly stressed by ‘mankind's success and population growth. It is anticipated that by 2050 the global human population wil be 10 billion. By then there may well be more humans than all the ather large mammals put together, The stresses imposed by such growth touch upon resources and waste, The big question for lobal ecologists today is whether human success as a species wil be constrained by resource scarcity or pollution. Will waste succeed in limiting growth in consumption more effectively than the inability to secure ever more resources? With two per cent global economic growth per year (the World Trade Organization's prediction] and a population of 10 billion, its easy to see that in 50 years the overall environmental impact of the human population will be 10 times what itis today fat compound interest), This impact will be felt primarily in cities and will stress the existing building stock as much as it will stress people. Today's buildings will need to accommodate the future scarcity of resources. Pollution and the intensified pressure on space that will result, from the mushrooming human population will focus Upon an ever smaller geographical area: the city. Over the past decade we have moved from a concern for global warming, with its associated international agreements (Rio, Kyotol, to a wider concern for the state of cities, the environment and ecological health. This shift is central to the notion of sustainable development. Sustainability is intellectually more interesting, professionally more challenging and in design terms more demanding than any other agenda. Ithas emerged as the new cutting edge in science, the basis for innovative new technologies and design approaches, the fresh paradigm for social equity and the lens through which we view human development. Sustainability is the concern of the best thinkers of our age - it can be traced as an underlying theme in the Harry Potter books, in Seamus Heaney's reinterpretation of Beowulf, in Peter Hall's rewriting of urban history. For many of the world's best architects [Piano, Yeang, Foster it is the challenge of our age - the first unifying basis for a new architecture since Le Corbusier's Towards a New Architecture was published in 1927. What is often ignored in architectural circles is the way sustainable development as a concept bridges two central agendas of building design: technology and social purpose What is often ignored in architectural circles is the way sustainable development as a concept bridges two central agendas of building design: technology and social purpose. Many recent movements in architecture have played to only one side of the equation. High Tech was high architecture with litle social justification, Community architecture ignored the power of technology to solve human problems. But sustainability brings the two camps together: it not only reinvigorates architecture, it gives fresh moral validity to the creation ‘of human settlements. And here lies the basis of a newflowering of architectural talent after the dark ages of much of the 20th century. The marriage of technology and social sustainability brings a need lo understand materials and their details, ‘on the one hand, and the agents of community wellbeing land hence urban design} on the other This refiguring af the architectural challenge touches base on questions of local building traditions, of fresh patterns of streets and buildings, whilst also seeking greater ecological ‘compatibility and social wellbeing. Many consequences flaw from the challenge of fashioning more sustainable cities and buildings. For example, what should the relationship be between town and country - are green belts really necessary when urban transport is linear rather than circular? What are the new balances required of ecolagical design - is energy going to dominate green architecture at the expense af other sustainable considerations? Since buildings are enormous resource-consumers (about 80 per cent of energy, water, materials and global agricultural land) should one not design buildings as ecosystems with inpuls and ‘outputs joined in recycling loops? Should architecture nat also address social cohesion, allowing our buildings to unify peoples rather than divide them? Is a new approach needed to urban design: are cities not merely big buildings Lnified by glazed galleries, gardens and rmultifunetianing towers? ILis time to take stock of where green architecture going. Early pioneers (Fuller, Brundtland, the Yales| emphasised the energy dimension in sustainability It remains a primary concern because of accelerating levels of global carbon emissions. But does low-enersy design an its own produce great architecture” There is little evidence to link high aesthetics to energy conservation ~ in fact, the contrary is often the case is only when the full picture of ecological design is addressed that a rich, complex and beautiful architecture emerges. Future Systems’ buildings and the recent work of Foster's office are landmarks to sustainable ~ not low energy - design. These and works of othe global warming but in reality they are producing to use Ken Yeang’s term! bioclimatic, ecologically responsive buildings. And in the process they are devetoping ned ‘exciting technolagies, some of which are borrowed fron ‘other industries, These buildings also closely address human needs, both physical and psychological. They ae structures that express social sustainability at the lev of human health, productivity and wellbeing. Foster's High Tech, breathing buildings are almost lungs in which people dwell. The search for a responsive environment is a8 much driven by the human appetite for spiritual uplift as itis by technological innovation Social, ecological and cultural sustainability willbe the measures for tomorrow's buildings. The human drift ta cities is accompanied by two further consequences far sustainable dasign. The hurnan race now spends 80 per cent ofits time indoors= practices may whistle to the tune oroot mounted AHUS with heat recovery during winter _ glazed roof heats air to a Me promote stack effect / yey direct & reflected light oe, into offices via street LJ 1/441 / raieweater collection to lake deep reveals & brise'solel ih ESCT 15m deep offices if broiée shading flow natural vetiation se seat and maximum daylighting DATS TAT primar De Bale high therm performance to perimeter walls & windows light shelves provide indtect daylighting | pce operable windows lake supplies chilled water and sprinklers lendscaping to modity adjacent air cooing in summer/warming in winter "chilled water (15-16 degrees C) from lake supplies chilled bears 60 years ina lifetime. The human habitat is Systems’ exploitation of biomimicry, to Foster's ‘essentially an interior. The environments we approach which is more based on ecological systems, to create affect usin terms af our physical and ‘Yeang’s adoption of termite-tower principles of natural. mental health. Sustainability isthe key to how an ventilation. However, asa design discipline nature isnot architecture of interior occupation can be without problems. It lacks a technological base and its fashioned to support healthy and productive life outputs are rarely socially benign Nevertheless, by styles, Recent resoarch suggests that green blending technology and ecology itis possible to buildings enhance warking performance and generate buildings and cities with reduced social harmony. A productive, positive and environmental impact by adopting the concept af healthy wark force is more important toa typical vertically spiralling life-cycle loops. The concept offers company than the mangy saved in the lower architects 9 new tool in their search for less damaging utlty bills of green design. When a company construction. such a5 Barclaycard spends 80 per cent ofits Nature not only recycles: it moves upwards towards total outgoings on labour costs and two per cent even greater complexity and beauty as the scale of on energy bills, it makes sense to provide healthy complexity increases. I seems to have an inbuilt motor responsive working spaces for stattrather than of diversity t shuns repeats, cloning and the mindless focus on the single issue of low-energy design. _search for perfect duplication which is mankind's, The same is true of green schools and green preference. In this, nature offers 2 model far new city hospitals, which enhance performance in many _forms and fresh building typologies. Somehow we have subtle ways {teachers are absent less often, ta bring the beauty, richness and social diversity of better exam results, patients heal faster. These coral reefs and rainfarests to bear upon human wider social benefits are beginning tobe brought creations. into clearer focus as the millennium unfolds. Learning from nature entails using ecology in They represent the fusion ofa sold technological quite distinet ways. One has to remember that base, social sustainability, productivty and social nature is not neutral ~ it has its own laws and cohesion based on healthy life siyles rather than methods of working. Darwin helped to discover the the usual welfare rights and employment. For ‘keys to the genesis of species and their architects 100, the recognition ofa sociat. interdependence within habitats. Others have dimension to sustainabilty allows buildings to __unravelled the genetic codes to lie itsell. We are address issues beyond that of low-energy design, masters af this knowledge, but too rarely bring the principles to bear on architectural design. Our cities Green: Nature as Guide are dying just like the coral reets ~ pollution, global Different designers have learnt to employ warming and tourism ultimately kill anything that is riature’s order in their own fashion, from Future delicate and beautifulHow, then, can nature be our guide? Five quite distinctive potentials can be postulated. 1. Learning from nature. This was lan MeHarg’s clarion call in his remarkable book of the same ame, published in 1970. Nature has patterns and orders of interdependence which can be used to design buildings. Ecological design is an attempt to put these systems into the Linear, functional equations normally employed. Life- eycle assesment allows buildings to take on the characteristics of natural systems. An analogy can be drawn between buildings Ispecies} and cities [habitats], Learning from nature encourages an appreciation of how these interact, in resource terms, with energy, water ‘and materials going in, and waste, pollution and contamination coming ut. In effect, we have an architectural ecosystem where the restraint is arguably more a sink limit than a resource one. ‘And it isthe sink limit that is destroying the world's coral reefs, not the scarcity of resaurce inputs. Here we have a warning from nature fom > > oes a seed a siftPeUEGR OEE ERENA per vege AGA iota 2. Using nature's models to inform. The structures employed in nature are well tested. The shapes, compesitions, configurations and materials used in nature are enduring and sustainable. Foster's famous gherkin-shaped office tower far London is an obvious ‘example of biomimicry. His debating hall for the Greater London Authority, which looks like a section of a lung anather. In bath cases nature's tried and tested models are adapted to pravide a responsive life enhancing architecture. Ragers' citing o the chameleon as an example of a potential architecture whase skin changes according ta weather and light is another. Others from Future Systems to Santiago Calatrava draw upon 2 repertoire of forms found in nature. One characteristic stands aut - the avoidance af the right angle, of mechanical repetitive linear thought,4, Using nature for ecological accounting. All environmental assessment systems have an ecolagical h, because of the building types and er conditions. They cast light on the health of the nabitat ~ whether building or city 5, Every species is a designer, Nature teaches us tha 3, Making nature explicit. Here architect fashion. Nearly all aptions are limited by genetic n brings natura in her inside or inheritance - ‘ular ant can only build a particular tside a building or d ction type of ant hill - but it remains true that in nature al materials employed, Nature is he parts contribute to the designed whole. The Bible actle, visual and aural pleasure. When laims that this is the hand of divine creation; Darwin, welcomed into bul it has a practical fon the other hand, pu tion purpose (to cleanse the air) and a spiritual one Either way, every livin ies to human ecology th) speculate that our buildings are joined to us a another species ~ a kind of living entity which 21's favoured by many architects fo ur life as a dynamic organism. Nature possibilities, Nature is nat unde tives buildings their anima and henee, in is revered a Jungian terms, they are transformed fram animate to living things, the imageryThe vernacular tradition is blended instinctively with aspects of social sustainability to forge a soft low-tech green architecturebaering Form nature Fielden Clegg Bradley ‘Thomas Herzog Lucien Krol, Nora Foster - Furure Systems ‘Santiago Calatrava Z Ken Yeang. g Z ‘Chatwood Associates Health and Sustainability Green buildings are frequently promoted for their healthy life styles. 4 low-energy design often entails forming environments which contribute via natural ventilation, daylight and the use of organic materials ta less sick-Building syndrome. The question of architectural health is, ‘complex one: is physical or psychological health the key, and are the fluctuations in temperature that occur with mare sustainable practices mare in step with the natural world than the stereotypical environment of air conditioning? Many peaple who live ar wark in green buildings claim a Teel good factor’. For others it is a forgiveness factor’ because of excessive summertime heat and midwinter cold In the natural world we adjust our environment Building Research Establishment Office, Wattord Slimbridge Vicitor Contre, Gloucestershire Gorman Pavillon, Hanover Expo colonia, Aatphen, Holland Siac Burg, London ‘Macia Covire, Lord Cricket Ground, Londen _ Sandics Airpor, Bibeo. Spin ‘Shanghai Armoury Tawer, Pudong, Sainsburys, Greenwich, Londonand expectations to suit changing external conditions - extra clothes, more shelter, more logs in winter. The effect of this adjustment is physical, and to same extent psychological. In adjusting we are making a positive response and fee! The problem with modern environmentally ealad buildings is that the accupants cannot make thase adjustments - the heater controls are fixed, the windows locked closed, Increasingly today, modification to living and odd working environments is n 0 deal not with rmperature difference but with mental sire Levels of stre ughout the day in the ding is often fixed and vary th ‘work place but the bui unforgiving, Buildings designed to sustainable principles, however, are more adaptive - you can ‘open windows, mave into poals of sunlight, touch plants in atria or window boxes, or simply sit in the cold to cool down. So as the stress levels of modern life rise you can adjust your own space ta suit your psychological and physical needs. Green buildings This argument could be employed at a gla! level, There 3 enviroriment that are caused by natural cycles, and a further layer caused by mankind activi re good for stress, different conditions of exter Green cities can absorb these fluctuations more effectively than highly engineered rigid structures can. The adaptive nature of sustainable design encourages the espansive world, Such responsiven of higher temperatures, rainfall and poll not be countered by the high-tech design, air predictions. The global desi stress, Uncertainty certainties of old ways conditioning, mechanist and engineering community needs to rethink it fechnolagical assumptions to find a better way of using the fruits of science. It will require architects to search deeper into their imaginations. Health is emerging as the f sustainability. For a long time Western society hi focused on energy but the relationship between thi ‘and health has led to some new understandings. Lack of affordable heat is a major c illness in many poor housing estate the ux. Excessive heat i Arica and the Pacific Rim. We mode environment largely to produce healthy conditions, ra ause of health-rala a killer in parts of Asia to consume or save energy. If the global warming equation was set out in terms of its effect on h rather than energy a different picture would emerg Carbon consumption could be set against benelits or harm to health which would allow a better understanding of the interactions with food production, water conservation, and energy use Health is already emerging as the primary concern agencies, especially those working in Alrica Faming, xcs and a recurrence of tuber asa major killer in the world mean that health ancworld, there is a energy is setting the agenda, Sustainable design needs not only to learn from nature but from health. Energy conservation is a subset of health; health is not a subset of eneray consumption Is it Oil or Water that Matters? The different regional perspectives on sustainability are welt illustrated by the different nature of ‘sink limits’ in different parts of the worid. In the industrialised West, air pollution is. becoming a major constraint on development. In London, Paris, New York and Las Angeles poor air-quality poses a serious risk to public health ~ the estimates that air pollution from traffic is the secand biggest killer in Europe, leading to 40,000 deaths a year Irom branchitis and heart disease, In Africa, an the other hand, water pollution is the killer, Unsafe drinking water kills more people than sm and, according to the wn only a third of the population has clean water to drink. So whereas in the West the strategy for sustainable development focuses on energy conservation [and hence less air pollution), in much of Africa and Asia it revolves around water supply issues. And herein lies ane of the ter help to defin sustainable practices in the sense that the challenge e the difference of the ecologica the arc tectures hanistic strengt of the East ‘ots to sustainable diversity: energy and the responding equation of glabal-warming gases is abstract, scientific and mechanistic in its measures; water is wedded to the land and rational but the spiritual world. Water is tactile, visible and in Africa and India itis directly related to health and agricultural productivity. The shamanic wortd i concerned with water not oil, and hence with the aesthetic and spiritual, No wander water is increasingly rot with the seen as tomorrow's oil Ill and water help to define the differences in sustainable practices in the architectures of the world, there is a sense that the challenge of ecolagical design can combine the mechanistic strength of the West and the spiritual depth of the East. Even if society does nol nd itself limited by resource constraints, sink limits Will drive design towards a more holistic agenda Holistic in the sense of combining the priorities of energy and water conservation, of adopting life-cycle assessment as a measure of robustness in the choice of all materials, and in the integration of the rational and spiritual dimensions. And herein lies one af the seeds of architecture's renaissance. By relieving building design ofits obsessive materiality, architecture can explore ypologies and orders which leara from the two great aditions of cultural thought: Christianity and Islam.Architectural Ecosystem INPUTS OUTPUTS *Energy Le = “Waste ‘water *Pollution “Materials *Poor health Resource — Limits Limits Global Ecosystem OURCE SINK LIMITS LIMITS *Energy “Air quality “Water “Water quality “Farming “Food production *Fishing *Biebal warming “Lend *Personal health “Biodiversity *Reduced biocomplexty eaeCent etaeed oy Materials by bulk) eters Srey Corte Cte ging Agenda of World Development Basis of World Development up to 1987 Basis of World Development after 1987 Cron corm Cn] eae Cone od Cae ad Per oer SustainableLord Foster of Thames What is your, or your practice's, definition of sustainable design? Sustainabl the least means, ‘Less is more’ i design means doing the most with in ecological ns, exacily the same as the proverbial injunction, ‘Waste not, want not is about ideally using passive architectural means to save energy - rather than relying on wasteful mechanical services, which use up dwindling supplies of nonrenewable fuel and produce pollution tha to global warming. But in the final analysis, sustainability is about good architecture. The better the quality fof the architecture - and that includes the quality of thinking and ideas as much as the quality of the materials used - the longer the building will have a role, and in sustainability terms, longevity is a good thing. Obviously, if a building can be long-lasting and energy efficient, that is even better. What are your key concerns as a designer interested in sustainability? Sustainable architecture is not simply about dividual buildings, but also our ever-expanding Cities and their infrastructures, Unchecked urban sprawl is one of the chief problems facing the world today. As our cities grow harizontally rather than vertically, swallowing up more and nore land, people are forced to travel greater distances between home and wark. Mixed-use developments within density, creating lively local communities that live, work and play in the same area. The Millennium Tower that we proposed in Tokyo takes 2 traditional horizontal city quarter ~ ties can help to increase housing, shops, restaurants, cinemas, museums, sporting facilities, green spaces and public transport networks ~ and turns it on its side to create 2 supertal building wi multiplicity of uses. ft would be over 800 metres igh with 170 storeys - twice the height of anything so far built ~ and would house a community of up to 60,000 peaple. This is 20,000 more than the population of Monaco, already one of the densest cities in the world, Yet the building would occupy only 0.013 square kilometres of land compared to Monaco’s 1.95 square kilometres. It would be a virtually self Bank sufficient, fully self-sustaining community in the sky. Almost all the traffic wuld be internal. This sounds like futur fantasy, But we have, now, all the mean at our disposal to create such buildings How would you judge the success of a building inthe ‘green’ age? ‘A green’ building will use as liltle energy as possible and will make the most of the embodied energy required to build it. Ideally, a building its on energy by burning renewable fue vegetable oil and harvesting solar energy. It possible it should create more energy than it uses so that it ‘can provide energy to other buildings. The building a structure that allows for flexibility so that itil havea tong ile. We have already proved these concepts in the Reichstag ~ the ne parliament in Berlin. In what way do you use nature as a guide? We look to vernacular traditions that are specificto the area in which we are working. Very aften there ae rich architectural traditions that work with, and no against, nature which have been forgatten over tine. In two projects in the Mediterranean we are using pergolas - large cable trellises covered with plants to provide natural stiading and integrate the bulding visually within the landscape. In the American Air Museurn at Duxford in Cambridgeshire and the Glass House at the National Botanic Garden of Wales near Cardiff, we partially buried the structures in the grou again fo integrate them within the landscape, but alsa to make passive use of the thermal mass ofthe soit help save energy Our Chesa Futura in St Mor timber construction, which makes environmental st for a number of reasons. itis culturally sympathoti reflecting local architectural traditions, and it contributes to the established ecology of felling older trees to facilitate forest regeneration, Furthermore, wood is an entirely renewable resource; it absorbs carbon dioxide during its growth cycle; and it indigent timber is used, little or no energy is expended in its transportation, Finally, in traditional towne and villages in ‘Switzerland buildings are clustered tight rather than sprawling aver the landscape, Chesa Futura is a reminder of the importan ‘more intensely in existing urban concentrations to preserve the natural world. should haJan Kaplicky of Future Systems What is your, or your practice's, definition of sustainable design? ‘The major aspects of sustainable design are choice of materials and the performance of a building once itis built. Buildings have to be self-sufficient in energy ~ 80 per cent or more. It is even now possible to be selling energy back into the electricity grid overnight. Long-term performance, however, is very difficult to quanlify, There is as yet no reat unit of measurement. Energy also has to be considered inthe canstruction of # building: how much will be consumed during canstructian and before that in the praduetion af the materials. This also ‘means that the quantity and weight of materials have ta be given serious consideration for the first time. The fewer materials e building uses the greener itis ~ less resources and energy are used to produce it What are your key concerns as a designer interested in sustainability? Materials, as| have suggested, are absolutely top, priority. The impact sustainability is going to have ‘an design, howaver, is going ta be much more revolutionary. At the moment, people are trying to protend that the need to produce sustainable architecture is going to have no effect on the form of buildings. It is like when the car was first invented and it imitated the form of the horse tirown carriage. It took a certain amount of time forit o take on its own form. Rather than just being kosher, green architecture needs to find its own form. Airflow and cross ventilation wil, for instance, have an Important impact on the form of buildings. How would you judge the success of a building in the ‘green’ age? {As yet there have been no truly green buildings built, The buildings that are currently being constructed arent even prototypes for a green’ age. They are only minor attempts at sustainability, The law as it stands doesnt tive significant changes, especially in the us and ik ‘There is very little room for green architecture in architecture schaols, An American lecturer at a well: known us school recently referred to it merely as fashion, Itis evident that completely new thinking is. required. The matarcar didn’t happen until the engine existed, Intelligent buildings don’t as yet exis. In what way do you use ‘nature’ as a guide. Nature can be used as a model at many different (ovls For instance, termites’ nests have two skins with natural ventilation. In between nature's structures ao have a lightness not presently found in man-made constructions, They are far lighter in weight than those made by man and comparably far greater in strength The thread in a spider's web, for instance, is twice as strong as steal, There is so much to learn from a mote efficient use of materials. In general, arganic forms rt far more efficient than man’s. ©Lord Rogers of Riverside What is your, or your practice's, definition of sustainable design? Sustainable design aims to meet present needs without compromising the steck of natural resources remaining for future generations. How would you judge the success of a building in the ‘green’age? The practice has an ongeing commitment to the development of ‘intelligent’ buildings that can contribute to a substantial reduction in the running and It must include a concern for the principles of social and economic sustainability as well as the specific concerns of the energy use and environmental impact of buildings and cites. The key issues are: low energy; loose fit resource efficiency What are your key concerns as a designer interested in sustainability? Buildings are responsible for 50 per cent of the warta's generation of CO. Richard Rogers Partnership has a tong- standing concern with environmental performance, reflecting the personal interests of the directors. The practice sees issues af energy use and environmental impact as a critical part of the building and urban design process, True sustainability, in terms af building design, is dependent on maximum ‘energy efficiency coupled with the use of replenishable materials, Specialist analysis and research inform design and encourage Innovation in environmental systems and technologies. anv has pioneered the development of ‘intelligent’ buildings that can contribute substantially [up to 75 per cent) to reducing the running and maintenance costs during the lite cyele of a building, Our aim is that the new building for the National Assembly for Wales in Cardiff will have zero C0 emission, for example. The practice also has evolved an approach (ya ester Shins, to civil, accessible and ecological urban design a The masterplans for Shanghai and for Parce atv gt in Mallorca are key examples that demonstrate a strong ecological framework. Sustainable planning isa key feature of the practice's work, in particular the Greenwich Peninsula, where the practice produced a masterplan and redevelopment strategy for English Partnerships, including one of a handful of Millennium’ villages that will encourage ‘good sustainable design in the 21st century, maintenance costs during the life cycle of a building Greater sustainability is achievable through ‘Intelligent design ~ harnessing the benefits and efficiencies of integrated passive environmental design through orientation, building form and ‘organisation, ‘The use of an intelligent building fabric ~ responsi facades can maximise natural daylight, optimise natural ventilation, control solar gain and loss, +The appropriate use of materials ~ concern for the hidden’ environmental costs of building materials. fembodied energy and life-cycle issues}, the benefits of transferring technology from other industries and the use af advanced, clean meanssl production ‘Intellectual capital - the analysis of the behaviour of buildings, application of ero madelting and, especially, close collaboration with specialist consultants leads to the intelligent use of thermal mass, buffer zones, thermal flywheels, efficient airflows, etc. In what way do you use nature as a guide? Nature provides inspiration, information and anal ons om+ wv ap i . Laetoli alte Lalas (] 3 oe outh Africa, Chrisna du Plessis of the Programme AeoleTOl lear lel MU ease Lica ost =(eleh gee dnle) (2 [Ul-r 52g (at late Eola challenge the accepteti Western view that the key to sustainability lies in the ENC Me rece. i) csi pCa aaa notio stainable development, based-on a'value system eared AT Tuy Prue M t stole Teale Metal Lat ale wn Cec rooted. in A Pala MacToliatelal- Meio la toa]is not what buildings are but what they do and how they do it that is the major concern of sustainable development. True sustainability changes everything - the space plan, sect details of construction. If an ec does not change social space and city form, it ited 10 be logical approach come mainstream. However ustainability also requires a change in the level of social values, and while Western-style science and technology can help us to mimic natural jewhere for will have ystems we have to turn appropriate s Finding New Models of Living As stated earlier, sustainable development as promoted internationally Even the arguments used are based on a Western value systern founded on individual wealth and regarded as ‘developed’ Ive Look at the Ux Strategy for Sustainadl ‘a Western concept soll sustainability Construction it is based on what is necessary to allow continued ecanamic growth and further improve the bottom line. This view has resulted in arguments for sustainable development and construction which are found! rather than ethical values. The resource efficiency approach is driven by improved profits ‘achieved through improved performance and ble construction is snd developers will only cost savings, Sustain something investor uy into’ if there is a big enough market for it Occupiers will only ask for sustainable buildings if they save money. No ethics, and a sense of responsibility for the here in this argument do communal good, feature The interesting thing's theoretical debates structuring the principles of sustainable development [Agenda 21, the Habitat ‘Agenda, the Earth Charter), are propounding an ethical argument that has mare in camman with the world-view of the developing wortd than with that of the developed world. This argument requires @ systemic world-view at the international that sees the planet and the world as one organism, a system that encapsulates countless ystems which together form a part that is, greater than the whole. Its very basis is a of the interconnectedness of everything in the dimensions of both space and time, It recognises and reveres the seen and the unseen, the material and the immaterial, and the relationships that exist between the different elements that make up what we know a ‘world’ Ithe ecosystem as well ashi systems}, Survival of the entire system depends on the harmony that is achieved in and through these relationships. ‘Although this systemic world-view has largely been < by the mechanistic world-view as a result of plac successive waves of o of the traditional cultures of the davoloping world In these cultures, what the West terms ‘sustainable development’ is a way of life that is both practical and 1 deep spiritual and sacial obligation. Although this way of life i itis still alot closer to the ideals of sustainable development than the life style followed by most iin the developed world. It is no surprise that the system dominant where people still live close to the earth. In these societies, men and women understand things they consume came fram, and are acutely aware applied with various degrees of success of the amount of energy required to transtorm rave materials into food, shelter and clothing. There is also a direct and visible correlation between the natural resources available and how much af these can be consumed. An intimate acquaintance with the cycles of nature further ensures th ‘agile survival is, and the extent to which it depends peaple are aware of how upon them having a harmanious relationship with the community and with nature, Therefare, two key concepts shape these societies: interconnectednes Intereonnectedness The African concept af Ubuntu encapsulates the principle of interconnectednes system of ethics. Ubuntu is the understanding that 3 and turns it into a person is a person because af ather people, and that haw we conduct our relationships with others is of extreme importance. However, the term ‘people’ can bbe seen to include past and future generations, 25 well ‘a5 the people of the animal, plant and spirit worlds. What we do, dream and think can have profound and Unexpected repercussions on the entire network of lile and energy. For instance, an unguarded though action can, several months later, result in the death by lightning of someone 60 kilometres away. For this reason, great care is taken to acknowledge the interconnectedness of everything and to maintain harmony between people, and also between the human world and the worlds of animals, plants, ancestors and nature spirits like the ones found in rocks and watercourses, In the built environment interconnectedne thieving physical expressed in two ways. The first is bleads to a reverence and respect forall of nat that is expressed in the way buildings are placed and resources used The other aspect of interconnectednes the paramount importance of mmnunity and the comm al good, and the harmany achieved within the community. In Africa, traditional kinship ins see the larger family group, and even to the proceeds of individual effort. How this affects the built environment ¢a ties. The World Bank estimates that in largest cities in Africa the average population density is 193 people per hectare, with mast people living in informal settlements. Kinship o harmony with the cosmic ord ar amily members living in the city to extend shelter the practice of feng shui strives to achieve and hospitality to any kinsman who comes ther i harmony and balance between the different resulting in severe overcrowding and health problem: ements that make up the world and mainta In such a cultural context, wealth ies in a beneficial flow of energy, Where one elem: relationships and not in property. Once th is dominant, energy cannot flow properly and of shelter have been taken care of, people will rath becomes stagnant. This results in disease, invest in improving the education af the next generation iscord in family relationships and money of children who, through kinship tes, dt problarar lle fion,ct movers schvillythe took after them in their old age. Alternatively, they wil eof energy Feng shui concerns itsel! with the invest money by providing Loans or financial assistance placement and design of a building in to other members ofthe community, thus expanding accordance with the natural environment and their wealth base of social obligations and fav ealth and temperament ofthe inhabitants The strong focus on communal life also impact es. is also taken not to block the flow of the om the shape of urban space and on architectu c= s electromagnetic energy lines with te socal st f an extended fariyis exp ¥ tructu metal r other man: layout of the homestead, Traditional African made interferences. The principles found in homesteads consist of several separate rooms or hut 0 be found in the approach te which are mainly u general busin ving takes bringing the greater system of nature and the spaces between the buildings a systems of the human body into harmony, planned as carefully as, it The huts are grouped according nding of the inhabitants. Within a larger settlement, wot with more care than, Wes 1 sustainable the social standing of the head of a household is cxpreased by where his homestead is postioned in welopme S t relationship he homestead of the chief * Seal and ad in (ria, halides ar ofer lilt occornrdat en Cavenic several feniles, with communal washing and coking | and social obligation acilties placed around a central courtyard. Here again, but the business of living happens in the communal The Indio todo of Sthapatya Ved fslased space, Ths model has been elapled with great suec onthe ancient Vedic philosophy tut, just as several Delhi government ell, everything in the universe is connected Impermanence with everything else. Great care is taken to In agricuttur armonise buildings with nature and their acceptance of the lives must .ecupants through orientation, ventilation and die when itis time is littl the use of locally available, natural materials. point in fighting it. The notion of impermanence This sense of interconnectedness is very central to Buddhist, Hindu and Taoist philosophy, an al understanding of life which change in whatever form is accepted with equanimae eer ‘Bove sie ose und eabeen pence bye az This acceptance of impermanence applies to the built environment as well. Conservationists have had great cifficulty setting up programmes to conserve the architectural heritage of Eastern countries, as their traditions hold that even buildings should be atlowed to die. Its the idea ‘of the temple, and the place on which it is built, thal is sacred and should be preserved, The temple building is just a vehicle for the sacred and therefore this ‘body’ should be allowed to die and the temple reincarnated into a new ‘body’ in accordance with the cycle of life and death, In the mainly pastaral traditional societies of sub-Saharan Africa, buildings are not necessarily meant to outlast their owners, and no large public ones are transferred fram generation to generation. Traditionally, buildings are built according to deep ecological standards of sustainability. Using renewable, biodegradable materials available on site, they leave only the footprints of their foundations when their time has come. Simple and confined to the bare necessities of shelter, these buildings also ‘embody the idea of sufficiency. In contrast to Western norms, wealth and the desire for immortality are not expressed through the built environment. Lessons far the West ‘The concepts of impermanence and inter connectedness bring certain principles tothe debate about sustainable development and construction, principles from which the West can learn The first is sufficiency, mentioned above. This means building only what is necessary and not using more than is necessary. It is more than resource efficiency, which requires making the mast efficient use of resources that will be used in any case. Sufficiency means architects are becoming canscious of the resaurce implications of every millimetre drawn on plan, and striving to reduce those millimetres to the bare minimum required. According to this principle, 2 400: ‘square-metre house for four people can have all the resource-eficient gadgets known to mankind, but i would still not be sustainable because its owners are using more resources than they need. The second is the principle of responsible ‘stewardship. The idea that land {actually all of naturel cannot be owned by an individual is common amongst the traditional cultures of developing countries, fram. India through Africa to the cultures of Native Americans ‘But how can you buy or sell the sky? The Land? The ides is strange to us. If we do nol own the freshness of the ar and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them?” Chiat Seattle asked us president Franklin Pierce in 1854 This explains why so many cultures ‘traded’ land with colonial forces - they simply did not understand the concept of landownership. In its place is the idea of responsible stewardship. An individual or group can make use of land, or a watercourse, as long as itis done ina responsible manner. Various social structures and laws regulate this, In southern Alrica, security of tenure \s achieved through right of use which is granted by the chief and his council of elders as the custodians of the land; but it fsa right that is conditional on the responsible management of that land. In Burkina Faso in| West Africa certain families or tribal groupings have the sacred duty to manage and take care of specific ‘watercourses. In ancient Egypt, the gravest sin was to dam the waters of the Nile and thus take control of a resource that belonged to all,In the West, where buildings are seen as investments that should be transferable to future generations, and therefore durable, landownership is essential to provide security for that investment, However, if we look at the modern commercial property industry where buildings are designed for a 20-year life span, this system may not be the best option. Currently designers are batiting to provide the Hlexibility that would allow far a longer life span. Instead, why not build fully dismountable buildings and give property develapers a 20-year lease on a prime site, with renewal of the lease dependent on their responsible stewardship of the environment? ‘The third is the principle of social responsibility. In societies where the interest of the community, and not the individual, is paramount, decisions are taken to benefit the community. In architecture this means more than public consultation and participation. It means using resources to construct buildings that serve the needs of the community and not the short-term profit-taking of a developer. It means using the ‘opportunity provided by the construction of a new building to empower members of the community. This can be done by using local suppliers and labour, but also by providing on-the-job training {A good example of social responsibility in action is the initiative of mus Architects in South Africa, Realising that their corporate clients were on the lookaut for innovative and creative ideas for furniture, they trained welders who were making security gates to create High Tech furniture which their clients are now raving about and then set them up to run their own company. The stonemasen at Westcliffe Estate in Johannesburg was similarly empowered. The architects not only taught bbim to build in stone, they alsa taught him the basics of running his own business. By the end af the project a former pieceworker had the skills and contacts necessary to manage his own business and employ ‘other people in the community. The last, and probably mast difficult, principle isto remember and acknowledge the spirituality inherent in, and encouraged by, the built environment. David ‘Stea wrote; ‘The West separates the mundane from the religious spatially and expects this to hold true ‘everywhere. It is not always recognised that there is an ‘element af the sacred in much mundane architecture, Prabably the simplest example of this is the Indian woman who crawls out of her palrn-leaf shelter each ‘morning and draws a beautiful Rangoli pattern with coloured powder in the dust on her threshold, ina ritualoe PRR Rf KT > IT Pe Sn ie ry COOOCOO NS SF BERN IM 7 WRK eee aethat connects her househald te the patterns of life and the universe, In Africa, tao, women redecorate their huts according to the phases of the moon, the seasons ar to mark major life events, connecting the household intimately to the cycles of nature and human tte, That is what spirituality in architecture means - connecting the user of a building to the rhythms of nature and the greater cosmos through the use of light and material, and the definition and use of space. Driental philosophy holds that man, the building he lives in and the city within which that building stands are all models of the cosmos. and that disharmony at any of these levels ‘causes disharmony at all levels. Global warming Is showing us how intimately the decisions and actions of a person within the built environment, and the performance and properties of that built environment, can influence the global environment. And global warming is just one of ‘many examples of how our decisions, and the values upon which they are based, can cause disharmony at a global level and eventually affect our individual survival. In terms af mankind's survival, it therefore becames imperative that we bring our development activities into harmony with the workings of nature and the universe, and begin to accept responsibilty for this. Harmony between mankind, the built environment and the Universe can be created through reverence, acknowledging the interdependence of humans and nature on many levels, and respecting the community and its rituals. Transcending the Grey Present for 2 Global Green Future The Earth Charter states it quite clearly: ‘The choice is eurs: form a global partnership to care for Earth and one another or risk the destruction of ourselves and the diversity of lite™! Ta achieve this partnership, fundamental changes are needed in our values, institutions and ways of living, We have the technology to reduce our impact on the environment, but technalogy is not ‘onough. We also need a value system thal sees appropriate technolagies implemented proactively as a matter of principle, and not as a reaction to a problem that suddenly threatens the bottom line of a company or because new legistation aimed at improving human health demands them. A the same time, the value systam must play watchdog over technology and the horrors it can unleash under the cover of solving a particular world problem. Nuclear scientists honestly to the rhythms nature and the nate c through tt hight and mater believe they are doing good by providing a ‘clean’ sauree of energy, biogenoticists are working towards alleviating world hunger and poverty, When looked at in isolation, both these technologies are wonderful. However, their impact on the system can have, and has already had, horrific consequences. In both cases there are other less dangerous and simpler answers, Answers that are rejected because they are not high tech enough, or complicated enough, to satisfy the Wests fixation on technotagical growth and development. So building a house with earth blocks is not good enough. We have to first develop a machine that compresses the earth and add some (environmentally dubious] additives to the ‘mixture in order to bring it up to our standards of technological development, If we are serious about sustainable construction, this is crazy. Not anky is it unnecessary but it increases the costs of building for the millions who already cannat afford housing, white ‘manufacturing and transporting the machines and additives places an unnecessary strain on the environment. The next step towards more sustainable construction \would be to temper this absession with the technological fixes of the “unsustainably developed \warld with principles from the ‘sustainably developing world, Often, all that needs to change is the way we interact with our environment. Accept that atl things, must die, no matter how hard we try to fight this. Acknowledge your individual responsibility to take care of the camnmunity of life through yaur actions as your wellbeing is interdependent with the watlbeing of the world. And finally, respect and revere the precious miracle of the web of tie, and express itn your architecture for all to experience, &eae ee Flees (clea et ‘interconnectednes lle mar via rear) nee be integral. It is a social sustainabili architecture, whet Cee tata UrThe South African view of sustainable architecture encompasses far more than the mechanics of energy efficiency and improved performance and durability, Apart from a common-sense approach to resource efficiency, ithas a strong desire to encourage social harmony, as well as an emotional connection to tooth the land and its cultures, Rooted in an ecosystemic world-view that is the heritage of a pastoral and agriculturalist life style, sustainable architecture in South Africa tries to express a heartfelt, almost spiritual respanse to the African cantext and the need to belong in and care for a beloved country. AL the same time, itis driven by the pragmatism and rational, scientific approach of the mechanistic world-view. This results in an interesting spread of work ranging from the intellectual European siyle ‘green chitecture that strives to improve the performance af conventional construction practices, toa reinterpretation of traditional architectural forms and values that aims to create a ‘house for the saul. The case studies discussed illustrate how the approaches differ from one end of the sustainability spectrum to the other, while all trying to create an architecture that is more than the “green materialism’ of ecologically approved buildings that are still hurtful to the spirit. An architecture that is true to the roats of South Africa, ‘The Historical Context — Living with the Land South African ‘green’ architecture is founded an the principles of interconnectedness and interdependence. These principles form the basis of the African philosophy of Ubuntu. They are also found in the work af early Afrikaner thinkers and are encapsulated in the philosophy of holism promoted by General Jan Smuts, erstwhile prime minister of South Africa and one of the founding fathers of the modern United Nations. Both the indigenous people and those European settlers wha made South Africa their heartland followed an approach to the creation ff buildings that is based on the understanding that man and nature, and individual and community, are interdependent. Their architecture was simultaneously a pragmatic response to the exigencies of a survivalist life style, and a deeply spiritual response to a sense bf connection with the land, with nature and its cycles, and with the community. Historically, both the indigenous and the settler homesteads were characterised by climate-conscious design, the efficient use af local materials and the use of agglomerations of small individual buildings and delineated outdoor spaces ta house the various functions of a household. This allowed for flexibility and sgrowth in the design. The building and its environment were not seen as separate entities, but as integrated, though different, aspects of a holistic life style. Ina sense, this early architecture of grass or mud huts and ‘hartebeeshuisies’ can be seen as the ultimate in green architecture. Made from local, renewable resources and using communal labour, the buildings were also completely biodegradable, leaving just stone foundations that could be reused or recycled. A conspicuous characteristic of these homesteads was their self-sufficiency and the fact that every resource was used to its fullest potential {At the beginning of the 20th century two main formal architectural traditions could be found in South Africa The one was a direct import from Europe, with scant attention paid to the context: the Neaclassicism of Herbert Baker and the carrugated-iron and cast-iron kit hauses' imported to house the officials of the British Empire. The other was an attempt by Afrikaner architects to find a regional architecture that married the European traditions they were taught with the traditions, climate and materials of a continent with which they had built emotional links. While not consciously green’, this architectural movernent fulfils many af the requirements of green architecture, while attempting to find an aesthetic that is culturally and contextually appropriate. Early architects such as Gerhard Moerdyk, and artists JH Pierneet and the Preller brathers, supported an organic and emotive respanse to the context which drew its inspiration from both indigenous and settler traditions. Their attempts at combining indigenous spatial layouts and decorative traditions with European construction methods and building forms cantinues to influence architects and inspired a host of ‘African game ledges. A different approach was followed by the next generation of architects, inspired by the spirit that drove Frank Lloyd Wright, architects such as Norman’ Eaton, Karel Jooste and later Barrie Biermann adapted the clean lines and economy of Modernism to local materials, techniques, skills levels and climate, to develop what was to become known as Pretoria Regionalism, Fisher describes Pretoria Regionalism as ‘reflecting a particular response to nature and the Landscape through the ecanomical use of naturally available and industrially produced materials with an empirical response to climate, by screens, verandas, pergolas and deep-set windows and eaves, The materials used were stock bricks, gum poles, stone and rough-cast exposed concrete, with thatched or corrugated-iran roofs, Set in lush indigenous gardens, these buildings were designed to leis an architecture characterisedbe a part af nature, often blurring the boundaries botwoen inside and outside. The palitical climate of the 1980s and 1990s saw a greater emphasis being placed on addressing the social inequities engendered by apartheid, and restoring the social fabric of the country. The work of community architects like Ettienne Bruwer, Heinrich Kammeyer, Peter Rich and Carin Smuts primarily tried to achieve harmony within the community, The ‘green features they introduced were a pragmatic, comman-sense solution to improving levels of comfort. Furthermore, the paverty of their Clients prompted an architecture of sufficiency — not using more materials than is absolutely necessary and designing flexible, multipurpose spaces with rabust detailing adapted to local skills levels, This was combined with the use ‘of local labour, often trained during the construction process, and a design process that involved the community and resulted in ‘appropriate solutions to their reat needs, The emotional response to the land and its people was replaced by a rational approach to the issues of resource efficiency, which uses passive solar design and high-tech solutions to reduce energy use and manage waste and water Come 199% and South Africa's return to the international fold, this rich history of sustainable architecture was sidelined as politically incorrect (linked to the Afrikaner regimel and too technologically hackward for a country that aims to be the Atrican superpower. The emotional response to the land and its people was replaced by a rational approach to the issues of resource efficiency, which uses passive solar design and high-tech solutions to reduce energy use and manage waste and water, while continuing to use conventional construction methads and materials such as steel and concrete. This approach was mainly imported by the rmultinational construction and design companies who were entering South Africa and is basot fon the green architecture movement of the industrialised world. Despite practices such as Holm, Jordaan, Holm pioneering the rational approach as early as 1985 with the headquarters af the Building Industry Federation ff South Africa, it was stow to take of. Itis only in the ppact three years that pressure from international clients, and initiatives such as the Green Buildings for Africa prageamme driven by the est, that we have begun to see results in the form of actual buildings. What adds a South African flavour to the approach is the incorporation of social sustainability into the Construction process. As empowerment and job Creation are twa cornerstane requirements of government procurement policies, companies are forced to make social sustainabiliy part of their business. This can take the form of joint ventures with previously disadvantaged campanies, the training of local labourers in new skills that enable them to set Up their own businesses, or the use of Labaur-intensie ‘construction methods and locally manufactured materials, This rational and pragmatic approach is followed ret, ‘only by corporate clients but also by those working towards improvements in housing. As early a5 195), the National Building Research Institute was undertaking research on passive solar design in low-cost housing. This work was largely forgotten in the political turmal of the 19705 and 1980's and only resurlaced when the Integrated Departmental Task Team on Environmentaly Sound Low-cost Housing was fermed to develop a set ‘of guidelines for developers to follow. noa-driven plat projects such as Kutlwanang, a community-driven housing project near Kimberley, and the AlL Arica Games Village in Johannesburg illustrate the benefis ‘of passive solar design principles, but the mainstream uptake has been minimal, This is mainly because the housing subsidy is not large enough ta pay for simple ‘energy-ellicient features ‘Another major abstacte towards more sustainable mass housing is the rejection of alternative technatagies despite major cost savings to the home tawner. For example, while community centres built of earth such as the Alliance Frangaise Centre [Mitchells Plain, Cape Town) are readily accepted, home owners are reluctant to accept earth construction as a viable alternative to the more conventional cement-block construction used in low-cost housing. There is also a low level of awareness of the benefits of energy- and water-efficiency measures and, as has happened in the AllAfrica Games Village, residents remove many of these features ta install more conventional fsturesThe Case Studies ‘Three small practices have been selected and their approaches range from the High Tech commercial to hands-in-the-mud community architecture, Tagether they epitomise the combination of head, heart and soul found in South African sustainable architecture An African House for the 21st Century ~ mas Architects vas Architects is a small architectural and urban design practice that serves mainly corporate clients, The vision of the practice is to achieve ‘synergy between technology and nature while providing desirable, healthy spaces. This is backed by a strong empowerment facus in their procurement and emplayee-devolopment policies, In 1998 the practice was approached by the ‘owner of Westcliffe Estate in Johannesburg with the brief ta design a 21st-century African house The design team and the client concluded that the architecture of this century would bbe epitomised by the coming together of information technology and environmental responsibility in buildings designed for people within their local context, To achieve this synergy, the emphasis in the design of this family house was placed an resource management. The north orientation of the building, with large shading devices and dark ‘wood shutters, reduces heating and coating requirements, The stone wall that backs the house acts as a heal battery and also stimulates the convection currents that draw in coal air over the swimming pool, thus cooling the entire house. Natural gas meets all the heating requirements with excess heat used to warm the swimming pool. To manage energy use efficienily all tights, appliances, heating and security features are controlled from centrally located touch screens linked to a central computerised system, In addition to energy conservation, rainwater is Captured in enormous tanks in the basement and is ‘used to irrigate the garden and flush the toilets, Excess water is led through agricultural drains, lessening the need for an elaborate storm-water installation ‘and replenishing the ground-water system, Stone from the site is used for cladding and to fil the sgabian baskets covering the front facade, and material reclaimed from other site excavations was used to build the retaining walls. Most of the wood in the house is, reclaimed fram decommissioned African mines. The interior was designed to be very flexible, with most of the partitioning reconfigurable. As the family owns an extensive art collection which is currently housed all over the world, the house was also designed to eventually become a venue for a permanent exhibition of the collection, thus extending its usable lite span, The house is also constructed according to so 14000 principles of environmental management. The trickier question was what would make the house African. As itis built for an extended family, it was seen as a village with the different functions ‘accommodated in separate wings linked by communal spaces. In traditional villages, the tree and the river are the key places of social interaction, and therefore the central meeting space was envisioned as being under the village thorn tree, with the river flowing in front.Situated on of ane of al Johannesburg's hills, the mile: the client did not want to ha ethepislopas le from away, ai a the existing visual pollution. The 1g0 was therefore design entually into the natural features of the hil ad concrete structure is clad in stone from the site so that it resembles a continuation of the cliff face, with ‘a cave in the mountainside cantilevered r¢ and the other roofs are he ‘tree room’ itself reading as The central d in oxidised copper lanted with in genous vegetation. The entire site is rehabilitated and planted with indigenous vegetation to restore the degradation caused by the building process, Westelitfe Estate is green’ architecture. It uses conventional ¢ goad example of commercial oncrete and steal construction, b lity through the energy and ystems, recycled stone from the site indigenous landscaping, natural ventilation and passive thermal design, Excavating Forgotten Knowledge — Archeo-Architects Latter of Archeo-Archite doscribes the practice's work as a Director Franco! ‘excavating the lost common-sense knowledge o' both physical and spiritually sustainable living while developing a regional aesthetic that is based on the traditional shapes and materials o indigenous architecture House Mosedi in Johannesburg was built for ac tohis African s ts while living lightly on the Land. Th ss of designing and building was unexpected emotional and turned into a spiritual journey for both architect and client, during which they had to 1 nany of their preconceptions about both interp relationships and the relationship between m ure and man and the cosmos. Many of the ecol friendly 5 ssigned for the hou 1d by the city council and, in the end, the ‘green pat tems that were reject of the buildin was limited to the materials used. gum poles and rock fram the site were used together wih truction materials rescued The id Mosed! owner's house of the Thaba Ya Batswana guesthou -omplex in the Magalies mo 15 developed during the design of Hi ntains west c to the Shona tuins found on site and the grand vistas of the Built on a ston the prin giver of the homestead is a combination ol circular and Johannesburg is an emotive respor ;ctangular shapes used by the Shona peoy indows are deep-set or covered by l jouse is run on solar pov ;ckup gene jor for the few days a year when and black wiater ar n site, while large ‘enough. Grey wate filtered and recycled water storage tanks are built out of local stone No formal garden will be planted and the indi vegetation di s rehabill Togethe) turbed by construction the two houses illustrate the difficulpractice, as accepted by and clients, with a more environmentally friendly and romantic approach to architecture Building with Soul - Greenhaus Architects yer the years Ettienne Bruwer has acquired a reputation as an architect who builds with soul He describes his work as an attempt to reconcile the formative principles of metamorphosis and sacred geometries wit ' buoyant, dynamic way. Working with natural ‘materials such as cob and strawbale, and following an aesthe' ted by anthroposophical principles, his buildings are ‘organic yet practical, sensuous yet functional, Werking in community architecture Ettienne’s playful workshops encourage ies to work together. In that way, the process af building also helps to restore balance and harmony within them, A good example of his community-orientated, hands-on yet spiritual, approach is the Uluntu Centre in Guguletu, Cape Town. In 1990 the Urban Foundation approached the architects (Bruwer and Johnson) because they were anxious to combat the vandalism and resentment that the community was targeting at the ‘industrial sheds that had previously been built. Meetings with local people went on for nine months before the community decided what their space requirement priorities were, The designs were then developed with the adults through clay workshops. This resulted in a building that the ‘green’ agenda in dir consists of ‘indoor’ spaces set in a matrix of conversational ‘outdoor’ spaces formed by the undercover circulation spaces. Low budgets called for innovation ~ carved woaden salad bowls became light fittings and the architect himself stained the glass. This idea of the building as a narrative of indoor and outdoor spaces, enabling conversations between humans and nature, continues in the practice's residential architecture. A house in Johannesburg is described as negotiating archetypal experiences ~ ‘in ‘along the cliff’, ‘down the hill, ‘the spirit that is behind the wall.’ There are neither courtyards nor a boat passages, only openings that breathe into opened inside spaces where man and the elements, fa can mingle “intimately and rhythmically The ‘green’ features are woven without thought into the spiritual being of all Bruwer's buildings. They are not add-ons but an intrinsic feature of the poetry in, the architecture; spontaneous inventions that run as a theme through the building na and flora, In Conclusion In the past 50 years political agendas and economic poticies have done much to destroy the traditions of interconnectedness and interdependence with nature found in South African architecture, Elements of i Femain, however, in the work of a few inspired idealists, whether they approach it from the head, the hear the soul, What is required now is a new design paradigm. where environmentally friendly features are included not because of profit motives or regulations, but because they form an intrinsic part of the building's essential harmony. ©Australia is a paradox. On the one hand a fledgling culture barely 200 years old and on the other the oldest extant culture on Earth, 50,000 years old. Physically, the sixth largest country on Earth with a landmass of three million square miles (7.6 million square kilometres) ~ just smaller than the use. A climate that ranges Frey arid desert thraugh tropical rainforest and temperate lowlands to alpine mountain, A population of merely 19 million crowded around the edges,’ and yet one of the highest per capita carbon-emitters in the world White fellas’ in Australia have agonised over identity since their arrival, many as convicts. The ‘cultural cringe’ and ‘hanging on to mothers, apron strings’ have engaged commentators on the Australian condition. This uncertainty is reflected architecturally in texts such as Robin Boyd's The Australian Ugliness, where imparted Classicism gives way to imported Modernism with the worst characteristics af Eurape or America Today doubt has given way to self-assurance. ‘Sydney 2000" and the ‘Freeman Factor’ have Finally brought white Australians to understand sho they are. Only a recalcitrant Howard government precludes a republic, an apology to the indigenaus peoples for wrangs of the past and a serious attempt to take responsible position on the enviranment. Colonial Australia has metamorphosised into multicultural Australia In the psyche, the genius of Australia lies in the arid centre, in the eucalyplus forests and fn the beautiful beaches.” The fierce strength ‘of the red ochre deserts and Uluru, the danpled dolicacy of the leafs of gregarious trees, roots knotted in rock faces, and the shimmering blue ‘of the water. So different to Europe, Asia and North America, The fundamental way of building is different, the materials are different and the climate is different. Early building paradigms came to the southeast of the continent and this essay follows conditions and examples from that part. Whereas buildings in northwest Europe were made fram stone with mass and inherent structural stability, early Australian buildings ‘were lightweight timber-framed buildings that required inherent techniques of bracing. The arrival of corrugated iron in the mid-19th century as ballast in ships from Britain brought a seminal introduction to the architecture of the country: The later importation of iron-framed ‘kit’ homes and churches from the foundaries of Scotland developed a traditian that has, led to the lightweight steet-framed architectural technolagies of today. Cultural baggage has delayed the understanding of sustainable building within the climatic context of Australia, Misappropriated Classicism gave way to misappropriated Modernism. In housing particularly, ‘what Boyd called ‘Featurism’ has given us editerranean’ (nostalgic neo-Federation and Mediterranean) and ‘atea’ [all bloady balustrades and archesl. The dreaded ‘brick venereal disease” permeates the suburban sprawl, with most Australian homes inappropriately built of timber frame with a brown brick veneer and dark tiled roof ~ no roof ventilation and walls with thermal mass on the outside = the opposite of what is required. Many of Australia’s non-residential buildings are glass boxes pumped full of fossil-fuel energy to sustain them. Today, misappropriated international architectural ‘isms’ continue, inspired from the ethersphere through the crown of the skull, with disregard for place or climate, rather than from the loci through the soles of the Feet The lineage af a contemporary Australian architecture that is responsive to place and climate emerged through the earlier works of Harry Seidler as ‘an Australian Gropius or Le Corbusier, through Syd ‘Ancher as an Australian Aalte and, particularly, through Glenn Murcutt as an Australian Mies’ Seidler’s later works are significant examples of climate-respansive buildings with sun shading and innovative energy- efficient systems. Murcutt should take credit for making respectable the Australian vernacular” of corrugated iron and for authoring a portfolio of built work, and an associated polemic,’ on the Australian landscape, climate, topography, hydrology, geology, flora and fauna ~ ‘touch this earth lightly.” There are others, too many to mention, wha have developed a climate-responsive ‘Australian architectural language that responds to culture and place.” Also, the writing and associated graphic illustrations of Australian environmentalist Bill Mollison, who expounded the concept of ‘permaculture’permeated the work of many Australian architects and inspired architects and environmentalists internationally. The key to his proposed solutions to the problems of selt sufficiency and sustainability is integration of thinking - an understa interconnectedness of natural and man: generated systems, The ‘green agenda’ has been supported for many years by individuals and groups within the Royal Australian Institute of Architects, although he corporate position might still be seen as less. committed. The kai Environment Design Guides, now under the umbrella of the Council Building Design Professions, are a primary reference. The Australian Building Energy ouncil is an industry body with a mission to liaise with government and to establish voluntary best practice criteria in building energy There is now progress t mandatory minimum standards for energy use in housing through natwers ithe National Housing nergy Rating Schemel, and in all buildings through the Building Code of Australia. The nsw Sustainable Energy Development Authority h ar-rating schet for office bul ings, based on ,-and has established ‘greenhouse gas emissia ying electricity sourced from renewable energy sources from the grid. The government is systematically in its own buildings. The government Australian Greenhouse O1 ‘ged with addressing the national reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Any systematic assessment of embodied energy in buildings appears a long way of Towards a ‘Green’ Classification Looking beyond basic sun control, there is an emerging ‘taxonomy of green’. Low-technotogy solutions for simple, environmentally sustainable life sty inthe developing world, the frugal retreat in the bu High-technology solutions that progress towards sophisticated, comfortable, partially environment: s are described as ‘light green’ ~ the vill: sustainable life styles are described as ‘mid green’ tecture, the high embodied-eneray building covered in s much of today's ‘gree devices or photovoltaic panels. Holistic low-energy t Solutions that can deliver a ophisticated, comfortable and environmentally stainable life style are described as ‘deep green very few examples so far in Australia Two Mid een Case Studies Peter Stutchbury and exe Architecture in association with the Faculty of Nursing, University of Newcastle, ws The Faculty of Nursing at the University of Newcast js one facet of the university’s agenda to procure good quality ‘green’ buildings and transform an estab: 130- hectare campus into a naturally functioning ecosystem. The campus is located 160 kilem of Sydney, 10 kilometres from the sea to th the city of Newcastle and is in naturat bushland with extensive eucalyptus trees and wetlands. Inspired by the writings of Bill Mollison, mowed lawns have be: replaced by swales and native vegetation to control, renew natural wildlife. The Newcastle climate is sii to Sydney's with summer temperatures reaching 38° with high humidity and winter temperatures falling to about 4°C, Designed by Peter Stutchbury" in Architecture, fol ciation with 19a limited competition, the project develops fram the work and teaching of Richard Leplastrier” from the precedents of Glenn Murcutt and 1m the earlier Design Building on the campus by ti ‘ame architects, It isa fine demonstration in a larger building of the distinctive Australian ‘corrugated ir architectural vocabulary, Sophisticated computer simulations of ventilation, thermal performance andlighting was carried out by Advanced Environmental Concepts including cro madelting [computational fluid dynamics} The building forms an extension to an existing building that did not respond well to climatic circumstances. Orientation of the new building is thus not ideal, with tang facades facing east and west. The building consists of two 3-6-storey wings of academic offices and a central y conditioned. A majar feature of the project is a geothermal field that exploits the stable ground temperature of 17°C to provide a source af heat in winter and to dissipate heat in summer. The offices are in single loaded wings, six metres wide, to facilitate natural cross ventilation and natural tight penetration. The structure is concrete with high thermal mass and precast floar slabs with some potential for disassembly. External walls locate the thermal ‘mass on the inside with insulation on the outside and cladding in carrugated sheet steel. Interiors have exposed concrete floars and frugal finishes with minimal decor auditorium, Only the auditorium is air ion. Internal walls are faced in recycled Austratian hardwood planks. Light transfer-glass floor panels allow fight penetration into lower floor cartidars, A steel framed and corrugated-steel ‘fly’ or parasol root cover the office wings allows air movement and rneutralises the heat of the sun. The facades are fitted with extensive sun-control devices, and light shelves to reflect natural tight into the building, Only the 450-seat auditorium has air conditioning and this uses displacement stack effect ar buoyancy- driven air movement which delivers chilled air from a plenum under the seats. This system allows air contact with the conerete floor and faciliates night purging and subsequent recovery of ‘coolth’ from the thermal mass. Fresh air input is controlled by a gas sensor. The system can operate as a ventilation system only in moderate Climatic periods. The air-conditioning system was the first in Australia to use a geothermal field to harvest heat from, and dissipate heat to, the ground through a water-filled circuit in $5 vertical boreholes 100 metres deep on a 4.5-metre grid AA post-occupancy life-cycle analysis of this building evaluated embodied energy and utilisation energy. An associated study assessed the embodied energy in the additional materials in the parasol roof and the facades’ sun-contral devices. It was established that the additional embodied energy attributable to these features was recovered through utilisation-energy savings in four to six years, with associated long-term cost benefits. The project, which costs A$? million, shows the important role universities play in developing new sustainable technologies, Bligh Valier Niele in association with Labb Partnership, Stadium Australia, Sydney. Stadium Australia was the main venue for the Sydney Olympics and the theatre for the opening and closing ceremonies and many of the sporting events, includingaboriginal Australian Cathy Freeman's win in the womens’ 400 metres - jlerhaps a defining ‘moment in Australia’s history. ° Designed by architects Bligh Voller Niel, in association with Lobb Partnership of London, Stadium Australia is a 110,000-seat privately funded stadium on a degraded site, formerty the city abattoir, located near the demographic centre of Sydney and Linked to an efficient public transport systern which was ane of the great success stories of the lympic fortnight. Sydney temperatures in summer rise to 38°C with high humidity and winter temperatures fall to near zero ‘A crucial strategy for longevity and adaplabiity required that after the games the stadium would be multi-use and would be reduced in size to an 80,000-seat venue suitable for rugby unin and Australian rules football ‘The Olympic running track is to be removed and the low tier seating moved inwards. The high sections af the apen end stands are to be removed and a raof introduced aver the lower sections, A-complax design process utilised life-cycle analysis to inform strategic and tactical design decisions in connection with determination of form and structure, materials selection, thermal and energy madelling, and cost-in-use evaluation. In the initial stages much attention ‘was paid to reducing the bulk and mass of the building and optimising sight ines thus significantly reducing the height of the 900 metre-diameter structure, with associated savings in embodied energy and cost. Energy use in the stadium is claimed to be 68 per cent of that of a benchmarked ‘conventional stadium through use of sun shading, bueyancy- driven stack-effect natural ventilation, structural night cooling, efficient natural and artificial lighting and on-site gas co-generation, Euoyancy-driven ventilation is induced through five large stacks built into each grandstand with computer-contralled dampers at inlets and autlets. Mechanical ventilation is provided for basement spaces, and air conditioning for the banqueting hall and some other spaces. Mectianical systemis use night purging to cool the substantial thermal mass that emits ‘coolth’ by day. Modelling was carried out by Shari Ford Associates, the EcaunP Center, De Montford University Cambridge Architectural Research and Max Fordham and Partners. Rainwater is collected from the raofs and is stored in large basement tanks for pitch irrigation, The stadium is Linked to a grey-water main which collects and treats (grey water and returns it for use for toilet flushing and onpotable purposes. Materials were evaluated for their ‘environmental cost, health issues and long-term appropriateness, A genuine affort was made to address embodied-energy issues and to source lower energy options for materials, Timber used in the project was {rom sustainable sources with some recycled. Materials that use or emit toxins were excluded. pyc and cre refrigerants were generally avoided. Two 500-kilovolt {gas-fired co-generators are built into the project to produce electricity and hot water, and thus reduce demand for energy from the grid. Energy purchased Irom the grid adapts the “green power’ option, buying power sourced from wind turbines and salar farms. These various measures allowed the stadiue ta meet the green credentials of the Sydney Olympics Deep Green Marci Webster-Mannison, Director of Design, Charles Sturt University, Thurgoona Campus, Albury, new Albury is a country town an the Murray River, southeast of Sydney and 300 kilometres fram the east and south coasts. Summer temperatures rise to 42°C, but with low humidity and cool clear nights, and winter temperatures falling to below freezing these are difficult conditions for low-energy buildings, The Thurgoona Campus of Charles Sturt University is substantially @ green-feld site in undulating grassland with occasional trees. The design involved development of a masterplan and infrastructure. New buildings already completed include a School of Environmental and Information Sciences, a teaching complex that includes 4 200-seat lecture theatre, a student union building and student residences. The masterplan and all the new buildings have been designed by the university director of design, Marci Webster-Mannison, in collaboration with Advanced Environmental Concepts, wha carried out computer simulations, and a local specialist firm, Branco Boilers and Engineering, who assisted in the development of many of the ingenious services systems. The campus and buildings are an exemplar of holistic and integrated design thinking, following the principles of Bill Mollison’s permaculture’. There is ne mechanical air conditioning, there is no connection to the water main or sewer and composting toilets are used throughout. * Site planning is derived from detailed site analysis of topography, vegetatian and natural drainage patterns,The pedestrian spine, roads and contours punctuated by existing trees. Core, academic and residential precincts are defined by drainage The new buildings have 300 to 400 millimetre rammed-earth external and internal walls with root structures made from recycled timber supplemented with some plantation timber. Roofs and sun screens ae corrugated steel. Upper sity concrete to provide additional thermal mass. The ain lecture theatre has an earth rel-vault roof, Roofs have natural v ls are uninsulated. Material selection has been rigorous, with natural organic materials such as wool and lin ally prep nontoxic paints. Low embodied-energy strategies have been carefully pursued and a wonderful shelving a glass flooring system used through atl the buildings hes ‘been retrieved and recycled from a library in Sydney Buildings are sited on an east-west axi ontrallable solar access. Sun-shadi rs and ceiling slabs are in covered concrete um, no use of Pv or MOF and 5} devices and rol ‘overhangs eliminate high summer sun and admit low winter sun, Clerestory windows and high windows thermal stacks admit light into the centre of the buildings. Light wells and cast-glass floor panels allow natural light to penetrate to lower floors. The high thermal mass is used effectively to moderate external temperatures, emitting war winter and ‘coolth’ in summer. Solar access in win warms the thermal mass and this is supplemented by vast array of water-filled solar panels an the roof, ath critical angle for Albury of 37° pitch, which heat water stored in a large insulated tank. The water is circulated through polyethylene pipes cast in the co and ceiling slabs. In summer, the system is ingenious used in rever F panels dissipate heat ina the clear night sky thus chilling down the thermal mas provide ‘coolth’ by day. Natural stack-effect ventilation is induced by therm chimneys, which are a feature of the roofscape, and ar movement is adjusted by intake and outlet Louvres, controlled by computer. Natural ventit ered lecture theatre enters through a thermal nth surrounded by thermal mass with mist-spap passive evaporative cooling as well as a geothermal field heat exchange. Storm water is collected by the waterways and passes through wetlands to sedimentation ponds a he bottom of the site, from where it to the top of the si it elear and, among other benefits, allows fr ‘minimise mosquitoes - to bread. Prominent steat tanks integrated into the structures store collected rainwater. Grey water is cleansed using artificial wetlands and is disposed of as subsurface irrigation. fl toilets are dry composting uni levels, a unique feature for ete floor ion to the earth s pumped by windmill ynstant reticulation. This kee wich ‘on ground ane upper folie univercunt Summary In 200 years the ‘white fella’ has done possibly irreparable damage to a natural environment that has sustained human habitation for $0,000 years. The paradox is that rough tough Australia 's in fact incredibly delicate. Problems include increased deforestation and salination from inappropriate crops, destruction of the land as a result of the intraductian of inappropriate small hoofed animals, destruction of the waterways from erasion and pollution, and mining in culturally and environmentally sensitive areas, Today's buildings, cities, lite style and resultant ecological footprint are sustained by cheap ‘energy from nonrenewable sources, the price of ‘which does not reflect its real cost ~ drawing down Earth's natural capital ‘Australia’s 2010 Kyoto Protocol commitments ‘were negotiated as an increase in greenhouse ‘995 emissions to 108 per cent ofits 1990 ‘emissions, when most other develaped nations were targeting reductions. Australia’s 1998 emissions were already at 117 per cent of 1990's and the country appears unlikely 1o meet its Kyoto commitments, Emissions trom energy use in commercial buildings are projected to nearly double between 1990 and 2010, and overall building operating energy emissions are projected to rise 150 per cent over this period.” Politically, the climate lacks ‘bite™ The cult of privatisation has led to a lack of investment in green infrastructure, green energy production and innovative buildings. Free market competition and threats to deregulate the practice of architecture see a situation where ‘cheapest is best’, with litle resultant investment in thorough and ground-breaking design or exemplary building solutions. ‘While there is a huge engagement with the ‘green agenda’ at both intellectual and practical levels, especially among individual architects and smaller practices, there is a dearth of exemplary examples of large ‘green’ buildings, ‘An even greater challenge for Australia, beyond ‘green’ buildings, is ‘green’ cities. Australia’s dispersed urban morphology i, like its housing design, largely inappropriate ta the climate and based on high use of private cars. There are, however, emerging institulianal initiatives and a growing sensibility to these issues. Across the vast climatic variation, northern hemisphere solutions are seldom appropriate and yet often employed. How to keep cool is the main issue, rather than how to keep warm, Temperate areas af the continent have a relatively benign climate, with warm days and coo! nights that are ideally suited to natural solar architecture that makes effective use of critical thermal mass for retention of warmth and ‘caolth’. In the coastal areas, high humidity creates discomfort and demands air movement. In the hot humid tropics, thermal mass is of litle value and air movement is crucial, Always, shade is important Strategies for energy-efficient housing design are well documented and yet not adequately applied prientation, sun contrat, insulation, ventilation and thermal mass." In commercial buildings, strategies such as double glazing and high-performance glass. keep heat in as well as out, and do not eliminate the build-up of heat from machines and humans. Hybrid oF naturally ventilated solutions are few and there appear to be no buill examptes in Australia of double ventilated facades. Few built examples of ‘green’ architecture go heyond the building footprint to ‘consider wider issues of site, water, offluent, waste and transport. There remain many paradoxes in architectural practice and education with regard to the relationship between the international mainstream ‘of media driven ‘style’ architecture and the crucial realities of ecological sustainability.Ken Yeang What is your, or your practice's, definition of sustainable design? Sustainable design can be defined as ecological design ~ design that integrates seamlessly with the ecological systems in the biosphere over the entire life cycle of the built system. The building's materials and energy are integrated, with minimal impact on the environment from source to sink What are your key concerns as a designer interested in sust yr My key concerns are that designers should be aware of the connectivity ofall systems in nature and that these should be integrated as part of the built system’s processes. Designers should also beware of making excessive claims about the sustainability of their designs because ecological design is stil in its infancy. How would you judge the success of a building in the ‘green’ age? ‘A successful ‘green’ building is one that integrates seamlessly with the natural systems in the biosphere, with minimal destructive Impact on these systems and maximum positive impact In what way do you use nature as a guide? Nature should be imitated and our built systems should be mimetic ecosystems, ©Sustaining Interactions Batween the Natural ) and ay SUIT Environment in On AS Ae IINGSaPpore Sustainable design has had minimal imoact in Singapore where clients, devele“The central determinants that shape all human activities on the land are the elements af the self perpetrating biosphere that sustain life on earth.” Sustainable design in buildings has been discussed for some years in Singapore but attempts to implement sustainable architecture in practice have been minimal. Commentators, ‘an local architecture have advocated a need to introduce a vision of local architecture that has a tropical, or more precisely an equatorial, flavour ‘which is more representative of native Asian cultural roots and mare in harmany with nature, The attempts to produce susisinable architecture that utilises sustainable building construction techniques in a local context is therefore closely intertwined with the pursuit of the so-called tropical architecture concept. Itis thus considered desirable to encourage local designs that more adequately reflect the strength of the indigenous culture and interact more closely with the native vegetation. Howaver, this does not necessarily amount to a reversion to the traditional vernacular, The need to meet modern demands and to create ew initiatives is still considered desirable and realistic. The development of the ‘New Asian Tropical Architecture’ is the current mission of the Department af Architecture in the National University of Singapore. Numerous teaching initiatives, research and cansultancy projects, seminars, conferences and competitions have been organised in recent years to achieve this, In practice, however, the appertunities to realise such an aim have so far bean limited. This is because the planning and design of real estate development in Singapore is dictated firstly by a fairly rigid planning and building control system, secondly by a strongly financially orientated developer and owner fraternity, and, thirdly, by clients who prefer to recreate the standard package of worldwide city architecture. It seems that fame and status both for companies and architects in Singapore derive more from replicating designs of internationally famaus buildings elsewhere than trom developing an indigenous green architecture. In any city there are difficulties in praducing architecture that has sufficient strength of character and affinity to be a representation of lacat culture and natural attrioutes. The economic perspective is clearly a dominating driving force but another, equally important, influence that should prevail is the way we think about building design, The examples selected in this chapter are deliberately chosen to demonstrate that what is important in creating sustainable architecture is ‘not just the building design itself but the total environment within which its created, especially around and about the built complex. As noted by Ken Yeang, an ecologically friendly Malaysian architect: if we need to apply the ecosystem concept to design, then the project site must at the outset be conceived holistically by the designer as a unit consisting of both biatic and abiaticlliving and rnontiving) components functioning together as a whole to form an ecosystem, and befare any human action can be inflicted on the project site, its features and interactions must be Identified and fully understood lan McHarg in his seminal work an design with nature also noted that, ‘each project site needs to be individually evaluated with consideration given to the acasystem’s own natural values, its processes, iis constraints, and its inherent array of natural ‘opportunities, all of which differ with different locations’. In terms of architectural design Yeang further suggests that: the building may therefore be regarded as a form of energy and material resources that is managed and assembled by the designer intoFhe uote York Desseoent gapre Gant Tah ‘ temporary form and then demolished at the end of the period of use, with the materials either recycled within the built environment ‘or assimilated into the natural environment.” ‘The need to consider the built environment as being part of, and in harmony with, the natural environment is further reinforced by Geoffrey Bawa in Sri Lanka. Milroy Pereira, the practice's project architect, suggests that, ‘the building should not always be designed to be looked at. It could also be considered as a structure to look from’ And in his book on Bawa, Brace Taylor comments: ‘Rarely do his designs allow the architecture te pre-empt the primordial importance of the natural surroundings. Robert Powell, a locally based architect in Singapore who has published many texts featuring local buildings that incorporate tropical designs, comments that, the spirit of the tropical house «= to merge the dwelling with ts surroundings by creating ambiguous and intermediary spaces’ immy Lim, a Malaysian arehitect of ‘environmentally friendly buildings, also confirms that, the climatic phenomena of heavy rain, strong sun and gentle trade winds should all be fully catered for in the design of such buildings The provision of wide overhanging roots, shady lree surroundings and open, cross ventilated communal areas are therefore desirable features to attain. Tay Kheng Soon, ‘who has been advocating the use of tropical architecture for many years in Singapore, believes that, ‘a totel environmental design approach should include nature conservation and ecological principles amongst its attributes’ In relating how such principles can be incorporated evan into high-rise design, ‘Yeang in his discourse an the bioclimatic skyseraper justifies this approach as ‘a comfort based rationale and a passive low energy one’.” Case Studies The case studies presented below all draw on these principles and confirm that, ‘ecological processes sho become the central determinant of form for all human activities’ Bukit Timah Nature Reserve Interpretation Centre This simple timber-framed low-rise building was mainly constructed of focal Malaysian timber and has timber shingles on steeply sloped pitched roofs. The architectural vocabulary has been described as a ‘vernacular tropical design appropriate with the naturat setting’.” The cent designed by Thomas Wong Kok Woh, provides a convenient arrival point as itis strategically located at the entrance to the last remaining area of primary foes found in Singapore, This forest is home to over 600 species of trees, 100 species of birds and, remarkably, ‘over 200 species of ants. I has a number of resident troupes of macaque monkeys anid a wide range of other small mammals and snakes. Despite its relatively small size of less than 100 hectares it provides an impressive rainforest habitat in close proximity to the city. The dominant trees are in the dipterocarp farnily and inclu seraya, one of which is claimed to be 360 years old Located on the highest hill in Singapore, and rising n9 more than 163 metres, Bukit Timah nature reserve isa easily accessed location of outstanding ecological mer good educational potential and aesthetically attractive londscope, and has demanding recreational facilities. The interpretation centre was constructed in 1992. comprises two rectangular blocks connected by an opt ‘walkway built on existing (evel formations of three: metre height difference, The frant two-storey block houses the main exhibition space with rangers: accommodation above and services below. The rear, higher level block contains offices, a meeting room, @ shop and toilets and is the only section that is air- conditioned. The overali design reflects the established vernacular architecture of colonial house constructin the Southeast Asia region and prosents itself as amodest, simple but harmonious structure built into the green kaclairop of the primary ferest habitat The generous overhangs to the roof, which have no gutters, permit the heavy rain to discharge directly to the natural slopes of the site and the surrounding natural environment provides good shading facilities, The lack of Ceilings to the exhibition space permits the interesting roof structure to be enjoyed and creates sulficient air space to enhance the cooling effects of natural through -ventitation Much of the remaining structure is open-sided enabling users to benefit from crass winds. Generous open seating areas at both levels allow Users to relax and enjay the green environment of the nearby forest. A spacious terrace below the front section 19 used for evening dinners and outdoor slide presentations, to enable users to maximise their enjoyment of the natural seiting ne planting of native tree, rn and shrub species ound the built structures rovides additional real-life ducational facilities. The planting of native tree, fern and shrub ‘species around the built structures provides additionat real-life educational factities ané ‘when fully grown wait further enhance the aesthetic setting and provisian of shade. The car park is set welt below and away from the centre, thus enabling visitors to experience a vehicle free and relaxing environment Sungei Buloh Nature Park Visitor Centre Completed in 1993, this centre designed by Thomas ‘Wong Kok Woh is located in the only protected wetland nalute reserve in Singapore. Sungei Buloh comprises an area of 87 hectares of coastal habitat located in the northwest corner of the main istand. It contains 40 hectares of prawn ponds enclased by two small rivers and a 9.5 hectare offshore island of mangrove, There fare six hectares of freshwater ponds and over 150 species of birds have been recorded here. The park caters mainly for migratory wading birds but alsa accommodates resident heran nesting-grounds. itis ‘wall provided with access trails atong the original bunds constructed by prawn farmers and is amply supplied with low-level hides, boarded mangrove walks and {wo tower hides, All bunds are provided with adjustable sluice gates which are used to control the se8-water levels inside the pands to ensure suitable conditions exist for wading birds. The main boarded- bridge access across the Sungei Buloh Besar llarge bainbao river} conveniently provides both a physical and visual separation between the visitor centre itself the main hide and the birds’ roosting and feeding grounds. The concept plan for the centre considered the Intrinsic ecological rabitat of the site and the development approach was to minimise the changes and disturbances to the site ecology.” The centre was sensitively designed to float” over a marsh area which was actually created underneath it, and comprises a series of one-storey timber-framed buildings interconnected by timber open-sided walkways. Attractive pitched roofs have extensive overhangs which discharge rain to the many vegetated open spaces between the buildings, The main entrance approach cross a small bridge leading to the main reception area, is particularly attractive with freshwater pond afeas on either side edged by prolific diverse vegetation. The accommodation comprises 3 small theatre, research and administrative affices, workshops,a shop and a restaurant. The larger areas comprise several exhibition spaces which are ‘open with a number of viewing balconies to allow visitors to enjoy the closeness and beauly of the natural environment, The car park has been located well away from the centre and a timber walkway between the two provides the visitor with an interesting walk through the forest on arrival but minimises the environmental impact of trampling and compacting the ground. Southeast Asian vernacular architecture is a ‘model of a building that has a triparti entity comprising a base (or podium), a superstructure (post and beam timber construction) and a pitched roof (generous roof eaves)’ Institute of Southeast Asia Studies, Kent Ridge Campus, National University of Singapore This building houses researchers offices, a library and various meeting and conference facilities and was constructed in 1998. It was conceived to meet the needs of Southeast Astan researchers and therefore has a strang cultural ‘component in its conception. The design is: somewhat unusual in comparison to most of the other faculty buildings at Kent Ridge. In the words of the architect, Cheah Kak Ming, it was ‘inspired by principles that are well established in Balinese architecture’. Although the building is six storeys high to the rear, the front appearance is one of (sc with a modest car-parking stip road across the envan ‘On entering the gate in an attractive granite stone wall an interesting open-space courtyard containing two freshwater ponds and tropical vegetation is immeciall visible. The layout as indicated an plan comprises three blocks which are interconnected with open communal areas by walkways, This important feature permi to enjoy croes-wind ventilation whilst being adequately protected from the elements Only the study, meeting rooms ang the library ae fully enclosed and air-conditioned, Lim doscribes the Southeast Asian vernacular architecture as a ‘modold a building that has a tripartite entity comprising a bas (or podium, a superstructure {post and beam timber construction} and a pitched roof {generaus rool eaves)" The buildings have been orientated so thal langest facades are on the north-south axis to minim solar gain, and the much warmer east and west ‘levations are allocated to mechanical and electrical service raoms and staircases to serve as butlers o solar heat. The large spaces between the blocks are well vegetated and, because of the openness of the access ways, views of this internal landscaping areamas an son fun The hatte ot Brew, Peri available throughout the entire building, This creates a sense of a building that harmonises itself with nature and maximises its aesthetic ‘appeal, providing a tranquil experience that befits a place of study, earning and research. Summary This review has attempted to identify buildings in the highly urbanised country of Singapore that interact closely with nature and provide their users and visitors with experiences that are ‘often lost in the normal ‘concretisation’ of cities. It can, of course, be argued that the success of ‘such designs ic highly dependent on their close proximity to existing natural settings and is more easily achieved where space is not at a premium ‘and when economic factors do not predominate. I is also accepted tha the dehumanisation of the environment caused by tall skyscrapers, and the lack of opportunity to plant and maintain trees and other vegetation in centrat city districts, will work against the desirable interaction of buildings with nature. Despite this, there are many opportunities to use the ideas discussed here in high-rise city constructions, as demonstrated by the work of Ken Yeang and Tay Kheng Soon. For example, the vast areas of flat roofs, balconies and podiums can be planted, vertical walls can be trellised and landscaped with climbers, open courtyards, light wells and ground spaces can be vegetated. The road and riverside corridors that are present in most cities can also provide many other opportunities to introduce nature in clase proximity to buildings In Singapore today several projects are under ‘way te provide an istand-wide network of connecting parks, to configure green trails through the city and to cultivate roof vegetation in city districts to reduce heat-sland effects and ‘even to grow vegetables. This will enable city devellers te enjoy the psychological, emotional, recreational, ‘ecolagical and aesthetic benefits that nature can supply. Living in an equaterial climate provides many opportunities to make better use of natural assets since there is a relatively rich biodiversity and the patentially rapid growth of vegetation is attractive and easy to encourage. Over the years a lot of attention has been paid ta greening the city and few other cities in Asi match the number of trees and plants Singapore contains. Having achieved the garden city concept, what is now desirad is to create a green city in a garden, These case studies reinforce the point that we should start the design pracess by thinking about what already exists naturally and try to work in harmony with preserving that environment. What is sustainable is not generally that which is man-made, which is generally more expensive to maintain and requires continuous regeneration. On a site-specific basis there is a need to consider the retention of existing topography, freshwater areas and stream courses, and for conserving as much of the natural habitat and established ecosystems as possible. ”A detailed consideration of the microclimatic conditions that will result from corteetly orientating a building, from using trees and plants for shading and pollution filtering, and from protecting building interiors from heavy rains should be instituted. The creation of naturally ventilated ‘spaces that can also be used as visual landscaped caurtyards, as shown in the case studies, is also essential, Last but not least, a respect for culture that ensures a design is representative of a region rather than simply an international clone is needed, and an appreciation of nature from which all sources of life derive, As in much of the tropics, low-eneray design is not the primary task of sustainability - itis merely part of a bigger picture of bioclimatic architecture ‘As suggested by Steven Owan in Planning Setilements Naturally: ‘The natural features of a place are its most endearing attributes." ©: Hong Kong with its high density of people and butldings seems to run contrary fo everything that is Greer” or natural. Limited resources and a shortage of and suitable for development has, however, made economy a way of le for the Innabitants of this island metroporl ssociate 2 Jat the Chinese | Fiong kor shows just h onRumour has it that when the Empress Dowager of the Ching dynasty was asked to cease sovereignty of ‘an island’ to the British Empire, she enquired of her eunuch, Where exactly is It? twas noted that she was a bit impatient ‘when the map of the Chinese empireand the Insignificant dot at its corner was shown. What ‘re the British going to da with a barren piece of rock like that?” she questioned. And,” she added, { would like to make it point that! should not be disturbed with such a minor requast next time.’ She could never have imagined that, 160 years on, this little ‘rack’ af 1,000 or so villagers would become a major Asian metropolis and ‘earned itself a place as one of National Geographic's 10 must visit’ places Hong Kong's ctimate is subtropical. For halt the year, from October to March, it tends towards temperate with pleasant breezes, plenty ‘of sunshine and a comfartable average temperature of 20°C, Occasional cold fronts from continental China can lower temperatures {© bolow 10°C in urban areas, but nonetheless, these are the best months of the year. The other half of the year is hot and humid. Humisity of ‘over 80 per cont and a daytime temperature that averages 28°C and rises te 34°C characterise the weather: From time to time during the summer months tropical cyclones bring heavy rain and high winds of 150 kilometres per hour or more. Environmentally, designing buildings for Hong Kang fs not difficult The strategy is to maximise natural ventilation, minimise solar heat gain and provide sturdy cheltor from heavy topical rainstorms and cyclones. Dealing with the environmental characteristics of Hong Kong is straightforward, However, attempts to classify this island metropolis according to any known social, cultural, urban oF environmental theory has failed. As the locals say, There is only one Hong Kong, and itis impossible to find imitations’. In a nutshell, Hong Kong is located at the southern end of China, Its a collection of islands that total 1,100 square kilometers and has a population of seven million people. Its economy is one-seventh of the United Kingdom's with a en of US$26,000 per capita, It boasts the world busiest container port and houses ‘some of the world's most profitable enterprises. An airport the size of Gatwick and Heathrow combined has just been built on tand completely reclaimed from the ‘sea, Hong Kong is a jungle city of high rises. The foundations of the world’s tallest building are being laid ‘And over 10 million visitors arrive each yaar, to marvel at allthis. Yot, amidst all the hustle and bustle of the ‘economy and international travel, Hong Kong also boasts a collection of country parks that cover almost ‘80 per cont of its tand area. It housos one of Asia's most important wetland under the 1971 Ramsar Convention, Its also home to the 100 or so unique and endangered pink’ dolphins. And, within its tight boundaries, iLis stil possible to find fishing villages and settlements which are almost untouched by the onslaught of civilisation, Hong Kong is a land of paradoxes. It defies gravity and common sense - literally in that arder for visitors who flew over the Kowloon city to tand at the old Kai Tak Airport, Given the circumstances and the dilemma, how should one proceed to define green architecture in Hong Kong? If there is cuch a thing in an ultra-dense, ‘ultra-compact metropolis, what is it? And how should it be critically understood? What shade of green could it bbe conveniently referenced to? Hong Kong was a ‘sustainable’ city long betore the term was used - oF hijacked ~ by environmentalist, ‘Since 1949, when the communists took over China, it hhas been a safe haven for economic and pliticat ‘emigrants from the mainland. Millions came here over a period of some 20 years, bringing nothing but a hope to ‘ensure and sustain a quality of life. This desire to survive and make 2 living has remained the spirit of Hong Kong until today. The city has ne natural resources ofits own, Apart from the air one breathes everything, including water, has to be imported, The gregarious and tolerant altitude of Hong Kong's average inhabitants can best be seen in the houses, or pigeonholes, they tive in, Mass housing of Unprecedented height and density is the norm. The newly constructed residential sites in the city's satellitetowns are designed with 3 density of 2,000 to 2,800 inhabitants per hectare. If there is a Nobel Prize for the most efficient and effective use of land resources, Hong Kong will win hands down. Apartment blocks some 100 metres high are packed so closely together that the distance between them is a meagre 40 metres, To ensure that no valuable land is wasted, each block is built on top of a multistorey pediurn which houses all the amenities required to suaport the community, Ta service the towns, mass-transit railways are being built, cutting estates into ‘manageable plots. Any land that is left aver will be given to charitable organisations for school buildings and community centres. The crumbs will be collectively known as parks and leisure ‘grounds. Hong Kong is a vision that all the world will need to share within a generation. Verwena Heights, Tseung Kwan 0 One of the many new towns that are taking shape is Tseung Kwan 0 an the east side of the ‘ld Kowloon peninsula, Part ofthe town was a Landfill site until 18 years ago when massive land reclamation took place. Today Tseung Kwan 0 is thriving, with 250,000 inhabitants living in an area just under 600 hectares. In two years’ time the mass-transit line will be completed and the town will continue te grow until the population reaches 500,000 to 400,00. Situated al the heart ofthe town centre isthe award-winning Verbena Heights designed by ssety Anthony Ng. The development is reputed to be SsersRo4 the first high-density housing in Hong Kong that took green and environmental issue seriously fram day one, The architect states that The project represents an attempt to address environmental design concerns lenergy ‘minimisation, resources efficiency, water lel et conservation, accupancy health and comfort) ce erase appropriate tothe subtropical elimate whilst ani —— providing a high-density, high-rise housing design integrating with identity and delight for residents, Instead of the prevalent crucifarm flan commonly adopted elsewhere in Hong Kong, An alternative thin linear layout is developed for the residential floors The Linear blocks are planned around three elevated landscaped courtyards. Extensive wind-tunnel tests were conducted ta maximise natural and cross ventilation at the ground and upper levels, The builcing height steps down towards the direction of the prevelert summer breeze. Multistorey mid-air balconies were devised to enhance wind permeability of the building mass. As a result, drastic improvements in air movement in and around the site have been achieved ‘So much s0 that windbreaks and conopies have to be employed at strategic positions to the wind climate at pedestrian level Solar and daylight studies went hand in hand with ventilation studies, External screens and light shelves ‘were employed te provide effective shading as well asa enhance daylight in interior spaces. Vertical shading devices were preferred as they are less problematic in terms of maintenance and hygiene in high-rise living conditions. Low embodied energy and longer lasting ‘and recycled materials were specified, and constructen wastes were reduced by using reusable formworks, The development is provided with a wide spectrums! community facilities at the ground and podium levels. Landscaped and covered walkways connect the blocks to each other, to other nodal points and to the nearby public transport interchange. The careful cansideratior ‘af human scale, and spaces distributed at ‘walking intervals, ensures that it remains a pedestrian environment. Hollywood Ternace, Wastern District Whilst Verbena Heights consciously addressed the isu of environmentally-friendly design, another example ol turban high-density housing, by Rocco Yim, approachet the notion of sustainability more subtly. HollywoodTable 1 Energy Consumption and CO: Emission Hong Kong vs Othar Key Industrialised Countries Jockey Club Environmental Building, Kowloon Tong From the workers’ porspective, social status and recognition can sometimes be attributed to the umber of jobs a person holds, the hours he or she works and the number of calls they get en their mobile. These are accepted signs that someone is getting there. Recent surveys and polls suggest that warkers and students in Hong Kong work longer hours than their counterparts inthe rest of Asia, And whilst they were never too choosy about their work environment in the past, the demands of today’s mare discerning ‘workforce provide an apportunity far local architects, Most af the time this means another expensively cladded high-rise tower, but with sustainable design, the office in Hong Kang changes its fundamentals. Another significant project is the Jockey Club Environmental Building by Simon Kwan & Assaciates, completed in 1996. The building adapted the principles of traditional Chinese building typologies, technologies and methods to contemporary urban circumstances. According to Simon Kwan: If the cylindrical building form and its attendant fenestration refer, stylistically, to the traditional Hakka village fortress, then the decision to carve a public corridor through the building represents an interesting extension ofthis respective building typology. Two key insight apply First, the permeable rendering of the building constitutes a signal of openness, optimism and confidence. Secondly, and perhaps more important, such a tactic complements and facilitates the building's environmental agenda." The building has purity of form and planning An open-air public corridor runs through it demarcaig and defining the symbolic north-south axis of traditional Chinese architecture, An open atrium on the raute provides ventilation and natural lighting to the surrounding office spaces and the transparent dauble glazed atrium cap admits daylight whilst controling hel gain. Smaller windows dominate the external facade The solid east and west elevations need no adeitional help to shade the sun at this latitude, The recessed, but fully glazed, windows emphasise the circular form: the gesture is symbotic as well as environmental “The conscious act of place-making is intrinsically Linked to the environmental features of the building’ Siman Kwan revealed in a subsequent lecture, The interplay of inside and outside, the joy of light and shadow, solid and void, natural and artifical, and Yin and Yang has its genealogy in Chinese architecture at philosophy. To be this close to the remote heritage rm which all these come is to acknowledge forces beyond the natural elements If there is a hidden agenda, anf it has to be explained with the term susta!nabilty,appears that the building is protraying it with poise and civility ~ almost like a mandarin, We search for solutions that elevate the pragmatic aspects af an architectural challenge, transform presumed constraints into engaging design and celebrate the refinement of necessity,” Siman Kwan concluded Kadoorie Biological Science Building, Heng Kang University In marked cantrast to the Jockey Building, the Kadoarie Biological Science Building by Leigh & Orange Architects provides an elegantly innovative architectural solution for a highly technical building on 2 small and constrained site. The 10-storey building sitting on eight 10-metre-high upturned pyramidal columns contains eight floars of laboratories and ane upper floor of aquariums and greenhouses. The east-west erientation of the site means the b Environmental building's major facades will be expesed to long hours of solar heat gain. To the credit of the architects, the environmental challenge was conveniently translated into a powerful and yet effective architectural solution The ‘black bax’ laboratories were enveloped with a Concrete enclosure and semiperforated outer curtain walls. They are set 2.6 metres apart and form external zones for services, maintenance and a filter to the external environment, The double-skin arrangement was designed to prevent solar gain and croate a stack effect to take unwanted colar and equipment he: away. The result is a calculated reduction of 37 tonnes of eo per year ‘These four prajects in Heng Kong may be unrelated in their inceptions, However, they all share common agendas such as: haw the building addresses the land and the urban fabric around it hove it contributes to a ‘matrix of movement and human needs; how the spaces are designed ta be as dense and as flexible as possible ta minimise the resources used; how sustainability can be developed in a hot, humid climate. To evaluate these buildings in isolation according to the amount of energy used, the materials spent and the waste they produce is missing the paint In a dense buitt environment, it is noi the building that matters. IL is the collective whole of buildings, supporting human life with the minimum effort and maximum efficiency, that count Buildings in Hong Kong are compact, efficient, mostly ‘ixad use and provided with well-planned amenities generally within vealking distance. The various settlements are so compact that they ean be served bya highly efficient and cost-effective public transport system Hable 1]. The per capita energy consumption is low compared to cities of an equivalent size and economic standing. What is mare important is that the energy has been very efficiently used ta generate wealth and a material guabity of ing, This isthe real measure of sustainable development in a high density metropolis.SL Thomas Herzog of Herzog and Partner What is your, or your practice's, definition of sustainable design? Sustainability in architecture ha: to be regaried Be o1igscio Vaviiea ces iba utes almost half of the eneray 's used to run buildings. A further 2 ‘punted for by traffic which ~ i influenced by urban planner architecture asa respans per cent rt is profession is of spect. In this 2 defined as far-reaching significance in thi design can ‘a working method, aimed at the preservation context, sustainab of aur natural resources while using renewable f energy extensively as possi What are your key concerns as a designer interested in sustainability? There are various topics (inked to the issue of sustainability, provenance of materials, the energy needed fo jart and refinement, the process of e degree of a building's th performance, expenditure for the ope! sustenance of buildings, their life span, flexibility with the adaptability of the building services, the suitability for dismantling and reassembling of the building components, and the possibility to convert ar recycle, But one of the main issues is the ntegration of technologies and components to use renewable energies ally solar energy ~ as uch as the choice and the their tran: construction ion and sssembly especially solar energy - ina satisfying way, especially one that ontrals the impact on, and potential for, th appearance of the building How would you judge the success of a building in the ‘green’ age? The success of a building is dependent on its overall performance, including its utility value, which has largely to do with the very complex that have been summarised under the term ‘ust But the beauty and the design ‘of 8 building is as important as its usability and beautifully made buildings four built environment ina topic function, Oni contribute to sustainable way and will be regarded as worthwhile to be preserved. Here, the integration of tech nolagies for the use of areful renewable energies offers the chance to generate new forms of architectural expression which are closely linked to the local condition, such as the microclimate and topography, the natural resources and the cultural heritage of a certain region In what way do you use nature as a guide? In general | da nat think that architecture can be deduced immediately from nature, since the de process and funetion af aur buildings are qui differen fram what is found in most plants and animals, Nevertheless, there are a lot of lessons to be learnt fram nature, especially with regard to the efficiency, pertorma e, adaptability, variety and jendous beauty which most organisms display under close observation. Considering that nature has to obey the same physical laws as man-made abjects this sho Id be seen as very encouraging for us, making it well worthwhile to study its principles and mechanisms. ©Inthe past decade the Netherlands has seen ‘many developments in sustainable design, characterised by a widening and deapening of the issue. Holistic, comprehensive approaches to design and construction are however still rare and many green design practices in the Netherlands concentrate on specific sustainability issues. This focus is commenly recognisable in the philosophy ofa project and can sometimes even be recognised from the project’s name. The City of the Sun, a new housing estate in the northern part of the country, where the use of sustainable energy has been the main aim, is a striking example af such naming and framing We have selected three project with three very different green design philosophies, which should effectively outline the current state of affairs in the Netherlands The first is Nieuw Terbregge, 2 new housing estate in the city of Rotterdam. This project consists of about 1,000 new dwellings and a sports centre and is part of the immense task of building 500,000 new dwellings which the Dutch government committed itself to in the 1993 National Spatial Policy Ptan. This plan states, that the new estates have to be built Between 1995 and 2005 and stipulates that green design knowledge is adopted when building the estates, Unpopular postwar distriets builtin cities adjacent to the new estates suller the consequences of these estates being realised Thase who can afford it, move to the new areas and rising unoecupancy rates are comman problems in postwar districts. The housing companies and local governments in these districts have to take action and either renovate, or ~ and with the current extraordinary prices for land and housing this is aften a more attractive option ~ demalish the buildings. Yo, the urban plans in most of these districts have some qualities which are worth preserving, and demolition produces huge amounts of waste Gur project, Oe Componist (the composer, pose a highly innovative solution to these problems. When possible, the urban plans and buildings are reused. As a result, resource dopletion and waste production are reduced by reusing the foundalians and shells of former flats, The Delit University of Technology Library is the third project we describe, and represents the wide body of knowledge about the greening of office buildings that has developed in recent years. Introduction Sustainable design in the Netherlands wos started by volunteers and amateur architects in the 1970s, Inthe following decades the pofessionaisation of these small-scale intatives vas boosted by national government policies. The National Environmental Policy Plans (ues have been used ta set the agenda tor sustainable development ond sustainable bulding in the Netherlands, Inspired by he Brundtland report the first Dutch ere was published in 1989 and by 1990s targets alroody needed tobe updated The revised edition came with an appendix entirely dedicated to sustainable construction, and from this moment onwards sustainable building became a popular isue for architect, urban planners and policy-makers. A Large numberof demonstration projects were initiated to prove the economic and technical feasibility of sustainable building measures and to communicate these results to the buling sector. The Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment produced three white papers, in 195, 1997 and 1999, containing programmes and action plans to get sustainable bung an the agenda of everyone volved inthe bull environment Developments in Sustainable Design The initial focus on sustainable construction with ‘emphasis on the use of environmentally friendly materials, the reduction of construction waste, and ‘energy elfciency and indoor climate has widened over the years. + From materials and energy to other ecological themes Themes such as water, taific and transport, green structures ‘and cultural heritage have become mare important, ‘+ From the construction and building level to the building block, neighbourhood and district level Opportunities for sustainable building can be facilitated Cr frustrated at higher spatial scales. = From newly built dwellings and offices to existing buildings. In the past decade the design of, and technologies for, newly built dwellings and offices have been improved and optimised. Attention has shifted to existing stock, and policy-makers have become aware that most of our future stock has already been built, and that itis in this existing stock that a considerable part of the environmental load is caused and important sustainability gains can be made. + From a focus on one point in time to a life-cycle approach. The built environment consists of many elements with varying life spans. The enviranmental load of the elements within the built environment should be considered from ‘cradle to grave’, including the load caused during use and maintenance of the built enviranment. This life-eycle approach is now the basis for comparison between different materials, products and designs,Meow eet, + From the physical system to the social system. The social environment in which sustainable building takes place has become important. There is no ecclogical sustainability without social sustainability Issues such as social segregation and quality of life have acquired 3 prominent place on the agendas of politicians and designers. The more issues and themes are addressed as sustainable building, the ‘more the people responsible for these issues have to be involved in the project. * From professionals to end-users. At the beginning of the 1990s sustainable building policies were focused mainly on professionals like architects, planners, installation experts, builders, contractors, etc. During the evaluation of the first demonstration projects it bocame clear that the behaviour of the end-users of the buildings was an important factor in the fature or success of sustainable building measures. Energy- and water-saving systems, for example, require disciplined behaviour by the occupants of buildings. When it comes to refurbishment, renovation, restructuring or reuse of existing buildings or neighbourhoods, the existing ‘occupants cannat be ignored during the planning and carrying aut of such projects, Gver time our knowledge has deepened on all the issues addressed by the concept of sustainable building. We have learnt about the effects of our actions on the environment, tools have been developed ta measure these effects and methads have been introduced to weigh them, Many decision-suppart tools have been developed to help the decision-makers incorporate sustainability goals in their designs and decisions. Many technological innovations, ranging from high tech to low tech, have been developed to reduce the environmental load of creating, using and maintaining the built environment. Key Influences: Water And Energy The key issues addressed in Dutch sustainable building policies can be explained by a combination of geographic, climatic and, perhaps more importantly, cultural factors. The Netherlands, part of the Low Countries, has to struggle to exist. About 50 per cent of the land is, below sea level, and ifit were not for our dykes, artificial dams and waterworks, the country would ne exist in its current form, The polycentred Randstad with six million inhabitants, is the cultural, economie ‘and political centre of the Netherlands. This densely populated area is located in the western part of the country, the part which is below sea level ‘Alongside energy, which has been an important sustainable building issue since the energy crisis inthe 1970s, water is ane of the key issues in sustainable building. Water quantity and water quality are addressed in sustainable building measures, Water quantity is concerned with both floading and drought. Despite cur huge amounts of surface water, the lowering level of ‘our ground water is one ofthe biggest environmentat problems in the Netherlands. The quality of our water fg also of concern. Toxicants from many diverse sources pollute the ground, surface water and soils. The ecological value of the surface water, in terms of biodiversity, is in decline. Many water measures are therefore aimed at simultaneously addressing these various water problems. Al the water-systems lev, efforts are focused on keeping the water within the a preventing its transportation to other areas with oth water qualities ~ and directly inilrating storm water to relieve the sewage system. At the building level, water ‘measures are aimed at the reduction af water usage - for example, by installing water-saving taps and tolls ~ and by the reuse of grey water whichis increasingly recycled and cleaned in filters For designers, water is an attractive sustainability issue, Living near water is popular in Holland, which tives designers freedom to design with water. Jbura ‘@ new Amsterdam suburb which is now being built beside a lake, is one of the latest examples of giving ‘water priority both as a design quality [such as the replication of Amsterdam-style canals with houseboats ‘and dacks for yachts] and as a sustainability quality {An integrated system of water infrastructure will ‘embrace drinking water, grey water and water recycling using helofyten filters and ecological banks, Key Players Achieving sustainability goals in architecture and urban planning requires many political skills.Decision-making in the Netherlands is, characterised by consultation and consensus. Incorporating sustainability goals within building projects is also characterised by the process of ‘wheeling and dealing, especially because most of the sustainability measures are not imposed by law, and their implementation therefore relies for a large part an the enthusiasm of the people involved. The architect and urban planner play important roles in the planning process, sometimes backed up by local government departments or by the project ‘commissioner, Those who are successful are therefore equipped with both design and ‘communication skills. They also have ta be process managers, able to manage tho stakeholders towards agreement on the plan to hand, Many sustainability measures require highly specialised knowledge which is beyond the capacities of individual designers. The designer should therefore bring together expert knowledge ~ technological knowledge and knowledge of the behaviour and preferences of the occupants or end-users of the buildings and public space ~ and integrate this in the design. Therefore, the most difficult challenge today for designers in the Netherlands is to find a balance between design qualities, sustainability goals and social goals. The three projects described below give a good impression of how Dutch designers deal with this challenge. Nieuw Terbregge, Rotterdam The RE-Start Rotterdam project, Nieuw Terbregge, demonstrates how innovation can bbe achieved at the scale of the development of an area of 840 houses, The RE-Start project Involves eight European cities and addresses Renewable Energy Strategies and Technology Applications for Regenerating Towns. The project is used as an example of the houses Rotterdam plans to build in the near future. Nieuw Terbregge is innovative in the application of energy technology on a large scale and in the process this involves. The development of the entire project of 860 houses is in the hands of a commercial project developer, who is working on the basis of performance requirements provided by, and agreed with, the City of Rotterdam. The public/private partnership has made it possible to integrate the urban and architectural design of various parts of Nieuw Terbregge. Four architects have developed parts of the estate, and one of them is also in charge of the urban development. The eneray strategies are seen as an integral part of the urban and architectural design and consist of Nieuw Terbregge is separated from a major highway bya hill made of controlled polluted sand. This has been developed into a linear park, from which one can ‘overlook the highway and the buildings. On its north border Nieuw Terbregge faces the dykes of Ratterdam’s iver, tha Rotte Part of Nieuw Terbregge demonstrates the application of solar energy in buildings. As the aim was 10 focus on replicable technologies, passive solar and active solar thermal systems have been used. Two storey sunspaces on the entrance facade of the hauses and é-square-metre solar callectors contribute to the energy demand of space heating and domestic hot water: Other parts of Nieuw Terbregge demonstrate integrating heat delivery by using small-scale, combined heat-and power-stations, Each heat delivery station provides heat to about 40 houses, thereby minimising the length of transportation pipes. Several solutions for planning and design integration are demonstrated in Nieuw Terbregge, Rotterdam. ‘Small-scale combined heat and power [chp] units are placed ‘in cascade’, so that the heat load is optimised. Heat is stored temporarily in a central storage tank. Electricity enters the electricity grid, and is partly used on site. One heat delivery station also contains a ground: water heat pump syste. Cambinations of heat/pawer installations and heat pumps are especially efficient and the heat/pawer installation produces electricity that can bbe used for the heat pump. The heat delivery stations are developed, managed and maintained by a utility company. High-insulating glass [U-value of 1.0 W/m2K| and appropriate insulation levels [U-values below 0.3 \Wim2K) have been used to minimise heat demand in the homes, The City of Rotterdam required the project to meet the requirements far its sustainable building programimie. The choice of sustainable building ‘materials has been a significant design input. The Dutch building code has contained an energyBorns aca 9 mask performance standard for new houses since 996. In 1998 and again in 2000 the maximum coefficient admitted was reduced, The RE-Start project, developed in 1994, demonstrated energy performances below the anticipated year 2000 level. The measures laken have reduced the ‘emission of co by 25 fin 1998], to 55 per cent (in 2000), compared to new houses built in 1996. Further reduced levels are anticipated for the second part of Nieuw Terbregge, which is currently under development. The developer hes found that the project is commercially valid. The policy to use urban, architectural and technical quality as a benchmark has allowed the integration of energy issues, New project initiatives are already building on the experiences gained with the RE-Start Rotterdam project. De Componist Maassiuis The Housing Corporation Maassluis (ws) undertook an innovative and challenging project: how to transform and upgrade a 50-year-old housing estate to currant standards of ling? This challenge included the reuse of multistoreyed apartment buildings and the recycling of building components taken from such buildings, The apartments, builtin the 1950s, no longer met the requirements for current standards of living, They were small, badly insulated and sadly soundprooted with considerable problems with noise fram neighbours. The neighbourhood consisted only ‘af multistoreyed flats and, on the whole, offered an unpleasant living environment. Taking note of arising unoccupancy rate, the wsu decided to restructure the neighbourhood. Instead of demolishing the building &locks and rebuilding new dwellings, the housing company decided to reuse the urban plan, to reuse some of the Mats and to dismantle other flats and reuse their components and foundation to keep the demolition and construction waste produced by the project as low as possible, Reuse of the foundations and shells was expected to save eight to 10 per cent of the costs as well as minimise resource impacts, De Componist, which formerly consisted of iv apartment blocks, four storeys high, was transformed into 118 family unit dwellings and 41 apartments, al for sale. Two of the building blocks were renovated and fitth floors were added. The two top floors were removed fram three other blacks and in these the remaining floors were redesigned as dwellings for families. The sixth apartment building was demolished to ground level and the foundation was reused for family dwellings. Van de Seijp of Kokon Architects, the architect of this project, found the many constraints within which the design had to be made a challenge. It had to fit he existing layout of the buildings, which meant that the new apartments had to be designed with two load: bearing compartments, one 3.3 metres wide and one 4.5 metres, This provided the opportunity to design dwellings of various and exceptional widths, and resulted in a wide varioly of dwelling typologies for different market segments, The challenge was to ‘mask these differences, and was met by using a rather anonymous facade. Dismantling buildings is not easy because most buildings are not designed with the idea of deconstructing and reusing various elements and components, In Maassluis the building team was faced with some difficult problems.’ Many of the buildings were not constructed according to the plan on file which made it necessary to introduce further safety measures, Furthermore, apprapriate dismantling techniques did not exist so it was necessary to learn by trial and error. Another obstacle to reuse is the change in building regulations, whieh means that components used by the construction industry 50 years ago do not conform to present standards, IL was not possible to avercome these barriers within the planning of this project, and the building team had to give up their amtition to reuse building elements. However, they did sueceed in reusing the Urban plan, the foundations and the shells and the housing company therefore calls this project - which will be finished in December 2001 - a success and worth replicating in the Future. Ifthe cost of dumping building and demolition waste rises, the pressure fr further innovations in this field is expected to grow The third project is the Delft University of Technolgy Library: a building of glass and grass. The Delitdn 2 toes etege Dunn 0 128-9 maa bites Tene University of Technalogy buildings have been relocated to a campus an the fringe of the city since the 1960s, The library, previously lacated in the city contre, moved there in 1998. The new library is located on the edge of the campus, behind the colossal Aula designed by Van den Broek & Bakema Like almost all university buildings in Det, the Aula is a huge construction in concrete and it evokes associations with giant frogs, concrete thunderbirds or spaceships. Mecanoo Architects, the architectural company commissioned to design the new library, was started several years ago by Delft alumni. They decided that the Aula required a contrasting volume that would contribute to.a campus atmasphere and provide a green landscape rising gently upwards at the rear of the Aula to continue as the library's triangular grass raat. The facades of the library are made of glass, strengthening the illusian of a hovering carpet of grass, The concrete paths that crisscross the landscape on the library raof are designed to invite students and academies to wander and linger informally. A cane of steel and glass pierces the grass roof. The cone symbolises technique, but is also functional: it contains reading cubicles and fills them with daylight The climatic facade, the grass roof and the cooling strategy are the most important sustainability measures in the library design. The required transparency is achieved by Using glass climate-responsive facades. These maximise the use of daylight and save the energy needed for artificial lighting. The grass roof, of course, contributes to the architectural look of the library, but also has great heat accumulating and insulating properties, co the space beneath it, where many books are stored, is less susceptible to changes in temperature. It also contributes to excellent soundpracfing and to the infiltration and retention of storm water’ Hot and cold storage, another sustainable technique, avoids using disfiguring cooling units on top of the grass root Cold or heat captured in water is stored in twa separate tubes in the ground in a sand layer which lies at a depth of 45 metres to 70 metres, Inwintertime the warm wa s pumped up to cool off in the open air in the library and is then pumped back into the other tube. In summer the water takes the opposite route. The decision-making processes that led to the design and realisatian of the building were important in this project. From the beginning of the design process in 1993, the university board decided that the library should be “green’, bath architecturally and technically. 90m, a onsultancy company that specialises in environmental design, was added to the tearm to maximise the greening of the design, The hot and cold storage, which fitted perfectly in the architectural design, was one of their cancepts, Other ideas, such as solar panels and a special graen galvanising process for the steel construction, met with more resistance, either because they were too expensive or because their technical feasibility was doubted However, this project, like many other innovative sustainable buildings, has had its problems. The grass roof shows that new combinations of materials and techniques can lead ta difficulties that can not always be foreseen and prevented, The methods that were used turned out ta be insufficiently waterproof and today state-of the art sustainable building prescribes other construction techniques for grass roots. Realisation af the project turned out to be another problem. The design required very precise implementation and the choice af intelligent building systems was not always the best fro a sustainability point of view. The Delft University Library opened its doors (0 users in 199 and despite the teething traubles, which seem to be almost inevitable with ground breaking techniques, the library fulfils, expectations. It is a building which challenges students and academics to study and to debate and confirms the importance of practice in the Netherlands to the wider understanding of sustainability. ©ectural form. Ir nle, land has been » impunity, climates ily modified artiif4 or perceived’ contamination, are located in cities. “The Natural Resources Defence Council, one of the country’s premier environmental groups, has suggested that there are 400,000 seriously polluted brown-field sites nationwide that need radical and extensive treatment to restore them to use, While funding is available through federal agencies and the EPA, much of the respansibilty for brown-field development has shifted to state and local government. Many of these sites are located in the Midwest ~ America’s former industrial heartland - where land reclamation projects have included the redevelopment of former steel mills on the Monongahela River to create the new Pittsburgh Technology Centre. One of the most significant current projects is in Detroit ~ the birthplace of the car industry. The state of Michigan first passed progressive brown- field legislation in 1990 and more recent modifications have helped to encourage the reuse of former industrial sites, Currently the Ford Motor Company is working with the architect William McDonough and landscape architect Julie Bargman to develop a plan to restore the 1,100-acre industrial site that was first developed in the flood plain of the River Rouge by Henry Ford and architect Allert Kahn, in 1917. This has begun with a $2 billion scheme to build a new automobile plant on a 550-acre reclaimed brown-field site ~ a scheme that has been described as the largest industrial ecology effort in the world.’ So there are signs that recycling, at least of land, is being taken seriously in the USA, Low-Eneray Destan Although inhibited by the availability of cheap {uol, there have been some efforts to utilise alternative energy sources. Iniiatives to use passive solar systems have created modest benefits whilst other federal tax incentives have been designed to promate the use of wind power ‘ver more polluting eis in America. Wind farms have been operational in California for several years and a now $16 million project ‘was completed recently in Madison, New York Energy from these sources, together with planned developments in Texas and the Great Plains, have prompted the US Energy Depariment to predict that 4,600 megawalts of wind power [enough to provide fr 1.7 million households and almost double today’s figures) willbe avaitable in 2001, The vs Energy Secretary has cet a goal of increasing wind's share of America’s electoral capacity to 5 per cent by 2020. Less stringent legislation and a tendency to amart buildings over shorter periods has made the design of energy-efficient buildings develop more slowly in America than in Europe. Legistative initiatives, ike Tile 24 which was introduced to reduce energy use primari by limiting the extent of glazing in new buildings, have been effective for several years in California, These have been strengthened more recently with the adoption of ssw: 90.1 as the standard to which the design of all federal government projects should comply. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design programme (um) released by the us Green Building Council in 2000! provides a performance-bas assessment which embraces a wide range of concerns including site development, specifications for mater and the design of buildings to give bath qualitative and {quantitative measures to assess ‘greenness’. Like the British Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method in the ux, cto is voluntary and its success depends.on committed clients, However, it becoming increasingly used and in Seattle all state- funded projects now have to produce a it» assessimen These initiatives are helping to create better understandings of green’ building and establish usell benchmarks for both clients and architects. The power and capacity of industry has tended to limit awareness and innovation in the design of ‘green buildings in North America, After 1946 the design of ‘many modern buildings was inspired by material research and product development prompted by the trensfer of technology and production systems developed for the war effort. However, as the large corporations that supply the construction industry hae sought te standardise in order to achieve increased efficiencies and maximise profits, much of that invention has been smothered, As these standardised ranges of industrial products are also made widely available through the extraordinary effectiveness of transcontinental distribution systems, new buildings tend to become generalised and overengineered. Thest ‘characteristics are in sharp contrast to the particular which is often required of ‘green’ buildings - buildings ‘designed to respond to the characteristics of region ‘and site, to specific uses and the long-term needs of a community, the nation and a global constituency Extreme Climates ~ A Mixed Blessing Extremes of climate place stringent demands on designers in North America, For example, the use al natural ventilation, either to replace air conditioning integrated with mechanical systems in ‘mixed mode schemes, ig more successful in moderate climates Consequently its use has been limited, with the most use in bufldings along the West Coast. However, fesearch has shown that certain building types can benefit from natural ventilation. So, for example, inigning the new David L Lawrence Convent on Center in Pittsburgh, Rafael Vinoly ‘explored the use of natural ventilation especially during those times when exhib! mbled or dismantled an By cont are a: when comfart needs are less stringent ast the new computer seience facility at York University in Toranto has been designed by Van Nostrand and Di Castri Architects in a joint venture with Peter Busby and Associates to create distinct zone: of different uses, so as to incorporate natural ventilation as part of a mixed-mode system. Phoenix Central Library ‘Some initiatives have been prompted by architect designing buildings in extreme climates, The Phoenix Central L Arizona, designed by Will Bruder, is @ large new public building in { the sixth largest city in the United rowing rapidly population of well over a million. The c the centre extends aver an area of 2,000 square miles. In designing the 280,000-square-foot library in thi setting, the ambition was to create a building that emphasised a commitment to civic values and reflected concerns for sustain sequently the library was located on a downtown funded with money raised through the passing of a public band issue, and was planned to provide for a broad range of facilities and programmes. It ha developed other prough its integrative design approach which helps to addres extreme climate. The bu all the cloakraom: ing has been organised with staircases and plant roo! ofa larg 3s providing 1 saddlebags have in two long ‘saddlebags' to either side rectangular five-storey library. As wel lateral bracing far the building, th been designed to sh rom the hot desert sun. And hand south facades are fully glazed to provide good le ‘of natural lighting within protected by externa’ fabric sail n developing the design, the a while the not the library, they are alsc of adjustable louvre nitect explored the economies olfered by industrialised con dy of the bul adily availab ‘Although pi Consequently t designed to utilise components ast concrete is mor ommanly used for warehouses and car-parking ieuctures, Bruder saw it as ‘a late 20th cen vernacular material in the southwest” By adopting t material and benefiting from already perfected system he was able to ensure that the library was constructedquickly and inexpensively. It also embodie thermal mass that benefits long-term performance and running costs, The library has been planned with a large public reading room, ‘on the top floor above four floors of stacks. Inspired by Labrouste’s Bibliotheque Nationale, the structural system and constructional logic of this generous double-height space are made clearly legible. The room is also well lit, using carefully controlled natural daylight, and has ‘good views out aver the city, The library was built with 3 modest budget ~ $98 per square foot ~ and reflects a refined sense of economy. When Bruder talks about the building he frequently quotes Antoine de Saint-Exupery, the poet, aviator and confidant of Le Corbusier, who said that, in anything at all, perfection is finally attained nat when there is na longer anything to add, but when there is na longer anything to take away’ This insight fittingly summarises the design of one of the most significant and environmentally sensitive buildings to be built in America in the last decade. Z tA SEA She: Lg eee Sandra Day O'Connor United States Courthouse, Phaenix The Sandra Day O'Connor Courthouse, which is also in Phoenix, opened in October 2000, It was designed by Richard Meier as a part of the us General Services ‘Administration's Design Excellence Program ~ an initiative to create a legacy of outstanding publi buildings. Like the Central Library it has been built en site in the heart of the city in an effort to anchor the downtown of this otherwise overwhelmingly suburbs conurbation. The 571,000-square-foot courthouse together with @ newly created plaza, fill a two-block ite and are part of a group of buildings that include the City Hall, County Offices and the State Supreme Court Planned within a compact rectangular envelope, th long facade of the new building, which frants on to Washington Straet, opens on to an atrium. It is 350 feet long and 150 feet wide and extends the public space of the entry plaza into the courthouse. Described by asa great civic hall ..an inspiring space that betongs to the people and the city” this new public roorn alsa highlights an innovative response to the design of th environment.Ina place where summer temperatures can reach 12°F, to design a building with a 98,000- square-foot glass-enclosed atrium would seem to be creating a problem. However, by working, closely with mechanical engineers from Arup, the architects were able ta develop a passive system which maintained comfort conditions by using integrated systems of ‘evaporative cooling’, natural ventilation, conditioned spilt air and shading to create an environment that provides a high level af human comfort, Evaporative cooling utilises a fine mist which is sprayed acrass a current of warm dry air As the water is absorbed, the air’s humidity increases while its temperature decreases. In the design of this courthouse, outside air is pulled in at the top of the atrium’s glass facade just below the root, It moves across the atrium under the roof until it bits the sixth-floor wall of the courthouse black Above the gallery at this level, nozzles spray the air with water As this moisture is absorbed, the air not anly cools dawn but alsa becomes heavier and descends to the atrium floor. Exhaust air from the enclosed courthouse great civic hall, an inspiring space that belongs to the peopl climate and programme, and the cultural patterns of a locality this search highlights an interest in heterogeneity and ane that carries with it an inherent interest in the econamy and enlightened intuition of the vernacular. Consequently, Seabird Istand School in the Fraser Valley in British Columbia, which was designed by the Patkaus for and with the Salish Indian Band, nade use of indigenous materials so that the same community could also construc! the building. That this project was one of a series initiated by government ‘made it all the mare potent. For the more recent Strawberry Vale School in Victoria, the Patkaus adopted ‘more common construction practices, but the design ‘was also carefully planned to mitigate the impact of canstruction on the site by capturing and cleaning the runotf water through selected planting regimes betore it re-entered the ground water. The building was also designed to maximise natural light within the school ‘and materials were selected to minimise embodied energy and toxicity The Revenue Canada Building in Surrey, British Columbia, which opened in 1998, was the result of a design/build competition with an emphasis on low life eycle costs, The 11,150-square-metre office building, le and e city, this new public raom also highlights an innovative response the design of the environment. ‘spaces and overflow from the air-conditioned balconies provide additional cooling. To complete the cycle; the air flows back outside through openings located several feet above the ground ‘oor, Exploiting this low-cost passive technology ‘nd utilising shading devices, the temperature fn the floor af the atrium during hot summer days is generally about 20 degrees cooler than. ‘on the street, and for most of the year the atrium can be maintained at a comfortable 73°F degrees making a significant and much-needed hhabitable civic space in one of the hottest places in America. The View from Canada In Canada the climate is also extreme, However, the scale of projects and the design approaches often appear more madest. The approach of a number of Canadian practices, perhaps most notably seen in the work of the Patkaus, highlights a search for what they have described ‘as found potential’. In each of their projects this represents a considered reaction against homageneity. Based on a close scrutiny of site, designed by Peter Busby & Associates, was planned on five levels with two bars of office space connected by a core of service spaces, meeting rooms and storage. Develaped to advance green design principles, the affices were planned so that virtually all th ‘workstations are no more than eight metres from natural light and openable windows. A raised floor is used to distribute air, power and communications from below. One hundred per cent fresh air is provided in large volume at low velacity and employees can control the location and velocity of suppty air at each workstation, Curved glass sun screens fitted externally, internal light shelves and low-e glazing help to create {an energy-efficient envelope, To avaid glare in the offices, artificial lighting is indirect with 70 per cont provided as uplighting while photosensors optimise internal lighting conditions automatically. Exposed ‘concrete ceilings allow heat from occupants and equipment to be absorbed during the day by the thermal mass which is then purged overnight. This dynamic thermal storage has made it possible to reduce the mechanical equipment and associated maintenance costs, and enables the building to operate at 60-70 per cent below the targeted sue 90.1 level.2Cae cew foe ani = ( Narth (eesea 16 erst uelly ee ea be feet ce See emer Cee a ate Pee get Coie 3 Figen a Cees eeeCChiet Boonstra isa Seniar Consultant in Sustainable Development a one Accommodation andl Real Estate, ‘Amerstaor, the Netherlands, Clive Britfett has PhD in Planning and an MSe in Environmental Assessment and Management fram Osford Brookes University in the uk. He alza has an [MSc in Building Eeanomics and Management trom University College, London University, and is a Fellow fof the Royal institution of Chartered Surveyors and ‘| member af the International Association of Impact Acoesssment, He is.an Associate Protesear in the Department of Real Estate o! the School a Design ‘and Environment, National University of Singapore, His books include The Birds of Singapore KOxtord University Press, 1994), and Multinia Use Green Corridors inthe Cay: Guidelines for Implementation Nature Society Singapore, 20001, He has edited proceestings for the Master Plan Fr the Conservation of [Nature in Singapore [Nature Sotiey Singapore, 1990), rwironmental Issues in evelopment and Conservation (School of Building and Estate Management, 193] ‘and The State ofthe Naturat Enviranment in Singapore [Nature Society Singapore, 1999] His eurrent areas bf research include the ettactivenas et environmental assessment in Asia and the potential lar strategic environmental assessment in East Asia, Me has written Fora wide range of international journals an mattars rolating to environmental impacts arid management Brian Carter isthe Chair of Architecture and a Professor af Architecture at the University of Michigan ‘hn architect and urban designer, he was educated atthe Nottingham School of Architecture and the University of Toronto. He has warked in practice, most recently wth Arup Associates in London, In addition, he has taught atthe University of Bristol, the University of Califoria- Berkeley, the University of Liverpool, the Foyal Academy o! Copenhagen and the Rhode Island Schoal of Design. An Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, he has served the ex both 2s an external ‘examiner and a jurerin design competitions and ards. His writings have appeared in interiationally published books and journals, including the. Architectural Review and Architecture. Professor Carter has algo curated a number of exhibitions, including the exhibit on the work of Royal Gold Medalliet Pater Rice Chrisna dy Plessis holds Bachelor and Master degrees Df Architecture fram tha Unwersty ot Pretoria, She lectured part-time atthe university while pursing career as development strategist before moving in 1989 to the Divicion of Building and Construction Technalogy at the Coun for Scien and Industrial Research whore she naw works in the Programme for Sustainable Human Seltlement, She isa member of two ‘working groups dealing with sustainable development within the International Goureil for Research and Innovation in ‘Bualding and Construction fs, and is joint co-ordinator of ae of them [1528: Urban Sustainability. In this capacity, she has written the South African report on sustainable development ‘andthe tuture of construction, and co-authored the chapter ob urban sustainability inthe sm Agenda 21 fr the Construction Industry. The rp has recently appointed her to ordinate sn Agenda 21 for Sustainable Consteuetion inthe Develsping ‘World, She js alsa @ member ofthe Interim Notional Steering CCornmittee on the implementation of i42] and the Habitat Agenda for South Arica, and is involved in developing the ‘countrys National Strategy for Sustainable Development. Shs has delivered several papers al rational and international conferances and workshops, ands the authar ofa number al internationally published papers and contributions to books | the subject of sustainable development Brian Edwards ic an architec! with a particular interest sustainable design, He has practised and lectured widely inthe licand abroad, and has been a spoakor on radio and telewsn including nae Radio 4's Casting the Earth. He studio atts ‘schaols of architecture in Canterbury and Edinburgh arin Saegow wners he abtained hie PhD. He i now Professor at Architecture at Edinburgh Collegeof Ar/Heriot-Wtt Unive He has alse been Professor of Architecture atthe Unversity of Huddersfield. His other books include Breen Bualdings Pay And Sustainable Architecture Many of the ideas discussed in this sie are those raised a the sata Sustainable Futures Committee pan which the quest editor sits, Professor Lindsay Johnston i Dean ofthe Faculty of ‘Architecture, Building and Design, the University of Newest Australia, He isa farmer national eauncillor ofthe Royal Aystralian Institute of Architects and principal author af the rats Education Policy. He has heen the recipient of a number af architecture awards for built works ineluding the 1997 ra usw Environment Avard for an experimental ‘autonomous house and the 2000 was nse Premier's Arar far tourist eo ledges’. He writes extonsivelyon environmental architecture and his buildings have been published internationally, Edward Na isthe Director af the Design Technology Laborsay and an Associate Professor atthe Chinese University of Hg Kong, He was trained and quaifiod as an architect m the ve And obtained his PRO from Cambridge University He hae researched and published on daylighting design for highrise ‘ies, sustainable design af campact urban Farms an gees schonle Ellen van Bueren is Research Assistant in the Faculty af Policy and Managarnont and tiie The Eealogical City a Delt University of Technolagy, the Netherlands,In the Realm of the Senses Building Profile: The Eden Project Practice Profile: Zombory-Maldovan Moore Book Reviews Highlights from Wiley-Academy Site LinesWhen the Architectural Review noted in 1954 that, ‘to the European architect few creatures could laok as fabulous a his Brazitian counter filter back from Rio - of men with Cadillacs, supercharge hydroplanes, collections of adern blush, bikin they must have had in mind one parti Ribeiro de Almeida de Niemeyer Soare Niemeyer was born in 1907 into a patrician but modest nily and brought up in Laranjairas in Ri id houses, with high-ceiling 92 waded by palm trees, that had hardly changed since the pictures of Debrot. Niemeyer felt architecture to be a vocation. He studied at the Escola Nacional de Belas Arte and his time there included a year during Luc lived ‘Functional’ course, Unwilling to compromise with ‘tas he appears in the staries which 4 receptionists and no visible assistants F architect; Oscar Janeiro, a Costa's si urrent commercial architectural practice, upon his graduation 934 he became an assistant to Costa who, having himself converted to Madernism in 1930 was enduring five years with almost na wark. It could net have been an easy decision for n undergoing a boom, due equally to Niemeyer: Ric was t pragramme of national self-sutficiency and to the Agaché Plan for the reconstruction of the centre, It was, as Philip in. author of Brazil Builds, noted in 1942, part Paris nd part Los Angeles. While architecture was conservative engineering was very dynamic: the ‘A Noite’ building, where Costa had his office, was the tallast reinforced-concrete structure in the world in 1928. According to Costa, the young Niemeyer displayed no special aptitude fer architecture. Niemeyer learnt all he needed te know about the Modern rchitectural language in a few weeks in August 1936 during .¢ Corbusier's brief visit to Brazil as adviser on the new Ministry of Education building, Such was the confidence he Realm of the Senses gained that he was able to take the Corbusian formulation of Modernism and turn it into a highly ‘bane building that was immediately sensual a sed as a masterpiece. He did this so busier tried to claim it as hi own: he doctored photographs uecesstully that Le nd copied drawings him by Casta after construction. While ‘ecognisably a Purist building, the Niemeyer's wark distinct from Le een to have emerged here: the dynamic relationship of the forms te the urban space, the sensuousness of colour, the inhabitation of the ground space. The story was repeated for the United Nations uarters, New York, in 1947, Wallace Harrisen had been impressed by the Brazilian Pavilion Niemey designed with Ci New York World's Fa ‘of 1999, and invited him to join the rather mixed bog of consultants, Niemeyer provided the architectont colution [made '32'| to Harrisons preferred Modern aesthotic; the Beaux-Arts trained feeling for Modernism and of course later abandoned it for a monumental and authoritarian style, Le Corbusi had long abandoned his Purist style and would have battle was lost, he fiddled with Niemeyer’s proposal produce the unsatisfactory final selution |modet ‘32 Niemeyer encountered no such interference ir Brazil, however. Gustavo Capanema, who had mmissioned the Ministry of Education building and Juscelino Kubitschek were deeply cultured and genuinely passionate about architecture. They were also ruthless technocrats, anather factor which led Le Corbusier to believe that Brazil was an ideal countryssa Niro hate Sa etn Lice Gat Mri ection eran Ele rane Tal Jann, sa? Ps aspen ol cence Bah Cathcart oieetual unaicen, Neteslindendn ete: Tepes omeidered te Bogie Intel rey Cte Poa (wow mutta main Merete etme erm Sadia Ga igi Nee | ese nce era Acne ‘allueking evsadions Bross eho aon wel wane he (esteem ne tour acho agra suk ata rte) ‘ol ernest hn ay hap ain ely erences ee ‘eset mr. ‘toute, Met At pt ahr oro ues ug essed vera eee Nac 99. Srp font recen bulénystinine for Modernism. Niemeyer became almost the court architect as Kubitschek, who commissioned Pampulha as mayor of Beto Horizonte, went on to commission Brasilia as president of Brazil. Here, Niemeyer was able ta repay his debt to Costa as he certainly recognised his hand in the five small pieces ‘of paper he submitted for the competition fer the urban plan. Niemeyer relates that it was in his house in Canoas that Kubitschek became convinced that Brasilia was feasible. Itis possible, even probable, that Niemeyer then rushed to Juca’s Bar in Copacabana, collected half a dozen friends and the barman, and that they drave 1,000 kilemietres into the interior, only stopping to buy a lorry load of wood and hire a cook, and built the Catetinho Palace with their own hands, When Kubitschek dropped by in the presidential helicopter and found a little Niemeyer house, ready with cook and butler, how could he resist? It becomes easier to understand the design of Brasilia when one reads of the extraordinary trips across the totally unpopulated cerrade into the unknawn interior of Brazil ~ 20 hours or more by car across dirt roads. The site was a desert of dry red silt; Costa, Niemeyer and Roberto Burle Marx made it bloom. Why should Brasilia be like a normal city? Why not try to redeem the Modern covenant with landscape, which had been so disastrously grafted on to urban fabrics elsewhere? The uncritical adhesion to Modernism was, of course, ultimately Niemeyer’s - and Brazil's - undaing, The country’s unresolved internal political conflicts brought about its downfall in a ClA-backed coup in 1964, Unlike so many Modern architects who paid lip service to political principles, Niemeyer ‘was a genuine communist. His communism was expressed as a commitment to public service, fully in keeping with the technocratic ideals of his contemporaries. On the succession af the military government, Niemeyer went into a long and necessary exile. He was fortunate to extend his career in France (the Communist Party headquarters, Paris, 1945; the Cultural Centre in Le Havre, 1972), Italy Ithe Mondadori headquarters, Milan, 1948] and Algeria Ithe University of Constantine, 1969]. The military {government was deposed in 1985, but the technocratic and meritecratic regime in Brazil which had supported Niemeyer had long disappeared. His latest works are rather an embarrassment: compare the Latin America Centre in Sao Paulo (19871 to the Praca da Trés Poderes in Brasilia (1960) oF the Museum of Contemporary Actin Niter6i (1997) to the praject far the museum in Caracas 11954) The reader need not look into The Curves of Time for any reflections on the demise af Modernism or any explanations of Niemeyer's career. The book is almost exclusively about his clients, triends and lovers, the beauties of Rio de Janoira and the landscape of Brazil In typically Brazilian fashion, saudades - the sense of fleeting happiness and past joy ~ permeates the book Perhaps itis things like these, after all, which itis most important for an aged architect to reflect on, I may not matter that most readers will not know the personalities or the history: the true subject of the book lies in the realm of the senses. © Thoms eckler i headin The Mado iy Ravn ‘Span Press onan ad Now York, 2000, wl incl besa Grain iy MersveLandsrape’ Thames Desir we Projects Bala! was pulsed nD Ueto 2008Like its greatest predecessors, the Crystal Palace and the Palm House at Kew, the Eden Project in Cornwall has captured the public’s imagination. Here, Jeremy Melvin describes the design and engineering details of Nicholas Grimshaw’s and Tony Hunt’s magnificent lightweight domes which owe more to Buckminster Fuller than to the nineteenth century. The geodesic dome is a perfect form for the Eden Project in Cornwall, The structure seems to lake the familiar technotagy ta new levels with its linked sequence af varyingly sized domes, So far these form two biames that simulate warm temperate and humid tropical enviranments, showing that the faraus structural system offers the lightness and economy the concept demanded. Also, the integrity of the idea that all the members are equally dependent on each other is an apt ‘metaphor for the interdependence of the decisions that tndertie the design, The resolutian between the extremely ‘complex ground engineering of an unstable china-clay pit and the predictable precision of the geadesic form finds a visual counterpart in the awkward proalem of making an interface hetween two dames — here finessed by tho sheer scale and the extraordinary nature of the contents, The project's erigins lie back in the mid-1990s, when the National Lottery's first flush of youth gave vent to many wild imaginings. Cornwall's geographic position may be isolated from the rest of Britain, but it also makes for interesting botanical possibilities; its geology may allow mining for china clay, but worked-out pits make unpleasant eyesores, Tim Smit had already exploited the county's botanical possibilities in creating the Lost Gardens of Heligan and, together with his initial partner ia the enterprise, Cornish architect Jonathan Ball, conceived of a spectacular botanical collection that would ‘oxplain the relationship 6f humans to plants across the world I wiould require vast greenhouses, not just to recreate the Climatic conditions of the tropics and the temperate zones, but also to allow plants to-graw to their full size ~ something no existing glasshouse permitted, Using a redundant china~ clay pit would avoid undue impact on landscape, as well as affording extra shatter ta temperate or tropical plants, and recycling an industrial site would add to the cacktail af funding available from European, local and national government bodies as wall as the Millennium Commission. They duly identified the Bodelva pit, 5 kilometres east of St Austell, asa potential site, and commissioned Nicholas Grimshaw and Partners and engineers Anthany Hunt Associates to produce the eye: catching design necessary to secure lottery funding Itwas the Waterloo International Terminal’ team, and the initial proposals recalled that magnificent, and then only recently completed, rail shed. Giant arched trusses of varying sizes extended from the bottorn of the pit to the cliff face. But this design could not be finalised until excavations ceased, and excavations ‘would not end until the pit could He bought ~ which in turn needed money which would not be forthcorning without a design. Grimshaw’s jab architect, Jalyon Brewis, remembers his colleague David Kirkland saying, ‘We're nat going to get there with fixed points top and bottom, so let's look at balls embedded in the earth’ “With a geodesic dome’, says Tony Hunt, ‘you can alter the perimeter, especially if it's based on & hexagon.’ The dome could adapt to variable and Unpredictable ground conditions, an added advantage siven that these comprised ‘faur grades of so-called rock’, Hunt explains that, ‘geologically i's granite but that’s all you can say’, the weakest grade being ‘in effect, mud’ In Hunt's opinion these difficult soit conditians made ‘the civil engineering ... mare complex than the tome’. Geodesic domes are variations of a generic solution, drawing an a large and existing body= aes tre | ETFE‘ot op tar Ther set ame cr & ETF et te ee Sa ee sO Alani ean © nenoreng cia for -) rom baer ee) of experience and knowledge, The ground conditions meant Used wrought and cast iron. Their equivalents now are that constructing foundations = including a concrete ‘necklace’ aluminium and E1re, which has less than 1 per cent of under the perimeter of the buildings - moving 800,000 cubic the weight of glass and can come in panels of up to metres of soil and developing a system of water-holding beds 11 square metres compared ta glass's maximum size to deal with rain- and ground-water withaut exceeding the of 2 by 4 metres. F1F&, used as inflated cushions, also permitted outflow called for unique, cantingent solutions. has good transmission for visible and ultraviolet ight One effect of these ground conditions was to reinforce the Glass would need to be double-glazed, increasing programme's demand for a lightweight structure, leading toa the complexity of installation and capacity of lifting Process which Jolyon Brewis describes. The Eden Project, he equipment, as well as the final weight. With larger says, ‘sits in the tradition of great glasshouses’. He mentions _panels than have ever been built before, and the largest the orangery at Chatsworth where Joseph Paxton cul his teeth _biame for the humid tropics environment spanning before the Crystal Palace, a wandertully elegant filigree at 110 metres and rising 56 metres, these are geodesic Lichtenstein Castle, and railway examples such as Barlow's domes to match, if not Bucky Fuller's famous proposal shed at St Pancras. What they all have in common, he argues, ta roaf over Manhattan, at least those that have actually ‘s that they all aimed to make an enclosure which was as light been constructed. and transparent as possible, given the materials, construction Such innovation demanded careful analysis and and structural knowledge of the day. Allused glass, and most development. At the tender stage for the envelope,‘rapes let) ae warm torperate ‘arposiion| Hy wriatin bec bo io non tho See Sec Hyg et el he te pce uy ha rk ge “item anperia bor, stop “roothegesene arate el 6 neva gn the design called for a single-layer structure with steel sectians 500 millimetres in diameter fo hale the aluminium and erre-cushion cladding system. The successful tenderer, the German company Mero, suggested a two-tier structure based on a system they have develaped over many years, with outer members of less than 200 millimetres in diameter and inner tubes of 114 millimetres in diameter. The resultant structure, of hexagons and the edd pentagon on the outer skin and triangles and hexagons for the inner, makes a fine three-dimensianal filigree without compromising the effect of lightness and transparency. A zane of diagonal struts connects the two layers of structure. On the outside of the outer structure are the etHe cushions. with three layers of fol. Made by Foiltec of Bremen in Germany (and subcontracted to Mero}, they weigh about 15 kilograms per square metre and are held an to the steel frame by aluminium extrusions. Although EIre is now relatively familiar, and some installations are 20 years old, the size ofthe cushions at Eden broke new ground in performance criteria and needed considerable development including physical tests end mock-ups. Their lightness makes ‘maintenance and replacement relatively simple. Wind-tunnel tests showed that, because the structures are ina pil below ground level, wind loads are rather loss than expected. However, snow loads, especially with the passibility of snow accumulating in the valleys between the domes, required an auxiliary cable-stay structure, Tony Hunt recalls that the geadesic dames’ smallest peculiarity ‘would provoke a four-hour dissertation Irom Bucky’, In finding solutions to the oddities of the site at Eden a subterranean pit with unstable ground ‘conditions ~ Hunt, Grimshaw and their suppliers have ‘gone hayond what even Buckminster Fuller envisaged. ©The singular and the idiosyncratic have often been regarded as characteristic of British art, The works of the greatest modern artists ~ Francis Bacon, Freud, Howard Hodgkin and Stanley Spencer ~ have been nourished on their own internal visions and personal references, Architecture, in contrast tends to veer away {rom discussions af the personal, o the Point of disowning the subjective and denying the contribution that individual tastes and preferences make. Adam Zambory- Moldovan, principal of London practice Zombory-Moldovan Moore, is a refreshing exception, Rejecting the current tendency to overconceptualise, and the obsession with the theoretical and the diagrammatic, he acknowledges the importance of the individual. He regards the sort of ‘subjective likes’ that are generally underplayed in ‘serious’ architectural discussions as ‘critical’ ~ proving essential to lively debate inhi office during the design process, What is clear from talking to him is that this insistence on one-to-one engagement in design demands a rare coherence of thought specific to each project. This does not allow him to fall back on the given or accepted, or an abstracted platform for thinking, which theory so often provides. Programme, situation ‘and material context are explored in a fresh, inclusive way. Since founding the office in 1990 with the architectural journalist Rowan Moore, Zombory: Moldovan has nurtured a profound. individual approach to architecture. The seeds of this were sewn at Cambridge, where he undertook both parts of his architectural education. There he was taught by Eric Parry, Dalibor Vesely and Peter Carl; Parry was largely responsible for fostering his interest in spaces as settings Zombory-Moldovan Moore Adam Zombopy-Moldevan is an architect who looks for parallels in art rather than architecture for his owe work, while remaining resolute in his architectural preoccupations - materials, space and context As Helen Castle faund out, when she visited his London office, tis an approach thet has allowed the practice to pursue very specific solutions to individual projects and to preduce an output if amazing diversity and the importance of the interior, and Carl for an understanding of the significance of the cultural and Urban context. Subsequently Zombory-Moldovan developed his own specific preoccupations with buildings’ material presence and atmosphere. It seems that from an early stage he had resolved to follow his wn instincts and develop his own work, For instance ion graduating he chose his first jobs for the sort of skills and opportunities they offered rather than for he type of architecture the office practised. In 1997, when he returned to Cambridge to run a diploma unit he set up a new programme to stimulate ideas about material presence: he introduced students to sites in neglected parts of London, such as Shoreditch Park and a disused railway line, and asked them to seek Potential in their existing physical presence or form. This was @ new departure for Cambridge at the time and, through acts of making, his students worked from ‘material intimacy to large-scale urban intervention A more fundamental watershed in his own practice, however, had already accurred tive years earlier, when Rowan Moore left Zombory-Moldovan Moore to take up the editorship of Blueprint and concentrate on journalism full time. This afforded Zombory-Moldovan a fresh opportunity to focus on and develop his own architectural interests. In his design practice Zombory-Moldovan is intrigued by the potential of the familiar - to be both explored and transformed. Each building is-an act of invention where—_— i Hit Hil ' l Hy WH Hi I Wahyyscuee | x 1 tT toa EEO BERET | i sy ie 1 i; e . = *i a " a 7 i. | a 4 | we i nae fi nnTHmaterial o be used to surprise or enrich, allowing it to perform in a less expected way to affect the nature of space What is clear is that in their design practice Zombory- Moldovan Moore focus on introducing invention through inteltectuat rigour, thinking through each aspect of a design as part of a diverse but coherent whole, This does nat anly come through in their choice of materials but also in their response to the individual brief of each commission, By eschewing the ‘wow factor’, which is so prevalent in so much contemporary architecture, they concentrate on tuning the quality of atmosphere for a particular building's activity. This 's most apparent in the work they have dane for art galleries. Rather than adopting the now common vocabulary of large expanses of white walls contrasted with bare concrete, ‘wood or stone, they reinvent each gallery space for its particular context and collection; as Zombary-Moldovan states, richness need not be measured against blandness or neutrality. For Sam Fogg Rare Books and Manuscripts, the office created a tong gallery space with further smaller ibraries and viewing spaces opening off it. The gallery space was designed to carefully orchestrate the relationship between ‘the main space and its subsidiary spaces in terms of darkness and light, and natural light and artifical ight. Within the main gollery, there was set up a dramatic contrast between a pale,

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