Discover Germany | Architecture Special
FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY Climate change affects all aspects of life and individuals and industries alike need to change their ways to provide a more sustainable world for future generations. But how does climate change transform architecture in our cities and how can the building industry help tackle the climate emergency?
24 | October 2021 | Issue 86
sponsible for around 40 per cent of the primary energy consumption. However, there is a lot already been done to mitigate this.” URBAN JUNGLES One of the most striking examples that we already see in many city centres are green facades and the use of plants to embellish buildings and roof gardens. Not only does it look better, it also helps reduce air pollutants and urban temperatures, it improves general well-being, the thermal benefits of structures, biodiversity as well as reduces noise. Another great factor to consider: it hides the more ugly aspects of city life. ENERGY-EFFICIENT BUILDING Energy-efficiency is a core aspect in most walks of life but even more so in architecture. More and more architects are interested in finding out what energy needs to be put in creating a building, as well as the amount of energy it will later use. In the past 30 years, the focus was primarily on the building shell and its operating power, while a general shift in focus now goes towards including the energy that is actually needed to create the building, as well as the actual building materials. The planning and building process needs to become less energy-consuming and architectural offices all over the world are working towards this common goal.
ARCHITECTURAL WORKING AS A WHOLE Of course, working and planning processes of architectural firms will have to be rethought too. Udo Sonnenberg explains: ”BIM, in essence the entire digital planning before we reach the building pit, will take on greater significance. It will help avoid mistakes that would lead to time exposure, expenditure and the waste of building materials in the building phase. Two thirds of the expenditure will be spend on the theoretical part, while one third will go towards the actual building phase. Due to the large amounts of material that get used in architecture, small mea- sures can often be already effective.”
PHOTOS: © PIXABAY
While more and more people move to cities, summers become hotter and drier all over the world. The climate emergency is evident, and most industries need to rethink and change their ways to become more sustainable. The architecture and building sector has often been called one of the most unsustainable industries, mainly due to the fact that they are known to produce even more CO2 emissions than global air traffic. Udo Sonnenberg, manager of the DAI, a union for German architecture and engineering associations, explains: “Construction activities substantially influence the climate. Let’s take a look at resources, for example. No other industry needs as many natural resources as the building sector. The existing building stock is also re-