Why are SDGs beneficial for architects and designers

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 goals adopted by the United Nations (UN) in 2015 as a blueprint for a better and more sustainable future for all. These goals cover a wide range of social, economic and environmental issues that needs to resolve to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development cultivated by the UN General Assembly. With an ambitious approach, the UN demands aid from professionals and consultants to contribute to the global effort towards sustainable development; this presents a unique opportunity that benefits architects and designers alike to shape the future of the built environment. By analysing goals and case studies related to the built environment, this article will explain the benefits of SDGs for architects and designers.    

Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy | SDGs

Many parts of the world need the privilege to access energy; Goal 7 aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all (United Nations, 2020). The presence of the SDGs inspires architects and designers to propose innovative and advanced ideas. For example, architects and designers have implemented renewable energy sources, such as solar panels, into their designs more often to reduce their carbon footprint, contributing to the global effort to combat climate change.

Not only architects and designers, student ‘energy patriots’ felt driven to pitch their ideas to help their respective communities. Used to have three hours of electricity per day, a successful project led by 23 energy patriots supplies running electricity for remote villages in Indonesia with the installation of off-grid solar power plants, providing opportunities for substantial economic development and giving them a chance to live healthier lives as well as access to clean energy options. This results in a consistent rural 12-hour-per -day electricity supply for millions of villagers among the 17,000 islands in Indonesia (Bringing Data to Life, 2022).       

Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

The SDGs consider cities as drivers of economic growth in which urban development can generate inclusive prosperity, reducing the number of slum dwellers in urban areas. This results in the idea of producing an inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable city widely discussed among current architects and designers. The absence of affordable housing and insufficient infrastructure, such as public transportation and essential services, as well as increased climate and disaster risks, invites architects and designers to devise a design solution to strengthen the preparedness and resilience of cities, ensuring their projects align with the broader global effort towards a sustainable future.

Access to green spaces can improve one’s physical and mental health, creating healthy, liveable and sustainable cities. In collaboration with the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and the Arbor Day Foundation, urban planners established initiatives to maintain and sustainably manage urban forests and trees. For example, the Kampala City Council in Uganda oversees urban tree planning jointly with a team of landscape architects, quantity surveyors and environmentalists (FAO, 2021). The city has since delivered flourishing green campaigns to plant 8,000 trees, followed by two new parks opening in the business district. Officially becoming a Tree City in 2021, Kampala continues to commit to planting trees, hoping to boost the presence of more green spaces in the city and provide a more sustainable environment. Other than that, the Kampala City Council propose economic development initiatives, generating urban renewal by creating better relationships between natural assets and the urban pattern (Kampala Workshop Synthesis, 2019).  

Goal 13: Climate Action | SDGs

Urgent action to combat climate change is imperative to maintain the livelihood of all. Declaring as a ‘code red’ warning, medium to large-scale disasters will increase by 40% from 2015-2030 due to rising global temperatures that lead to more extreme weather changes (United Nations, 2020). In implementing plans to enhance climate adaptation and resilience, the SDGs allow architects and designers to demonstrate commitment to sustainability, raising awareness and becoming advocates for sustainable development.

With a focus on bioclimatic design, Building Beyond Borders, a postgraduate certificate organised by Hasselt University, presents a broader view of sustainable architecture. Located in Morocco, the Women’s House of Ouled Merzoug is a community-centred project that maximises the usage of locally-sourced and regenerative materials, minimising construction waste produced. Also, considering the concept of green living, the village of Ouled Merzoug build its green and blue infrastructure nearby, promoting biodiversity on-site and resulting in better water infiltration for the people.

Conclusion

By sharing a common language for sustainability, the SDGs helps architects and designers to convey their ideas, demonstrate their knowledge in practice and shape the future of the built environment, contributing to a more sustainable world. Providing invaluable opportunities for change, the SDGs offer a clear and concise framework for making sustainable design choices. Hence, this allows architects and designers to collaborate and engage with stakeholders, educate the public about the importance of sustainability, and encourage more people to take action to achieve a sustainable future.     

References:

1. Affordable and Clean Energy: Why It Matters (2020) United Nations. United Nations. Available at: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/7_Why-It-Matters-2020.pdf (Accessed: February 13, 2023).
2. Bringing Data to Life: SDG Human Impact Stories From Across the Globe (2022) United Nations. United Nations. Available at: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2022/SDG2022_Flipbook_final.pdf (Accessed: February 13, 2023).
3. Cities – United Nations Sustainable Development Action (2015) United Nations. United Nations. Available at: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/cities/ (Accessed: February 14, 2023).
4. Climate Action: Why It matters (2020) United Nations. United Nations. Available at: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/13_Why-It-Matters-2020.pdf (Accessed: February 14, 2023).
5. Climate Change – Sustainable Development Action (2015) United Nations. United Nations. Available at: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/climate-change/ (Accessed: February 14, 2023).
6. Energy – United Nations Sustainable Development Action (2015) United Nations. United Nations. Available at: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/energy/ (Accessed: February 13, 2023).
7. The ‘Energy Patriots’ Bringing Electricity to Indonesia’s Remote Villages (2021) United Nations. United Nations. Available at: https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/08/1098532 (Accessed: February 14, 2023). 
8. Grébert, J. and Boixet, B.C. (2019) Green and Innovative Kampala, les ateliers. les ateliers. Available at: https://ateliers.org/media/workshop/documents/kampala_synthesis_web.pdf (Accessed: February 15, 2023). 
9. Malfatti, P., Sciama, C.S.B. and Squatrito, A. (2021) Architecture goes green. Seven case studies, Architecture goes green. Seven case studies | Salone del Mobile. Available at: https://www.salonemilano.it/en/articoli/design/architecture-goes-green-seven-case-studies (Accessed: February 15, 2023). 
10. Pintos, P. (2022) The women’s House of Ouled Merzoug / Building Beyond Borders Hasselt University, ArchDaily. ArchDaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/937147/the-womens-house-of-ouled-merzoug-building-beyond-borders (Accessed: February 15, 2023). 
11. Sustainable Cities: Why It Matters (2020) United Nations. United Nations. Available at: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/11_Why-It-Matters-2020.pdf (Accessed: February 14, 2023).
12. The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022 (2022) United Nations. United Nations. Available at: https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2022/The-Sustainable-Development-Goals-Report-2022.pdf (Accessed: February 13, 2023). 
13. Urban Trees: More Than Just a Pretty Face (2021) Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. United Nations. Available at: https://www.fao.org/fao-stories/article/en/c/1447290/ (Accessed: February 14, 2023).