What is Sustainability?
“Sustainability,” as per the Cambridge dictionary, means “the quality of being able to continue over a period of time”. These words can be restructured as utilisation of resources to provide quality services while ensuring minimal or no damage to the environment and the resources.
The primary focus is to create optimized habitable spaces.
The core principles of Sustainability are:
- Energy-Efficiency: The amount of energy(electricity and power) consumed by a building is less than 20% of the base case scenario. (EDGE Buildings, IFC)
- Water Management: Monitoring consumption of water and adopting measures to reuse and conserve water resources.
- Embodied Carbon or Material Efficiency: The footprint of the building material used.
- Resource Conservation: Reuse, Recycle, and Reduction of raw materials and materials.
- Climate and Site Context: Response of the installation or building to the location.
Current Trends in the World
As of 2018, 55% of the world’s population resided in urban areas, a figure projected to rise to 68% by 2050, adding approximately 2.5 billion people to urban centers, with nearly 90% of this increase occurring in Asia and Africa. This rapid urbanization increases the demand for housing and infrastructure, often leading to environmental harm. Sustainable architecture tackles these challenges by designing buildings that use less energy and water, emit fewer greenhouse gases, and improve urban living. It involves adding green spaces, encouraging plant and animal life, and using renewable energy sources to create healthier cities.
Integrating Sustainable Design Principles
Designing sustainable buildings requires thorough knowledge and understanding of the Site, Climatic conditions, Typology of the building, Activities that will take place, and the End Users. Important design strategies to ensure the creation of a holistic and sustainable environment include:
- Passive Design Techniques: Utilize natural airflow, daylight, and building materials to decrease reliance on heating and cooling systems, based on orientation and form.
- Renewable Energy Integration: Installing solar panels, wind turbines, bio-gas plants, and geothermal systems to supply clean energy.
- Sustainable Material Selection: Opting for materials that are locally sourced, recycled, or quick to renew, reducing environmental impact.
- Water Efficiency Measures: Creating systems for collecting and reusing rainwater, creating systems for collecting, treating, and reusing grey water for landscape irrigation effectively.
- Smart Building Technologies: Implementing sensors and automated systems to manage energy use and maintain indoor air quality.
- GHG Sinks: Ideating the site and building to act as a carbon sink, by using native and resilient species for the site landscape.
These approaches not only help the environment but have proven to be a cost-effective solution over the long run.
The Broader Impact of Sustainable Architecture
Beyond environmental advantages, sustainable buildings enhance social and economic well-being. They can create healthier indoor environments, boosting occupant health and productivity. Economically, reduced energy load and lower operating costs. Socially, sustainable buildings can strengthen communities through shared public spaces and facilities.
Moreover, sustainable architecture plays a vital role in fighting climate change by cutting down carbon emissions from construction and operation. Since buildings are 37% of energy consumption and contribute to emissions, making them more sustainable is crucial for achieving environmental goals.
Sustainable architecture represents a significant shift in how we design and develop habitable areas. By emphasizing environmental responsibility, resource efficiency, and human welfare, it contributes to building strong and vibrant communities. As urban populations grow, embracing sustainable building practices becomes essential to ensure a future that balances human needs within the planet’s capacity.References:
- UN Environment Global Status Report 2024, IEA 2022 data from Tracking Buildings (buildings data) and Energy Statistics Data (total energy use)
- The AEC Associates. (2023). Sustainable Architecture: Principles, Types, And Benefits. Retrieved from https://theaecassociates.com/blog/benefits-of-sustainable-architecture/
- Greener Ideal. (2023). 5 Principles of Sustainable Architecture. Retrieved from https://greenerideal.com/news/building/5-principles-sustainable-architecture/
- UNEP Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction, 2024
- https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/urbandevelopment/overview
