We all know that global warming is advancing by leaps and bounds and it is our duty as a society to stop it by changing the way we relate to the environment from wherever we are.
Sustainability has to be a central issue in all areas of development and the commitment must be transversal: only in this way can we achieve a fairer and greener future for all.
Architecture and the construction industry cannot be left out of this important awareness.
In this sense, I think it is important to highlight the report “Building materials and the climate: Building a new future”, prepared by UNEP and the Yale Center for Ecosystems + Architecture (Yale CEA). It points out the urgent need to establish innovative cooperation models to decarbonize construction materials. These models are essential if we are to achieve the ambitious global goal of net zero emissions in the construction sector by the mid-21st century.
Likewise, the report presents three general strategies that must be applied together to decarbonize construction materials:
- Avoid unnecessary extraction and production.
- Switch to renewable building materials.
- Improve the decarbonization of conventional construction materials.
The joint implementation of these strategies can pave the way towards a more sustainable and green built environment in line with global climate goals.
New ways to design and build
The buildings and construction sector is, without a doubt, the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, being responsible for a staggering 37% of global emissions. The production and use of materials such as cement, steel and aluminum carry a significant carbon footprint.
The document proposes other ways to make the sector more sustainable, such as integrating wood, bamboo and biomass energy generation, which would help avoid 40% of emissions by 2040. Or focusing on waste by applying an economic vision circular that allows avoiding its generation.
In this sense, bioarchitecture emerges as a novel way of rethinking cities by putting people at the center and creating enjoyable and healthy spaces at the same time.
From this vision, building, inhabitants-users and environment constitute an indivisible unit that must be attended to through the use of construction systems consistent with current advances and comfort, but without losing sight of the final objective: the health and comprehensive well-being of who will make use of these constructions, even considering the lives of future generations and the future of their environment.
*Walter Hufschmid is an architect, founding partner of URBAN DNA Group.
by Walter Hufschmid
