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How can today’s designers lead the sustainable revolution?, Leitfäden, Projektarbeiten und Recherchen von Architektur

The global population has reached 7 billion and is expected to grow to 9 billion by 2050, according to the United Nations Population Fund. On October 31, Danica May Camacho was born in Manila, Philippines, representing not only the symbolic seven-billionth person but also the challenges of population growth. Her birth signifies the future of the planet, which depends on the decisions made by this generation. Beyond population growth, sea levels, deforestation, pollution, and climate change are also rising. These issues demand immediate action. As we reach this milestone, we must decide what legacy we will leave for future generations. Will it be a world of prosperity, sustainable growth, and equality, or one marked by poverty, war, and environmental degradation? The answer lies in the actions and choices each of us makes.

Art: Leitfäden, Projektarbeiten und Recherchen

2010/2011

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Howcantoday’sdesignersleadthesustainablerevolution?
1
Howcantoday’sdesignersleadthesustainablerevolution?
ClarissaMoraesBrendler
Instructor:JessicaCarewKraft
CourseX400.6UniversityofCaliforniaBerkeleyExtension
ThePrinciplesofSustainableDesign
November,2011
Wearealready7billionpeopleintheworld.Andwewillbe9billionby2050,accordingtotheUnited
NationsPopulationFund(UNFPA)1.OnOctober31DanicaMayCamachowasborninManila,Philippines
andsherepresentsmorethanthesevenbillionthhumanintheearth,sheisthesymbolofthechallenge
ofpopulationgrowthontheplanetanditwilltakethisgenerationtodecidethefutureofthischild.
Itis,however,notonlythenumberofinhabitantsthatisgrowing.Thesealevel,deforestation,pollution,
ecologicaldisastersandthetemperatureonthesurfaceoftheeartharealsoincreasing.
Whilewehitthe7billionmark,wemustdecideinwhatconditionswewanttoleavethisplanetfor
futuregenerations.Willwebeabletoleavealegacymarkedbyprosperity,sustainablegrowthand
developmentforthenextgenerationsorwillweleavebehindusasocietyofinequality,poverty,
hunger,warsandenvironmentaldegradation?Theanswerliesineachoneofusandintheattitudesand
decisionswemakenow.
Sustainabledevelopment
Theconceptofsustainabledevelopmenthasevolvedoverseveralyears.Itwasusedforthefirsttimein
1987bytheWorldCommissiononEnvironmentandDevelopment,theBrundtlandReport.2
"sustainabledevelopment,whichimpliesmeetingtheneedsofthepresentwithout
compromisingtheabilityoffuturegenerationstomeettheirownneeds..."
TheBrundtlandReport,alsoknownas"OurCommonFuture",ispartofaseriesofinitiativesthat
questionthedevelopmentmodeladaptedbyindustrializedcountriesandreproducedbythedeveloping
nations.Itisevidentthattheuseofnaturalresourcesinexcessandtheincompatiblecurrent
consumptionpatternsarenottakingintoaccountthecapacityoftheecosystem.
Inthisrespect,measurestobetakeninordertopromotesustainabledevelopmentinclude:limitof
populationgrowth,guaranteebasicresources(water,food,energy),preservebiodiversityand
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1http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=40257
2UnitedNations.1987."ReportoftheWorldCommissiononEnvironmentandDevelopment."GeneralAssembly
Resolution42/187,11December1987.Retrieved:200111120
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How can today’s designers lead the sustainable revolution?

Clarissa Moraes Brendler Instructor: Jessica Carew Kraft Course X400.6 University of California Berkeley Extension The Principles of Sustainable Design November, 2011 We are already 7 billion people in the world. And we will be 9 billion by 2050, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) 1. On October 31 Danica May Camacho was born in Manila, Philippines and she represents more than the seven‐billionth human in the earth, she is the symbol of the challenge of population growth on the planet and it will take this generation to decide the future of this child. It is, however, not only the number of inhabitants that is growing. The sea level, deforestation, pollution, ecological disasters and the temperature on the surface of the earth are also increasing. While we hit the 7 ‐billion mark, we must decide in what conditions we want to leave this planet for future generations. Will we be able to leave a legacy marked by prosperity, sustainable growth and development for the next generations or will we leave behind us a society of inequality, poverty, hunger, wars and environmental degradation? The answer lies in each one of us and in the attitudes and decisions we make now. Sustainable development The concept of sustainable development has evolved over several years. It was used for the first time in 1987 by the World Commission on Environment and Development, the Brundtland Report. 2 "…sustainable development, which implies meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs..." The Brundtland Report, also known as "Our Common Future", is part of a series of initiatives that question the development model adapted by industrialized countries and reproduced by the developing nations. It is evident that the use of natural resources in excess and the incompatible current consumption patterns are not taking into account the capacity of the ecosystem. In this respect, measures to be taken in order to promote sustainable development include: limit of population growth, guarantee basic resources (water, food, energy), preserve biodiversity and (^1) http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID= (^2) United Nations. 1987."Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development." General Assembly Resolution 42/187, 11 December 1987. Retrieved: 20011 ‐ 11 ‐ 20

ecosystems, develop technologies using renewable energy sources, control unplanned urbanization and guarantee basic needs (health, education, housing). Development is often confused with economic growth, which depends on the growing consumption of energy and natural resources. This tends to be unsustainable, since it can lead to overconsumption of natural resources which humanity, biodiversity, ecosystems and even the growth itself depend on. Unlike growth, sustainable development stands for quality, not quantity. It means to reduce the use of raw materials and products and instead increase their reuse and recycling. The terms "sustainable development", "sustainability" or "green" are buzzwords these days. We cannot deny that the global concern for the environment is growing and people are becoming more aware and are realizing that we need to change our behavior to lessen our impact on the environment. Brazil In Brazil, the awareness for sustainable development is on the rise, if somewhat slowly. The country is an example of economic growth that has been highlighted in the international media. It showed accelerated growth last year and expects to be the world's sixth largest economy in 2011, only behind the U.S., China, Japan, Germany and France. However, the country does not keep up in terms of health, income and education, earning only 84th place in the Human Development Index, according to the UN. 34 Brazil is the fifth largest country in area and population with more than 192 million inhabitants 567. It also claims to possess the largest biodiversity in the world, with an estimated number of over 20% of the total number of species on the planet, but it is threatened by intensive agriculture, dairy farming, the wood overexploitation, oil and gas extraction, water pollution and the construction of dams for power generation 891011. Another major problem that the country is facing is the environmental crisis in Brazilian cities. The expansion of medium and large cities combined with the suburban lack of infrastructure and the failure by the authorities to take effective action is causing serious problems such as increased flooding, (^3) http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/americas/fast‐growing‐brazil‐tries‐to‐lift‐its‐ poorest/2011/05/10/AFqgEEpG_story.html (^4) http://www.economist.com/blogs/dailychart/2011/11/focus (^5) http://www.ibge.gov.br/home/presidencia/noticias/noticia_visualiza.php?id_noticia=1766&id_pagina= (^6) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_and_outlying_territories_by_total_area (^7) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population (^8) http://www.brasil.gov.br/cop10‐english/biodiversity‐in‐brazil‐key‐facts‐and‐figures (^9) http://wwf.panda.org/who_we_are/wwf_offices/brazil/environmental_problems_brazil/ (^10) http://www.greenpeace.org/brasil/pt/Blog/multa‐mxima‐chevron/blog/37943/ (^11) http://amazonwatch.org/work/belo‐monte‐dam

over the coming years. In Brazil, for example, the city that will grow more is not Sao Paulo, but Porto Alegre. It should plan now to avoid having to face the problems that many large cities face today 21. " Given the current situation and the outlook into the future, it is important to educate the public and influence the governments that the system needs change. The cities need investments in efficient infrastructure, education, health, solutions for urban mobility and safety. In order to create a sustainable environment we need the balance of nature, sun, clean water, clean air, forests and healthy food. If the country wants to grow, let it grow, but in a sustainable way, in accordance with the limits of nature. But are we really prepared for this change? Are we doing our part? What is our role in a world that is constantly changing? To answer some questions about sustainability in southern Brazil, I invited professionals of the architecture and environmental fields, all based in Porto Alegre, to share their experience, concerns and points of view about their role in this society. Mauricio Torres is an Architect and Urban Planner, LEED AP, co‐founder of Sustentativa 22 , consulting company specialized in sustainability and energy efficiency, a member of GBC Brazil. He holds an architectural degree from the Pontificia Universidade Católica (PUC‐RS), a master's degree in Constructions Technologies and an ongoing PhD in Construction Engineering from the Universidad Politécnica de Cataluña, Spain. He is assistant professor at the Specialization Program in Civil Construction at UNISINOS since 2008. Lisandra Krebs is an Architect and Urban Planner, LEED AP, partner/director of Krebs Sustainability 23 , a company member of GBC Brazil that helps businesses and institutions to adopt a new approach facing the competitive market, incorporating the principles of sustainable development into its policies and actions. She is also an Interior Architect expert and former professor of the Architecture an Urban Planning Program at Centro Universitário Ritter dos Reis (UniRitter), Brazil. She has a Masters in Civil Engineering from Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Brazil, developing research and projects in the Group of Sustainable Buildings and Communities between 2002 and 2006. Internal Auditor's Environmental Management System ISO14001: 2004 and Member of the Forum Gaucho Cleaner Production. Lisandra also has a national presence in graduate courses, consulting and corporate training. Cristiano Hickel holds a degree in Environmental Engineering from the Lutheran University of Brazil (ULBRA). He has experience in environmental engineering, with emphasis on rehabilitation of degraded areas, Geographic Information System / GIS, measurement and capture of landfill gas and solid waste management. (^21) http://veja.abril.com.br/noticia/internacional/qual‐o‐papel‐do‐brasil‐em‐um‐mundo‐de‐ 7 ‐bilhoes‐de‐pessoas (^22) http://www.sustentativa.com.br/ (^23) http://www.krebssustentabilidade.com.br/

Interview

1. How can today’s architects, engineers and designers lead the sustainable revolution? Mauricio Torres: To the extent that these professionals know how the cities and buildings technically work, and also know the strategies to make them more efficient and less impacting on the environment, the beginning of this revolution becomes possible. Obviously there are more actors involved, such as entrepreneurs and government. The latter has a crucial role because it defines the growth strategies, the performance requirement for the construction, incentives and prohibitions. Lisandra Krebs: It is necessary, beyond awareness, to seek professional training in the subject, in a very deep way. This involves working with multidisciplinary teams, having specialized consultants on the topic, attending professional development workshops, courses at graduate level, reading ... We need to have a repertoire and then proceed to make changes in the way we design and build. Cristiano Hickel: The path of ecological sustainability goes through the understanding of the processes. It is not possible for example close your eyes to the origin of the wood. In order to make consistent decisions you need to know the origin of each product and also about human, economic and political relations. You have to work in a multidisciplinary team. 2. Do you believe that your role as an architect, engineer or designer is helping this global transition towards a more sustainable society? How? MT: I believe so. Our company works with consulting projects for more sustainable and efficient buildings as we analyze the design decisions according to objective criteria of efficiency through computational tools such as simulators of thermal energy, light, use of solar energy and rainwater, etc. Based on the results of these simulations we make the project decisions. LK: Yes, the influence of these professionals is great since they work at different scales and at different times: from the interior design to the urban planning, and from design to deconstruction and reuse of buildings. The construction industry, specifically, is the leading cause of environmental impacts, if considering all direct and indirect implications (life cycle of materials + life cycle of the building). CH: I believe so and I am always seeking more. I try to exercise my profession as an environmental engineer at the most coherent way. For example, I do not work or accept sponsorship from polluting or socially unjust companies and I also do not allow any level of corruption in these relationships. This is very difficult since corruption is now so widespread that looks like a pandemic across all sectors. 3. What new techniques and skills do architects, engineers and designers need in order to design according to sustainable principles? MT: Depends on the school the professional attended. Some colleges have already promoted the curriculum changes required or have been implementing these changes for some time. Other colleges have been stagnant for a long time. The necessary knowledge and techniques are developed and they are evolving, but distributed in different areas. If there was a multidisciplinary collaboration between the

6. What are the biggest challenges your company faces in trying to apply the principles of sustainability into their projects? MT: Convince entrepreneurs, investors, developers to think long term. Convince these same agents to change their paradigms of construction and sale. It is difficult convince someone to change something that is working (they are still selling a lot without thinking about sustainability and efficiency, at least in Brazil). LK: Today, I would highlight as the main challenges the price of materials and equipments. CH: In the last company that I worked on I noticed that the relations could be compared with prostitution: accepting degraded working conditions, where we daily coexisted with relationships of personal intrigues covered up environmental infractions. 7. How is the relationship between sustainability and your clients? Do they come to you with this idea of project in mind or is it a matter of awareness about the benefits of sustainable design? MT: Our clients come to us with this goal. However, our market had to be created and it is slowly developing. LK: Our customers have come to us with this goal. CH: I am referring to previous experiences: my customers were looking primarily to meet current environmental legislation and also the logic of the affordability. In rare cases it was proactive. In general nothing that dilute the profits of the business are of interest to entrepreneurs, so the initiatives beyond the obligations are rare. 8. What kind of technologies and construction materials have you been using in projects developed by your company? MT: Among the technologies and construction materials available in the market, the most accepted by our clients are efficient windows, shadow elements, thermal solar panels, and more efficient lighting equipment. Wood with certified origin is also readily accepted. We seek to encourage industrialized building systems. However, these solutions are not effective without a good architectural design, which would be the crucial factor for a more sustainable and efficient building. LK: We have worked with low and high tech, it really depends on the project. Right now, for example, we have a project in Africa with soil cement blocks and a university building, with building automation. They are opposites, both in progress. CH: I cite example of recent experience: I saw interest in technology in collection and use of biogas (generated in landfills and sewage treatment) and waste treatment. However it is still very difficult to implement these technologies in Brazil because of high costs, bureaucracy and political system, that is very little collaborative.

9. Brazil is a country rich in natural resources. Is the supply of materials, manufacturers and suppliers proportional to wealth? Is there a varied offer in the market for local or regional products and techniques? MT: The supply of these products is proportional to this wealth. However, most of these products cannot be considered innovative, efficient or more sustainable. All this has much to do with the workforce. However, our unskilled workforce continues due to the massive use of obsolete products. The legislative requirements of performance also are not in favor of the replacement of systems, and thus the workforce. But there are local manufacturers of innovative products although in a reduced number. LK: Not at all. CH: No. No, or very little. Amazingly, today humanity has created a system that is much cheaper and affordable standard import items or to have them manufacture on the other side of the planet than working with local materials. This type of aberration is no longer acceptable. In addition, Brazil still has its natural resources exploited and looted in the same way as in the time it was a colony of the European Empires. 10. In your opinion, what are the main reasons that have lead businesses and consumers to resist the deployment and use of architectural models and more sustainable construction? MT: Our consumer market in its overwhelming majority is unaware of what a more sustainable and efficient construction is and they purchase any property that offers a mortgage that fits into their monthly budget. Thus, companies do not need to evolve in this direction. LK: Resistance to innovation and price of materials. CH: In my opinion, it is partly for convenience, partly due to incapacity, especially when it acts alone in the traditional market. Another part is because people are deluded with a market painted green, a "green business" that has nothing different from the conventional. In the latter case, I refer to the first response to this questionnaire: understand the processes and that is why the role of educational institutions is essential. 11. Do you notice if our society is becoming more conscious about the environment issues, sustainability, energy efficiency and global warming, for example? MT: Yes, this increased awareness is undeniable. However, as the Brazilian people have a very low economic power, they have to choose mortgages that can afford very basic constructions, which do not even provide thermal comfort. The average Brazilian can even be more conscious, but when buying a property they have to think with their “pockets”. The few building constructions that claim to be more sustainable are expensive and inaccessible to most of the population. This is the current phase in which we live, but that should change gradually. LK: Yes, for sure.