Conscious Architecturecture for a sustainable future
Retain the spirit and atmosphere of such original settlements, featuring traditional courtyards, open-air elements that bring the outside into the home, reclaimed wood, lime, high ceilings and thick walls. On the other hand, we’ll be incorporating a Westernized use of space, including glass, concrete and unhampered views of the gardens.
When we hear of sustainability, the first context that comes to mind is that of the environment. But since the EIA (U.S. Energy Information Administration) reports that almost 50% of CO2 is emitted by buildings, it’s about time sustainability is spoken widely also in the context of architecture.
As found by an MIT study, sustainable design has now become standard practice in many countries. In addition to issues related to energy, there are many other aspects, such as a healthy environment and other aspects of indoor environmental quality, which are relevant for a “truly sustainable” building.
Here are some of our favorite green buildings around the world which are innovations shaping sustainability & modern architecture, at the same time:
Green Botanic Wall in Paris
This living wall or vertical garden, however you want to call it, was created by botanist Patrick Blanc and covers the side of a five-story Parisian block with waves of 7,600 plants. It is rightly called The Oasis of Aboukir and it features plants from 237 different species. In his words:
The Carbon Positive House in the Middle of the City Square
The other ArchiBlox sustainable house we were impressed by happens to also be Australia’s first carbon-positive prefab home. The most impressive thing about this solar panel-topped carbon positive house prototype is that it can produce more energy than it consumes. This prototype was displayed in Melbourne’s City Square for a certain time. This firm shows us that architects don’t have to study sustainability to create sustainable buildings that benefit people without harming the environment.
Flower Cage House in Bangkok
The greener a building, the more to our liking it is! Plus when all that green gives us something in return, like olives, we are up for it! A steel grid containing 102 olive trees fronts this house in Bangkok, designed by locally based architecture office Anonym. Called Flower Cage House, ‘the plants are intended to create a symbol of peace and also help to soften the facade’s appearance.’