#18. The Eco-Friendly Revolution.
When evaluating what makes a building eco-friendly there are many factors to acknowledge. These buildings are designed, constructed and operated to minimise their impact on the environment around them, whilst still prioritising occupancy wellbeing. From the long-term property values to lower greenhouse emissions and utility bills, this evolution of architecture and design ensures that the industry keeps up with the technological advances. Eco-friendly buildings are becoming the standard, not exception.
The most visually obvious element of building eco-friendly structures is the sourcing of sustainable building materials, focusing on recycled, local and non-toxic elements. A great example of the use of innovative materials is seen in Mjøstårnet, which is an 18-storey skyscraper wooden building in Norway, constructed using mass timber. This is an excellent example of how a material used for the main body of a building can be lightweight, strong and low carbon, whilst still being successful.
Subsequently, the levels of energy and water efficiency, and passive efficiency such as in solar panelling and natural ventilation, prove themselves as equally important. A great example of this can be seen through The Edge building in Amsterdam, which uses AI to help optimise its energy consumption. The buildings asymmetrical design maximises natural sunlight, lessening the usage of artificial light, and is accompanied by solar panels across its own roof and neighbouring buildings. Internally, it holds over 30,000 sensors in order to monitor light, heat and occupancy to ensure that energy isn’t being wasted. This eco-friendly approach to the buildings design and long-term sustainability is supported by its outstanding BREEAM rating, publicly acknowledging the cutting-edge innovation.
In terms of how we measure a buildings eco-friendly success, the BREEAM scale is critical in giving such projects accreditations that verify its eco-friendly nature. The BREEAM scale includes a holistic framework for sustainability and allows for a clear evaluation and acknowledgement of a project’s eco successes. This industry wide standard of testing allows for clear and understandable identification of buildings and designers which are successfully pushing boundaries.
The importance of eco-friendly building and design cannot be understated, as it is, at its core, the future of architecture and construction. Despite the higher set-up costs, there are obvious long-term benefits that outweigh this, both financially and environmentally. The meaning of eco-friendly is developing beyond the materialistic elements of a project, and is proving to involve designing smarter and more responsibly, with long-term success in mind. Ultimately, here at Black Factory Studio we are huge supporters of long-term sustainability, and look forward to moving forward in an eco-friendly world.