Published in MyProperty Magazine, October-December 2015 issue
The uncontrolled development in hazard-prone areas as a result of poor urban planning and management, danger of landslides exacerbated by deforestation, and extreme weather conditions caused by climate change have caused people to rethink how our lifestyles impact the environment. The construction, maintenance and operation of buildings consumes about a third of the world’s energy. Thus the goal of creating buildings that are green and sustainable is the only way to move forward.
Green design is more than considering the materials used, reducing water and power consumption, and the proper siting and orientation of buildings. It is also about having a holistic outlook on how each development will impact people and the environment. Green building should not be seen as an isolated project, independent from other developments and from the rest of the community.
As international architects, Palafox Associates joined in on the 2030 Challenge by the American Institute of Architects. The target is that by 2030 all buildings we design should be zero net energy, meaning they produce the same amount of energy that they consume. More than that, we should all work towards the vision of building communities that are more livable, resilient, and adaptive while promoting integral human development. Some considerations for green building are the following:
Initial Costs vs. Long-term Benefits
It is often perceived that constructing green buildings are expensive. However, it should be taken into consideration that although initial construction costs may be higher, maintenance and operating costs will be minimized. Costs and benefits should therefore be studied for the long-term, and not just at the development stage.
Responsibly Sourced Materials
Green building also includes ensuring that the source of materials used for construction is in accordance to a practice of stewardship, which is considerate of social, ethical, economic and environmental dimensions. For example, one should take into account the labor practices of companies supplying the materials.
In choosing materials, efficiency, distance and accessibility should be considered. It would also be responsible to know and select materials that have low-energy requirement for production and have a considerably long lifespan. For example, producing aluminum takes 10 times the energy to produce steel.
Built to Last
The outlook for planning communities and building structures is not just within 20, 30 or 50 years, but for at least 100 years.
More than being envisioned for the long-term, it also needs to be able to withstand and even serve as a refuge in case of emergencies and natural disasters. An example would be the case of Hong Kong, where one refuge floor is required for every 35 storeys. Other countries also adopt this principle such as South Korea for buildings over 50 storeys, 30 storeys for Saudi Arabia, and over 24 meters for India.
Another aspect of building resiliently is designing spaces that are adaptive to the changing environment. Places that experience extreme heat such as India and Pakistan (and the Philippines!) need to design buildings that can withstand extreme temperatures. For the Philippines, cases of flooding have become a recurrent incident so one recommendation would be to collaborate with different building owners to create bridges that would allow pedestrians to be mobile despite floods.
Brownfield over Greenfield
Building on brownfield land should always be prioritized over building on land that has never been built on previously. Brownfield lands are lots that were previously developed or built upon such as parking lots, houses or buildings, or even factories. Instead of developing on areas that are dedicated for open spaces and parks, which also results to urban sprawl, it is better to build on previously developed properties. Rockwell Center is a perfect example of recycling land that used to host a pollutive power plant into a beautiful community.
Embodied Energy
Embodied energy refers to the all the energies used throughout the building process—from quarrying and mining the raw materials, excavating the land, transporting materials to the site, and construction.
Assuming that 5% of the embodied energy is consumed for transporting materials, and another 5% to construct the building. Should the structure be demolished, that 10% will again be consumed. Replacing the structure with another one will again consume an additional 5%.
As much as possible, it is better to retrofit buildings than to demolish them. It is important that when we design structures, we consider that they are flexible to be used for other purposes in the future. Examples of structures that were success in adaptive reuse are the Oxford Malmaison Hotel, which used to be a prison; the Fullerton Hotel in Singapore which used to be the general post office; and the Tate Modern Gallery which used to be a pollutive power station by the River Thames.
Link and Connect
Accessibility to mass transport links and nodes are significant when developing an area. It makes mobility simpler and easier for the people within the area. Moreover, having access to transport systems lessens the dependency on private motorized vehicles, which is a heavy contributor to significant levels of carbon emissions.
Going Beyond Certification
Certification yields good benefits but it also does not guarantee efficiency. A good example would be a building in New York that had been granted a platinum certification, but was found to consume more energy than non-certified buildings.
Collaborative Building
Collaboration allows different disciplines to share each other’s viewpoints and ideas. Additionally, it helps in avoiding technical oversights throughout the construction process. It is remarkable that people are starting to put efforts in order to raise environmental consciousness. Through green building, we not only help the present generation but also the future generations who will eventually benefit (or suffer) from what we build today.