Floating cities?

First question: why build cities in the sea? If we consider that cities occupies around 3% of Earth's surface, what would be a reasonable excuse to give up on land's surface? Climate change and the melting of ice-floes.
Considering that, some attempts to design floating structures that would be sustainable cities connected to others and to the environment and being -sometimes - self-sufficient were made during the last few years. The architect Vincent Callebaut desigend Lilypad, Peter Thiel envisioned series of conceptual floating cities, ATDesign has recently designed the Floating City, among others.
Second - and more relevant - question: is that the best way of dealing with the problem we have created?

Sources: Vincent Callebaut Architectures, LILYPAD, A FLOATING ECOPOLIS FOR CLIMATE REFUGEES, <http://vincent.callebaut.org/page1-img-lilypad.html>, accessed 10 June 2014;

ATDesign, ATDesignoffice release design for the Floating City, <http://www.atdesignoffice.com/news/>, accessed 10 June 2014;

Mike Jaccarino, Silicon Valley legend, PayPal founder Peter Thiel envisions floating cities off coast of California, <http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/thiel-envisions-floating-cities-coast-california-article-1.951630> accessed 10 June 2014.

Green School Stockholm

Green School Stockholm is a project by 3XN Architects that incorporates some aspects of sustainability in the design, aiming to encourage a more sustainable living. By mixing uses, being and open space on ground level, using large amounts of green as vertical farming, green roofs, and allowing people to consume food produced in the building, it is a nice example of how introducing several aspects of sustainability together in a single building.

Source: 3XN Architects, Green School Stockholm, <http://www.3xn.com/#/architecture/by-year/27-green-school-stockholm>, accessed 10 June 2014.

Resilient Cities

Resilience is a term that has been also applied to cities to describe them as adaptable, secure, and sustainable. In the article 'Resilient Cities', Peter Newman describes the seven features of resilient cities as archetypes:

1- The Renewable Energy City - cities that maximizes the use of natural and renewable energy sources in order to reduce their ecological footprint. New cities as Masdar in United Arab Emirates or even old cities as Freiburg are adopting this concepts.

2- The Carbon-neutral City - many neighbourhoods are adopting this concept - as BedZED, previously discussed - successfully, the main challenge now is how to apply it to a whole city, but many cities are now adopting strategies to achieve this.

3- The Distributed City - this consists in distribute the power and water systems through the city, decentralizing the system into small systems. Buildings could use the complete water cycle - from clean to gray and black water, produce at least part of its own energy, etc. Cities as New York and London are adopting this concept.

4- The Biophilic City - uses of natural processes in the infrastructure - green roofs and green walls, as well as urban farms, and large uses of vegetation in urban areas. Chicago and Toronto already requires green roofs in commercial buildings.

5- The Eco-efficient City - based on reduction of waste and resources requirements, including 'cradle to cradle' concepts. Kalundborg in Denmark and Kwinana in Australia are good examples of cities adopting this strategy.

6- The Place-based City - place really matters. The place-based city is based on strategies to increase local production and economic development, and the sense of place for its inhabitants that also influence in the development of the city and in its ecological footprint.

7- The Sustainable Transport City - as transport is the most important infrastructure to the city, this strategy aims to reduce fossil fuel consumption by adopting policies to encourage people to walk, use bicycle and public transport - which can be powered by renewable energy.

Applying these concepts to new or existing cities is a challenge, but as the demand for new environmental-friendly solutions increases it cannot be disregarded, being also a great opportunity to developers.

Source: Newman, P, Beatley, T, Boyer, H 2009, 'Resilient Cities', in Haas, T (ed.) 2012, Sustainable Urbanism and Beyond - Rethinking Cities for the Future, Rizzoli, New York.

Mitigation and Adaptation

These two terms are often used to describe our attitude towards environmental problems such as climate change for example. The principle of adaptation is based on recognizing that the factors are given as it is and we cannot change it, our attitude should be adapt ourselves to it; while the principle of mitigation is based on changing our behaviour in order to change given circumstances.

Talking about climate change, the principle of adaptation would suggest that we must accept these changes and adapt the world - in a large scale, or a building in a smaller scale - for a new climate. This could lead to a new way of thinking, of planning and designing. If we consider the mitigation process we must act in order to revert this circumstances, once more through planning and design.

In this situation, to adopt the adaptation process would be the same as to affirm that our behaviour and lifestyle does not affect the climate, and so, our greenhouse gas emissions have no impact in the climate, we should maintain things as it is and only adapt ourselves to future changes. On the other hand, adopting the mitigation process, we must change our behaviour, try to live more sustainably in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, to change this situation - we have created let's say - for a better future.

The two approaches give us different perspectives of how we could act given the situation is already uncomfortable and some action is needed. However, one does not exclude another. If we consider mitigation as a process, our behaviour changes aiming to revert the situation in the future - to not change the climate for instance - will demand some changes now, and by doing this we will be somehow adapting to the present situation. And so does the adaptation process - by changing and adapting we also contribute to environmental changes that will reflect in the future. For example, to avoid overheat in buildings we improve its design in order to adapt the building for the circumstances - using green roofs, green walls, solar panels that uses the heat for generating energy, etc - and as we adapt it we are also using the mitigation process, improving the quality of the environment in a long term process. So, it is important to note that most processes are both mitigation and adaptation.

However, some actions must be taken quickly to avoid imminent loss and damages, and we cannot think only in long term, but instead of think in one or another, we must think in both  as a unique process, for short and long terms, improving the quality of life for this and future generations, and most importantly, for all kind of life in the planet. If we can adapt ourselves to these changes, many other species may not be able to it, and may disappear in near future - disregarding many already extinct species - an irreversible damage.

The role of architects, urban planners and all involved in the built environment is to improve the quality of life trough design regarding that all environments are connected - as McDonough says in 'Cradle to Cradle', there is no 'away'. It is more than clear that we need to change our behaviour and lifestyle if we expect a better future, and this could be done for everyone, through adaptation and mitigation processes.

Big Dig Boston

An interesting example of how old structures found in the city - that are eventually demolished and discarded - can be reused as treated as new materials for other uses, something even better than recycling.

There is many complains due to the high cost of the Big Dig project - around U$14bi - but the attempt to reuse the beams and slabs is not valuable? And how much should cost the benefits of having public green spaces in a city?

Source: PBS 2009, 'Gray to Green?', accessed 23 May 2014, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pdw9MWElRbk>

Evaluating Sustainability

Many ways of evaluate sustainability in projects are easily available and can help architects, designers, urban planners and developers - for example - to check their projects. Some are more easy to use than others, but in all cases the three pillars of sustainability - environmental, economic, social - are required in the analysis.

But more important than any scale is the question 'is this project demanding more than it can offer?' A simple question with a hard answer. The complexity of environmental impacts needs to be considered and studied in every project, as well as the social and economic impacts, and the key for a successful project is obviously the consideration of each one of these topics.

Source: Haas, T (ed.) 2012, Sustainable Urbanism and Beyond - Rethinking Cities for the Future, Rizzoli, New York.

Reykjavík

Reykjavík is the capital of Island, a city with 120 thousand habitants and the most populous in the country. The city had a significant development after the second world war, with the modernisation and population growth.

Reykjavík is one of the top sustainable cities in the world - figuring in the top of many ranks considering carbon emissions. The main reason is that the city is largely powered by renewable energy - the geothermal activity from its surroundings is converted into energy, and distributed to the city, being responsible for almost 95% of the heating of the city, nothing even seen in another contemporary city in the world.

In 2006, 26,5% of electricity originated from geothermal sources, 73,4% from hydropower and only 0,1% from other sources. Some estimative show that annually the use of renewable sources to produce energy made Reykjavík save 4 million tons of CO2 from its emissions between 1944 and 2006 . The city's plan is that by 2050 the city will be completely free from fossil fuels.

Sources: Danish Architecture Centre 2014, Reykjavik: The Ground Heats The City, accessed 20 May 2014 < http://www.dac.dk/en/dac-cities/sustainable-cities/all-cases/energy/reykjavik-the-ground-heats-the-city/>;

Green City Times, Reykjavik (renewable energy mecca), accessed 20 May 2014, < http://www.greencitytimes.com/Sustainable-Cities/reykjavik.html>;

Mihelich, P 2007, Iceland phasing out fossil fuels for clean energy, accessed 20 May 2014 < http://edition.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/09/18/driving.iceland/index.html>.

Rooftop Farming

Building's rooftop are usually underused despite its potential as an open space. Green roofs benefits are today largely known: for its aesthetics, for controlling and retaining stormwater, for reducing heat island effects and improve air quality, reduce noise and heat in bellow spaces, and for contributing to the increase of biodiversity.

Moreover, rooftops can also be used for producing food. The concept of urban agriculture aims to reduce carbon footprint and increase sustainability levels by producing local food, and so, reducing the impacts in transport and the waste that occur in delivering and stocking.

Besides the concepts of vertical farms - which are more ambitious let's say - the use of rooftop as an extent to urban farming can securely be applied in urban centres. Of course in existing building eventually structural reinforcements need to be made, however  in many developing cities this innovations could be tested in large scale.

Source: McDonough, W 2014, Concept for Rooftop Farming, accessed 18 May 2014 < http://mcdonoughpartners.com/project/concept-for-rooftop-farming/>

Barcelona - sustainable urban planning

For the last three decades Barcelona has been regarded as a good example of urban planning, especially after the Olympic Games in 1992, when the coastal industrial zone was revitalized an until today is an example of waterfront area.

Continuing the urban development, the City has been trying to continue the legacy of environmental, economic and social sustainable development.

The main project was the waterfront, which open an industrial area to public use and the change impacted in the air and water quality. Continuing the project development, the 'Forum Park' was designed to treat city's sewage, just in front of the sea, and on the top of it people will be able to enjoy its gardens and open spaces. It also produces energy and the heat produced is used to make hot and cold water circulate in the subsoil of the district.

Another project going on is related to automobiles - in Barcelona they occupy up to 70% of public space - called 'supermanzanas' or super street blocks, island of 400 x 400 m of buildings in which cars can only entry in small streets circulating at 10km/h, cutting traffic by 25% and changing the life into the city by opening room for the creation of new public areas.

Lastly, the council is trying to mix the uses between commercial and residential in order to renew the neighborhoods, and improving the transport by setting up a single fare system as happens in other cities and by implementing the shared bicycle system.

Following the trend of developing/renewing sustainable cities, Barcelona is for the last three decades and still a good example of it.

Source: Colomé, J 2011, 'How Barcelona is aiming to become the leader in sustainable urban planning', Urban World: Urban Sustainable Mobility, Vol. 2 ,Issue 5, pp. 30-34.

China, from red to green?

Today, China is one of the most developing countries in the world and perhaps the biggest economic growth the world has ever seen. The big question is how to sustain such economic growth - around 10 per cent a year - without causing damages to the environment, and considering the impact of China's growth it can not only impact on their own country but in all planet, affecting all ecosystems and living species in the world.

In the most coal consumer country, in every two years, China adds the equivalent of the country of Brazil to its power grid.

How to do it sustainably? Or even, can it be done sustainably?

The PBS E2 series discusses how it is being done and the next steps to achieve China's sustainable development.

Source: PBS 2009, 'China: from red to green?', accessed 18 May 2014, < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu1t5CtcbEU&list=TLZs0Y9bpqVUlUb8v6ccCrpi81umKRUqU_>

Walkable cities

One of the ways to make people use less transport is to encourage them to walk. A simple task, but a challenge in urban centres. The attempt to achieve that by implementing exclusive pedestrian streets and improve the quality of public spaces through better design is now common in many central areas in cities all over the world. The trend of mixed-uses in urban areas is fundamental as facilities need to be in proximity with the user - what goes directly against the urban sprawl.

In Mumbai, 6 of 10 people walk to their destinations in the morning. The demand for space is huge, and despite that, private vehicles occupies most part of the public spaces. The conflict between pedestrians , cyclists and vehicles was so intense that the government decides to create lanes exclusive for pedestrians and series of footbridges. Transport improvements are still being discussed but a lot of pedestrian friendly public spaces are now seen along the city.

In Nairobi, sixty per cent of the population lives in slums and only a small part of the population can buy cars. Despite the urban planning of the city being based on vehicles, only a few have access to it, and consequently informal commerce have appeared in outer areas. The demand for walking spaces in the city moved the city council to implement safer urban environments with walkways along the main avenues. Although much still have to be done, a signal of change is now seen.

In many small size cities in developed countries it is easy to see improvements in the public areas and many pedestrian and cyclists-friendly streets. However, the effort and the pursue to provide a walkable and connected city is seem in many cities of the developing countries as well, where the challenge is unquestionably higher although the needs are the same.

Source: Phatak, V, Muchire, P 2011, 'On foot nm Mumbai, Nairobi and Mexico City', Urban World: Urban Sustainable Mobility, Vol. 2 ,Issue 5, pp. 5-6.

Renewable City Toolbox

The potential for renewable is immense. In urban centres, many efforts are being made to utilize all potential of the natural and renewable energy to reduce costs and improve efficiency and quality in urban environments. Especially in smaller developing cities where there is more opportunity to test new and innovative technologies.

In the book 'Renewable City', Droege sums up the tool that could be used given the source of renewable energy available.

- Solar energy - could be captured by photovoltaics and solar-thermal systems - largely used in commercial, residential or industrial buildings, or in rural areas as well.

- Wind energy - captured by turbines - for its size and impacts it could be used in remote areas or remote buildings. However in smaller scale it can also be used on the top of high rise buildings.

- Bio-energy - biofuels - used in power stations and for transport systems, causing less impact on the environment.

- Ocean energy - thermal, tidal power or wave energy - this source of energy can be largely used in coastal regions, however it is still not fully developed.

Source: Droege, P 2005, The Renewable City: A Comprehensive guide to an urban revolution, Wiley, Chichester.

Image Source: Kuat, H 2013, 'Alternative Renewable Energy Sources', accessed 17 May 2014 < http://technologygreenenergy.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/alternative-renewable-energy-sources.html>

Curitiba's Efficient Transport

One of the major examples of efficient mass rapid transit in the case of Curitiba, Brazil. Implementing bus exclusive lanes, the government has reduced transport fuel consumption to 1/4 bellow any other Brazilian city. This initiative has inspired other cities in South America, as Quito and Bogotá - cited in a previous post.

The intent of the three times Major Jaime Lerner - also architect and urban planner - was to protect the city centre from the trend of massive increasing of car ownership during the 70s. For that, there was a large investment in public transport infrastructure and the opening of exclusive bus lanes, connecting all areas of the city.

Also, lower speed streets, and pedestrian exclusive streets were opening, improving safety in central areas streets and encouraging people to walk. In business district, only local traffic is allowed and lots of streets are still dedicated to pedestrians.

After the 70s, the system was continuously improved and single fare systems were implemented allowing low-income people living in distant areas to use the system easily. The system today transport 36 thousand people per hour in one direction costing one hudred times less than a subway rail system. Considering that 70% of the total journeys are made using public transport, it is clear its success.

Text Sources: Galvao, R 2007, Jaime Lerner: o realizador de sonhos, Planeta Sustentavel, accessed 17 May 2014 < http://planetasustentavel.abril.com.br/noticia/cidade/conteudo_258392.shtml>

Droege, P 2005, The Renewable City: A Comprehensive guide to an urban revolution, Wiley, Chichester.

Macedo, J 2004, 'Curitiba', in Citites, 21:6, accessed 17 May 2014 < http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264275104001003>

Image Source: Dubiginski, D 2011, 'Onibus de Curitiba, accessed 14 May 2014 < http://www.onibusdecuritiba.com.br/expresso/>

Reducing Fossil Fuel in Transport

Transport has a large impact on the environment as it demands large amounts of land and energy, and pollutes the environment by burning fuel and splitting oil and other pollutants on the ground that affects directly the environment. Considering that, urban planning policies in many cities are trying to reduce fossil fuel in transport and its impacts.

Singapore - planning and pricing - The integration of land use and transport begun in the 70s with housing and settlement policies aiming to delivery affordable high-rise buildings in mixed use areas connected to mass rapid transit systems. Since then, the government introduced policies to reduce car ownership based on price, to encourage the use of public transport.

Quito - unifying transport systems - The government has invested in transport infrastructure creating trolley-bus corridors linked to a lines of regular buses. The trolley buses can accommodate 180 passengers and the regular buses 80, and the link between those saved time and money for passengers and contributed to reduce air pollution levels.

Bogotá - banking on buses - In one of the most densely cities, the government implemented a bus rapid transit to reduce congested streets - speed average of 10km/h in rush hours. Bus exclusive lanes were created 230km of a network of bicycle lanes, and also private cars were banned to circulate on central areas during rush hours.

Source: Droege, P 2005, The Renewable City: A Comprehensive guide to an urban revolution, Wiley, Chichester.

Reinventing Fire

Amory Lovins in an American environmental scientist and the writer of the book `Reinventing Fire`.  In this book, Lovins talks about the use of natural and renewable energy and how we could improve our effectiveness in producing energy. The aim is to show how countries - despite that he talks specifically using U.S. data as examples - could still have profitable energy business without using oil and coal by 2050. As we consider that in the U.S. 90% of the energy comes from oil, natural gas, coal and nuclear, it seem a big - and possible change.

In the following video, Lovins talks about how it could be possible by being more efficient and even more profitable by restructuring systems network, and how it could save U$5 trillion and support a 158% bigger economy - for example: reducing military forces costs; triple vehicles efficiency and later produce them for using electric energy, and also by rethinking the urban policies related to vehicles mobility in urban centres; triple the energy efficiency in buildings; and many other examples, all of them having energy efficiency and renewable on the top.

Source: Lovins, A 2011, Reinventing Fire: Bold Business Solutions for the New Energy Era, Chelsea Green, White River Junction, Vermont.

Great Lakes Century

The Great Lakes Region - US and Canada - has 192 million acres and contain 21% of the word's fresh water and somehow the development of some areas has contributed to decrease water levels and rise the pollution.

To avoid that and preserve the lake's clean water for this and future generations, the master plan project developed for SOM - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill - intends to protect and revitalize this area in a plan for the next 100 years. By doing this, SOM engaged with scientists, politicians, environmentalists, and advocates in a proposal that was approved by the 95 Mayors of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities.

The main argument for this plan is the appearing of invasive species - Asian carp, air pollution - from coal-fired power plants, agriculture runoff - nourishes algae plants and leads to aquatic dead zones, and hard surface covering on nearby cities that flush stormwater and overflow sewers - spoiling beaches after heavy rains. And of course, the increasing population that without any planning worsen the conditions.

It is without a doubt a challenge to develop such a large plan and to work with different planning rules - which in the U.S. are locally controlled, tight money for infrastructure, and short election cycles, but only working in large scale and engaging with all members involved in the urban development and in the maintenance of the natural resources a plan to keep safe a precious natural environment like this can be successful.

More about the project here.

Text and Image Sources:  Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, 2011, The Great Lakes Century, accessed 03 May 2014 < http://thegreatlakescenturyblog.som.com/about-us/ >

Litt, S 2013, Game Changers - Planning: The Great Lakes Century, accessed 03 May 2014 < http://www.metropolismag.com/January-2013/Game-Changers-Planning-The-Great-Lakes-Century/>

Wadi Hanifah Restoration

The Hanifah valley in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, rises in central Arabia and runs for 120km to southeast until the sands of the Empty Quarter desert. This watercourse is a landmark in Riyadh's landscape but it has been treated as an open sewer after the 70s when rapid growth overwhelmed the local environment.

Since 2001, the local development authority has worked with landscape architects and engineers in a project of restoration of this whole area by cleaning, landscaping and replanting native flora. It uses natural processes to improve the environmental conditions.

The landscape architects created ponds with algae that feeds fish and molluscs and the natural oxygenation system helps to diminish the pollution levels of the water. This was the first project to use this system in a large scale and now that it has been successful scientists are trying to use this technology in other cities.

By improving the environmental conditions the project also improved the economy and the health of the population with better air, water, and visual conditions, and so, creating also a place for public use, something unseen until then.

Image Source: Aga Khan Development Network, 2010, Wadi Hanifa Wetlands, Accessed 02 May 2014 <http://www.akdn.org/architecture/project.asp?id=2258>

Text Source: Environmental Management & Protection Department, 2002, Wadi Hanifah Comprehensive Development Plan - Executive Summary, accessed 02 May 2014 <http://www.unesco.org/culture/melina/arabie_saoudite/divers/2002.pdf>

Low-Carbon Energy to Africa

A recent study by Green Alliance shows that providing energy from low-carbon sources is the quickest and the cheapest way to help people living without electricity in Africa. Today, the main source of energy in places like Ghana is by using diesel generators.

The benefits of low-carbon energy is largely seen in Kenya, where off-grid solar energy has given electricity to 2.5 million of people and has helped to diminish maternal deaths by half.

In sub-Saharan Africa currently 50% of the population lives without access to electricity. The estimative to increase the access to electricity in this area by using low-carbon energy would cost around U$24 billion per year.

Providing access to electricity would improve the quality of hospitals, schools and houses by reducing costs of its maintenance. Children could study at night, hospitals would be more efficient and so people could be healthier, small local business could be more profitable, and lots of other clear advantages could happen. It would improve economic and social development in a sustainable way. How it could be done it is already known. Why it is still not done?

Text and Image Source: Green Alliance Blog, 2014, How low carbon energy can bring faster development to sub-Saharan Africa. Accessed 01 April 2014 <http://greenallianceblog.org.uk/2014/04/29/how-low-carbon-energy-can-bring-faster-development-to-sub-saharan-africa/>

CH2

The Council House 2 building in Melbourne was designed in part of a politic of zero emission for the municipality by 2020, which aims to reduce the consumption of commercial buildings in 50%. The design is from Mick Pearce the architecture firm Designinc and it is based on biomimicry, with its elements based on the 'laws of nature'.

It was awarded with six-star by the Green Building Council of Australia. Its mains design innovation  is to provide a hundred percent of fresh air to its users and also contributes significantly to reduce energy consumption. It has also solar panels, abundant natural light, window mullions that reduce city glare, vertical planting on the facade to improve air quality and internal ambient quality, water collection, reuse and plant treatment, timber shutters to regulate sunlight in internal spaces, and other systems.

If we spend one third of our lives sleeping and, let's say, another one third working it would be really nice if we had fresh air in our work spaces. The innovative approach of this project in bringing fresh air to its user it is for me the most valid aspect of this project. It would be great if we had this solution in all our commercial buildings!

Image Source: Snape, D, 2013, CH2 Melbourne City Council House 2 / DesignInc. Accessed 27 April 2014 < http://www.archdaily.com/395131/ch2-melbourne-city-council-house-2-designinc/>

Source: City of Melbourne, 2014, CH2 Council House 2. Accessed 27 April 2014 <http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/sustainability/ch2/aboutch2/Pages/AboutCH2.aspx/>

The Make It Right Foundation

Founded by the architect William McDonough and the actor Brad Pitt, this project aimed to rebuild 150 houses after the hurricane Katrina, in 2005. The intention was to rebuild this houses in a sustainable way applying the McDonough's "Cradle to Cradle" principles. The houses were designed by worldwide famous architects such Shigeru Ban and Frank Gehry and have LEED Platinum certification.

Initially the homes were designed for people who had lost their homes from the hurricane but after the green homes are also available for other people in the community.

A nice initiative for an urgent cause.

More about the project -Make it Right website

Source: Make it Right, 2014, How We Build. Accessed 25 April 2014 <http://makeitright.org/how-we-build/>

Via Verde

This video talks about the concept of Biophilia, "a hypothesis that describes humans as emotionally connected to all other living systems" and explain the reasons people still want to live in the suburbs, with more contact with the nature.

It discuss the environmental impacts of urban sprawl - that happens in cities around the world - and its demand for infrastructure, pollution by cars and other transportation systems, extra demand for energy, and other many issues.

Obviously, the intention for choosing density - the compact city - is economically viable. However, the compact city is still less sustainable due to the poor design solutions that we find today in almost every urban centre around the world.

The project "Via Verde", designed by Jonathan Rose intends to show that affordable houses can also be sustainable and bring people back to the City without losing the contact with nature that they can find in the suburbs.

Source: PBS, 2009, Affordable Green Houses. Accessed 25 April 2014 <http://vimeo.com/3283424>

Sustainability of Australian Cities

This report shows some significant data about the Australian cities:

- Water - consumption decreased 7% between 2000/01 and 2004/05 in houses, and in Adelaide 40% of households have rainwater tank, while only 7% have it in Sydney.

- Energy - Australia has one of the higher averages of energy consumption per capita in the world and 97% of the energy produced comes from non renewable sources. 35% of the energy consumed in households is used for heating/cooling.

- Climate Change - stationary energy is responsible for 50% of greenhouse gas emissions, agriculture is responsible for 15%, and transport is responsible for 14%. Greenhouse emissions increased 6.5% since 1990. It affects the climate and consequently rainfall patterns, sea levels, and also can aggravate health issues such as respiratory problems and heat stress.

- Air Pollution - the air quality is getting better. However the pollutant levels - carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, volatile organic compounds, ozone, lead, particles - are still on or above standard levels.

- Waste - solid wastes are produced at higher levels if compared to other countries. Construction is the main responsible for wastes - 38%. Landfills were 6% of total wastes in 1992 and in 2005 it reached the mark of 52% of total wastes. Also, from 2002 to 2006 the population grew 5.6% while the waste generation increased 31%.

It is all related to education and consume. If our lifestyle does not change things will not get any better soon or later.

Source:  Australia Dept. of Infrastructure and Transport, Major Cities Unit. 2012. Sustainability of Australian Cities. SKIM the rest.

Masoro Village

Sustainability is not only environmental, but also economic and social. The capacity of a society to  maintain itself economically and socially with equality is as important as to maintain its natural environment's potential to absorb wastes and reproduce itself over the time.

A lot of countries are far from achieve this goal in all this aspects, and moreover, despite of some exceptions, the mankind itself is clearly quite distant from  being environmental, economical and socially sustainable.

One interesting project that intends to improve - or implement - these principles is the 'Earth Bag Projects', by GAC, in Rwanda. The architects team offered their work to help local people to build their homes, in a place where almost everything is imported. So, working with local materials - soil from the site - and applying some simple building techniques with local workforce they are helping the Rwanda people - especially the low-income ones - and helping to improve sustainability in all aspects.

More about the project here.

Sources:

Survant, T, 2014, Support GA Collaborative’s Earthbag Projects in Rwanda: Building Community Through Creative Construction, accessed 14 April 2014 < http://www.archdaily.com/493914/support-ga-collaborative-s-earthbag-projects-in-rwanda-building-community-through-creative-construction/>

Survant, T, 2013, Masoro Village Project. accessed 14 April 2014 < http://www.archdaily.com/430409/masoro-village-project-ga-collaborative/>

ShapedEarth

One interesting new tool for measuring not 'green' buildings, but carbon emissions in materials and processes.

Check it on Archdaily!

Source - Fabrie G,  2014, What’s “Green” Anyway? ShapedEarth’s Accurate, Carbon-Based Alternative, accessed 14 April 2014, <http://www.archdaily.com/494433/shapedearth-a-more-accurate-way-to-measure-green/>

PVs and Wind Energy

Eighty per cent of worldwide CO₂ emissions are direct associated with fossil fuels - our primary source of energy. It also contributes with one third of the methane emissions. It is clear that we need to find or improve other ways of producing energy. The resources are everywhere - sunlight, wind - ready to be used.

Solar energy has been used and developed during the last century mainly through photovoltaic panels - PVs - which are low-polluting and reliable. It can be largely used on the rooftops of buildings and also in the facades. Its efficiency depends on the climate conditions and its position - orientation. Beyond that, PVs can transport energy to batteries, to other buildings, or even sold - as seen in the previous post - like in done in Germany, where the government pays around 0.5 Euro per kWh¹⁰. The disadvantage, once more, is the initial cost.

Wind is also been used as a source of energy for decades, especially in farmlands, with large turbines. However its visual and acoustic impact are two considerable disadvantages of its implementation in a large scale. And it could be implemented in urban areas in small scales, with smaller turbines. This way it could reduce the waste and cost in its transmission. Some factor must be considered, as wind availability in the urban area, its impact in the urban environment and the costs, what make this technology more appropriate for high rise buildings - but not excluding other possibilities. In fact some new building have implemented turbines in the design and despite the challenging of putting a turbine in the top of a building the system is quite efficient.

Together, PVs and wind turbines can help the energy efficiency of our buildings and our cities, and well designed it can also be aesthetically and architecturally very interesting.

 Castle House, London.

Image Source - Andrews, K 2007, Castle House Skyscraper, accessed 10 April 2014, <http://inhabitat.com/castle-house-eco-skyscraper/>.

Source - Ritchie, A; Thomas, R,  2009, Sustainable Urban Design - an environmental approach , Taylor and Francis, 2nd ed, London.

Energy Plus

Another example of sustainable development initiative occurs in Freiburg, Germany. The large use of solar energy by using solar panels at the roofs of the buildings has created the concept of 'energy plus' -  that means the building produces more energy than its use. Freiburg has a good weather and the amount of sunlight during the year is helpful for the energy production.

The negative point is the price - the houses have a relative high-cost initial investment and the residents expect that only after 10 years the exceeding investment will be converted in profit - once they sell the exceeding energy.

Source: ein haus fur die zukunft das plusenergiehaus, accessed 08 April 2014, <http://plusenergiehaus.de>

BedZED

Beddington Zero Energy Development is a housing project designed by Bill Dunster and BioRegional Development Group. It has 82 homes, 2,500m2 total, and was completed in 2002. The propose was to design a place to help people live more sustainably without sacrificing their modern lifestyle.

The main principles were: use energy from renewable sources available on site - mostly solar panels; facades are located to south in order to maximize solar heat; rain water is collected and used, and also wasted water is recycled and reused; materials are eco-friendly - recycled or from sources close to the site to minimize transport; vehicles are shared to reduce pollution and maximize its efficiency. The performance was significative good comparing to UK rates - which are not so good in saving energy.

However, there were several issues in the development of the project: the biomass gasifier did not work and so did not provide energy for the houses; the water recycle system was not working properly; the common farm was not used by the residents; the resident's footprints were reduced but not as expected; the common transport was not well succeeded - the residents still have their own cars and they complained a lot about the site location.

This shows that there was some issues with the design process and in the construction and its maintenance. However it is a great attempt of reducing the footprint by the building's design.

Source: BioRegional Development Group, 2009, BedZED seven years on: The impact of the UK’s best known eco-village and its residents, BioRegional Development Group.

My Ecological Footprint

This is my last year footprint, based on my travels, waste and consume, and lifestyle. A little bit less than my country's average - Brazil - but I'm sure I can still work on that, mainly by buying certified products. I also wish I could had used more my bike, specially to go to work, but the urban infrastructure didn't help me on that. Anyway, it is still a good score!

Source: The Center for Sustainable Economy, accessed 08 April 2014.

< http://myfootprint.org/en/>

ACCORD21

One good example of how we can use technology to reduce - not improve - our waste in building construction and maintenance is the building ACCORD 21, in Beijing.

It takes advantages of natural lighting and ventilation to reduce heat and cooling, uses reflectors, occupancy sensors, solar panels, green roof, and lots of other non-visible systems that helps its functionality and efficiency.

This was the first internationally certified green building in China. It is a 8-story and since its opening it has used 73% less energy and 60% less water than a conventional building!

Imagine this numbers in a large scale..

Source: Natural Resources Defense Council, accessed 31 March 2014. <http://www.nrdc.org/international/chinagbldg/intro.asp>

Like a Tree

One of the oldest and most interesting living organisms are trees. Trees are living examples of how to be integrated with the environment, being essentially part of it, using it to its benefits and at the same time contributing to its development.

Such inspiration on these organisms by some ancient people are not in vain. Behind its peaceful look and its beauty, trees serves as a shelter and home for many species. Not only on the ground but also in the ground, in the soil, where thousands of species get the benefits of trees.

Trees collects its own water and uses the sun and air to get its energy. Its leaves, fruits and flowers fall into the ground and feed it, contributing to its own survive.

Besides that, it freshes the air by diminishing the pollution, reduces the temperature and control humidity - contributing to microclimates - and prevent desertification.

Can we get some inspiration of it?

Source: Neuman, M 2012, ""Sticks and Stones will Make My Bones: Durability in Design", accessed 01 April 2014 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkGZKTjDTvs>

The Duck Rice

Takao, a rice farmer in Japan has created an innovative and also very effective way of production based on symbiosis on between varied species of animals and plants in his rice paddies: the ducks feeds on insects and weeds and their droppings enrich the soil, promoting the development of plankton, which feed the fish. Also the aquatic plant called azolla supplies nitrogen for the plant's growth. The environment can provide their own maintenance and protection, without any chemicals. An innovative and also profitable review of production's methods.

Sources:

North K 2010, TCLocal, Visioning County Food Production Part Six: Rural Agriculture, accessed 23 March 2014, < http://tclocal.org/2010/07/>.

Tacio H 2012, How integrated rice-duck farming can help control methane emissions, accessed 23 March 2014, < http://trc.dost.gov.ph/trcfile/Technology-Snapshots/Others/rice_duck%20farming0001.pdf>.

From downcycle to upcycle

Diminish our consumption and reduce our waste is not bad, and actually the 3R's politics - reduce, reuse, recycle -  is worthwhile, but the process keeps on and on, the base of our production and the design process works against success. So, being less bad is no good.

What could be effectively successful would be to change the process from its origin. Why a building just save energy instead of produce it? Why can't factories produce effluents that are drinking water? Why can't our products be designed with components that could be fully separated when recycled so they could be reused as a new one, without loss of its potential? Why can't

our waste help the environment through its nutrients that can be food for plants?

The upcycle principle goes beyond the actual recycling process - in which some valuable materials are combined to other elements, making them useless or less durable, or capable of being recycled for only a few times - it is based on the 'endless' use for valuable raw materials and on the return of nutrients to the soil after waste materials decomposes, instead of polluting it with toxic components, and so, making a cyclic process that preserves the resources, the environment, and us as well.

Source - Braungart, M; McDounough, W 2009, Cradle to Cradle: remaking the way we make things, Vintage Books, London.

Re-thinking

One of the ways to change this "viral" behavior is to change our acts, our production, and specially our design.

This is the main proposal in Michel Braungart and William McDonough's "Cradle to Cradle - Remaking the Way We Make Things", which talks about our process of designing things, our conception of waste and development and about questioning these concepts through a innovative view.

One of the their main principles is to change the "cradle to grave" concept by rethinking the design process, which is nowadays based on production of non durable goods which, intentionally or not, become waste almost instantaneously. Moreover, they are designed in a way that some of its valuable elements can not be recycled or re-utilized. The "cradle to cradle" principle is based on this conceptual change by designing not for now, but for tomorrow, making a product that could be used and reused, that its components could be easily fully recycled without waste.

One of those groundbreaking readings!

Reflection

Nice Street Art by Pejac. Express by itself what is going on in our whole planet.

<http://www.pejac-blog.blogspot.ru/2011/03/mancha_25.html>

Exemplifying

Virus are simple structures and intracellular parasites, depending on the cells to multiply. Its reproduction can be extremely fast: a single virus can multiply in a few  hours thousands of new viruses. Most virus infections result in the death of the host cell by lysis and once the new virus are in extracellular medium they will infect other cells, restarting the cycle.

<http://worldhistoryforusall.sdsu.edu/themes/keytheme1.htm>

The graph shows the (no, not virus) human population growth over the centuries. One can think how surprisingly successful we are, have existing for thousands of years and just in the last centuries, especially in the last one,  having achieved the technology and its benefits that allows us to live longer and 'better'.

Right, that graph is for sure an example of a successful living organism. But the mankind's 'viral' reproduction demands more and more resources, and behaving like a virus, destroying the source of our success we will not have any success in a long term vision.

Warning

<http://www.mpgtuning.co.uk/drivers-running-out-of-fuel/>

Suppose you are travelling by car for hours and realize that you are almost out of fuel and still far from your destiny. Would you keep pushing to get there as soon as possible or would you slow down to save fuel in order to get there without problems?

Now suppose you are running a marathon and starts to feel exhausted. Would you run faster to finish it soon or would you slow down to finish it safely?

So, if I say to you that our planet is getting pushed to its limits, and our demand for its resources is being continuously increased what would you say, is it time for keep on pushing or is it time to slow down?