Could COVID-19 Accelerate the Demand for Net Zero Architecture?
June 23, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a major and unprecedented shift in human behaviour. Overnight, entire countries were ordered to stay at home and effectively shut down leaving our office buildings, schools and cities were left deserted. Entire industries shut down and public transport and flights continue to operate on a skeleton schedule.
Without human activity, nature began creeping into our place. Dolphins were seen enjoying Venice’s canals and a herd of wild deer wandered around London’s East End. Without the busy pulse of human life in our urban environments, wildlife has been quick to reclaim the space. And wildlife is not the only thing to benefit, pollution and greenhouse gas emissions have fallen across continents as countries halt entire industries.
Is this just a short term change or could it lead to lasting, structural changes within industries towards more environmentally friendly policies? And what does this mean for architecture?
A Wake-up Call
Carbon Brief
has suggested that the pandemic is set to trigger the largest annual fall in carbon dioxide emissions ever. Only an immediate threat such as COVID-19 could trigger such profound change in our activities. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that it will result in long term change. Once the economy recovers, industry is likely to restart as normal and may even result in a boost over normal levels.
But the pandemic could serve as a much needed wake up call. It is incredible that in just a few months, there is a noticeable and measurable decrease in the destruction of our environment. It is possible for us to make transformational changes quickly that will lead to real impact.
A Green Revolution
There is a risk that as the threat of the pandemic subsides, industry and government will cast aside regulations to protect the environment in favour of quick fixes to stimulate the economy. But there is growing pressure on governments in the UK, Australia and here in Ireland, among others, to ensure a green recovery.In the words of the Irish Green Party, “There is an opportunity to build back better - but it requires a shift from the business as usual mentality”. The campaigners call for an investment in cleaner transport and renewable energy, the exclusion of companies without climate plans from stimulus packages and incentivization of cycling and walking.
Interestingly for the architecture industry, there are also growing calls for the refurbishment of buildings to improve their energy efficiency and Greenpeace has called for all new buildings to support a net zero future.
What is Net Zero Architecture?
Net zero refers to the goal of achieving a balance between carbon dioxide emissions produced and taken out from the atmosphere. In architecture, this will be achieved by opting for more sustainable building materials, creating more energy efficient spaces and using renewable energy, such as solar energy.
Building and construction are responsible for 39% of all carbon emissions in the world (including energy used to heat and light buildings). In order to slow global warming and keep the increase of global temperatures below 2 degrees centigrade, every building in the world needs to be net zero by 2050. Currently, very few of the world’s buildings are net zero.
Motivation
In 2019, the World Green Building Council released a report describing how building and infrastructure could reach the goal by 2050, but admitted that it could only be achieved if there were a radical shift in the industry to enable a market transformation. Could the COVID-19 pandemic result in that radical shift? Could it be the motivator governments, companies and individuals need to invest in net zero buildings and infrastructure?
Designers and architects have an important role to play in achieving the net zero vision by 2050. We need their innovative and pioneering ideas to improve the efficiency of buildings and to find radical new ways of using materials.
Here at Dublin Design Studio
Dublin Design Studio endeavour, with every project undertaken, to save energy through careful consideration of the design, construction and operation of the building. The ambition of our work is always to minimise our impact on the environment. We have researched and utilised various systems and technologies with the aim of:
- Minimising embodied energy
- Reducing energy use
- Where practical, utilising materials sourced locally
- Where possible, specifying materials from sustainable sources
We are realists when it comes to utilising environmental technology and accept that clients have differing priorities when it comes to building. There is often an opportunity to improve a project's sustainability credentials even on the most cost driven projects and we endeavour to incorporate improvements whenever possible. You can find out more about Dublin Design Studio’s Environmental Policy here.
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