Commentaries

The Global Cooling Prize

An innovation challenge that shattered the performance ceiling for residential cooling

How can we implement the learnings from this global innovation challenge to shape the future of cooling?

Ankit Kalanki, Caroline Winslow, Iain Campbell (Rocky Mountain Institute) explain the outcomes and implications of this initiative.

In many parts of the world, access to affordable cooling is increasingly viewed as a necessity. Cooling supports positive health outcomes, higher productivity, and accelerated economic development. However, over 3 billion people in the world today are at some risk to their health and safety due to lack of access to coolth. Increasing population and rapid urbanization, coupled with a warming planet, are expected to drive the number of residential/room air conditioners (RACs) in service from 1.2 billion units today to 4.5 billion units by 2050 (Campbell et al., 2018). However, providing increased access to cooling using traditional approaches comes at an unaffordable environmental cost.

A Dual Mandate for Climate Justice and Climate Protection

How can professionals begin to engage with climate justice?

Design professionals know that buildings, cities, and infrastructure are central to the challenge of climate change. Most embrace the need to dramatically improve performance to support the shared goals for climate protection. Joel Ann Todd, Christopher R. Pyke and Susan Kaplan (who are working on USGBC's All In: Building Equity Together) reflect on the B&C special issue CLIMATE JUSTICE: THE ROLE OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT.  Acting on social equity issues is a vital professional responsibility – especially to protect those made vulnerable or disadvantaged by climate change.

Zero Carbon Buildings: A Brazilian Perspective

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Simone Barbosa Villa (Federal University of Uberlândia) and Eduardo Grala da Cunha (Federal University of Pelotas) respond to the B&C special issue EDUCATION & TRAINING: MAINSTREAMING ZERO CARBON. Low and zero carbon building in Brazil is currently at the demonstration stage.  The focus of the academic community is therefore on raising awareness and standards, rather than implementing changes in education and the curriculum.

Critical Reflections on The Construction Playbook

The UK government is redefining its role as a construction sector client - with widespread and signficant consequences.

How governments procure their building and civil engineering projects has significant impacts on both industry practices and competences as well as wider outcomes for civil society. Stuart D. Green (University of Reading) considers the UK government’s new approach. It is contended there is little which has not been said before, and much which remains unsaid.

The Sustainability Implications of Single Occupancy Households

Fresh thinking is needed on how we share spaces and services in dwellings and cities

Single occupancy households consume more resources per capita, and demographics suggest single occupancy is now widespread in many countries. Environmental policies need to adjust to include per capita consumption to account for occupancy and efficient use of resources. Diana Ivanova, Tullia Jack, Milena Büchs and Kirsten Gram-Hanssen explain how the sharing of resources at domestic, neighbourhood and urban scales can have positive environmental and social impacts.

Leadership is Critical in Mainstreaming Sustainability in Professional Education

An inspiring transformation of architectural education in the Global South shows a successful integration of sustainability.

Carbon Metrics Can Help the Real Estate Sector

How can the real estate and construction industries use carbon metrics to apportion responsibility and radically reduce their GHG emissions?

Users, investors and policy makers need reliable information in order to take effective action against climate change. It is clear that KPIs must be derived starting from the reduction of GHGs, and that the built environment (i.e. real estate and construction) should accept one of the largest shares of this burden. Sven Bienert (University of Regensburg) reflects on the B&C special issue CARBON METRICS FOR BUILDINGS AND CITIES: ASSESSING AND CONTROLLING GHG EMISSIONS ACROSS SCALES and argues the industry needs to urgently agree on what are appropriate and just measures for the industry, particularly how GHG budgets should be distributed.

Urban Demographic Trends: Impacts on Cities, Planning and Real Estate

How can large cities respond to the loss of population, a higher vacancy rate and a reduced economy and tax base?

Although the world is increasingly urbanising, it is medium and small cities that may benefit the most. If large cities will shrink in population, then how can spaces that are underutilized be redeployed and repurposed? Chiara Tagliaro (Politecnico di Milano) argues for a creative and integrated approach for how cities can rethink their socio-economic and planning models to accommodate revised notions  of urbanization.

Can We Educate Architects to Design the Future?

As a matter of urgency, professional institutes and course accreditation organisations must ensure archtiectural education is fit for purpose in the 21st century. Mainstreaming zero carbon must be part of the curriculum.

Kira Gould (Kira Gould Connect) comments on the B&C special issue EDUCATION & TRAINING:MAINSTREAMING ZERO CARBON. How can American architectural education respond to the challenges of climate change? Gatekeeper organisations have a major role: their leadership is needed to raise the standards for course accreditation to ensure that both students and teachers have competences to address social, environmental and climatic issues (NAAB).  Higher standards for licensure and entry to the profession (NCARB and AIA) will also drive changes in education.

Mainstreaming Carbon Zero in Architectural Education: Within a Decade?

Carbon literacy and carbon neutral design in higher education are part of a larger package of needed measures.

Raymond J Cole responds to the B&C special issue EDUCATION AND TRAINING: MAINSTREAMING ZERO CARBON. The ambitious timeframe for changing the core competences of architectural graduates may not fully impact on the profession by 2030, but nonetheless needs urgent change now. The transition to a zero carbon or net positive built environment will require changes in the educational curriculum and pedaogogy, new standards for course accreditation and clarity on what levels of knowledge and competences students must have. Other measures include: changes to licensure, support and training given to early career architects and a broader approach to design that also includes adaptation and the consideration of inhabitants' agency.

Academia’s Critical Role in Climate Change

Providing students with the education and deep understanding of the issues and capabilities is now even more crucial

Edward Mazria and Lindsay Rasmussen of Architecture 2030 respond to the B&C special issue EDUCATION & TRAINING: MAINSTREAMING ZERO CARBON. Professional design schools can provide the leadership needed to address what is this century’s greatest challenge – the preservation of a habitable planet. Providing students with new knowledge and capabilities is now even more critical if we are to act responsibly to stay within a 1.5˚C budget. 5 broad challenges for higher education are presented.

A Wicked Higher Education Problem: Climate Emergency Requires Brave Leadership

This transformation of a university built environment department shows strategic leadership can achieve a zero carbon curriculum.

The B&C special issue EDUCATION & TRAINING: MAINSTREAMING ZERO CARBON raised three challenges: How can education and training be rapidly changed to ensure the creation of zero-carbon built environments?  How can this transition be implemented successfully?  What positive examples and models can be drawn upon or adapted? Elena Marco responds to these challenges and explains how the Department of Architecture and the Built Environment at UWE Bristol implemented rapid and deep change.

Climate Change and Architectural Education

Firm and rapid action by the RIBA and other accreditation bodies is needed for curriculum change.

The B&C special issue EDUCATION & TRAINING: MAINSTREAMING ZERO CARBON could not be more timely, as the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is rethinking how best to reframe its education and also at a time of crisis management and rapid change in universities in the light of the pandemic. Flora Samuel and Lorraine Farrelly (both at the University of Reading) argue that a radical reframing of built environment competencies, allowing new hybrid routes to competency, has to be part of this process.

Accelerating Change in Architectural Education

Firm and rapid action by accreditation bodies and regulators is needed to make architectural education fit for purpose.

Sofie Pelsmakers (Tampere University) and Fionn Stevenson (University of Sheffield) respond to the B&C special issue ‘EDUCATION & TRAINING: MAINSTREAMING ZERO CARBON’. They argue that a mandatory set of educational standards from accreditation bodies is the key to creating the abilities, competences and values that a carbon neutral society needs.

Energy Data, Public Participation and the Green Transition

A societal conversation about the control and use of energy data is urgently needed to clarify rights and privileges surrounding the privacy, access and security of personal data.

Kirsten Gram-Hanssen and Maja de Neergaard (Aalborg University in Copenhagen) examine why so little public discussion exists on energy data and sustainable development. Detailed energy consumption data is a goldmine in terms of developing the climate-neutral society of the future. However, energy data reveal much about our private lives and the way we live in our homes.

Retrofitting Buildings to Support the Recovery

Why is building retrofit important for a sustainable economic recovery? What are key elements for success?

Faye Wade (University of Edinburgh) highlights the importance of building retrofit for a sustainable economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only does retrofitting promise a major step toward a low carbon society, it also contributes to increased GDP and jobs in the construction sector.

Is High Density Necessary for Future Urban Life?

Smaller cities and towns can offer attractive forms of urbanism and quality of life. Alternative criteria to density are needed.

Mari Vaattovaara (University of Helsinki) critiques the current emphasis on city density and size as desirable quality indicators.  If emphasis is placed on the quality of physical environment or quality of life, then smaller cities and towns are both viable and desirable alternatives. 

Reflections on Buildings, Cities and COVID-19

How will social distancing and new practices change real estate, facilities management and the use of buildings?

COVID-19 will change real estate practices and how we use buildings - during the cautious present re-opening of gathering places whilst the virus remains a threat; and possibly for the longer term.  Alexi Marmot (University College London) considers some implications for the built environment, particularly the operation of our workplaces, schools, healthcare environments, retail centres and cities. Will the role of facilities manager be re-defined and given more prominence?

Housing: Lessons for a Post-COVID-19 World

How can housing be healthy, adaptable, resilient and optimised for the multiple functions?

Dwellings provide not just a living space, but act as a pandemic shelter, a workplace, an impromptu school, a gym, a playground and more.  Katja Maununaho, Sini Saarimaa, Jyrki Tarpio and Sofie Pelsmakers (Tampere University) critique current apartment design and contemplate how apartments can be designed to be adaptable and respond better to many existing and new needs. 

Hackitt and the Golden Thread: Challenges to Implementation

Will the Hackitt Review recommendations be easily implemented?

Graham Spinardi (University of Edinburgh) explores the implications of the Hackitt Review into fire safety regulation following the Grenfell Tower disaster. In particular, he considers the challenges to implementing a digital 'golden thread' of building information throughout a building's life cycle.