How a warming planet has affected architecture and design

Concepts in architecture and design have been improved to better suit the ecosystem and the growing problem of climate change.

By Bella Wang

The CO2 in the atmosphere has been increasing. It may come from transportation, decomposition, and breathing, but the majority comes from industrial production. The building process includes cement production and burning oil, gases, and coal, which can actually be avoided in architecture. Experimenting with new design and materials can be risky, but problems that occur could be terrifying and even more problematic. Architects have been studying safer alternatives for natural disasters and limiting energy consumption with sustainable design.

Resisting Earthquakes

In Japan, buildings must deal with frequent earthquakes by absorbing seismic energy. Buildings must survive three or four miniature earthquakes unscathed. However, with earthquakes on a larger scale, the priority is to keep occupants safe. To reach this goal, architects use a technology called seismic isolation, placing shock absorbers (such as rubber blocks) structure columns. Tall buildings can withstand pressure due to motion dampers that improve resilience. It reduces motion within the building by being placed every second floor all the way to the top.

Design has also adapted to the earthquakes. A building performs better if all the floors are the exact height and the columns are lined up. An example is the Skytree Tower in Tokyo, Japan, which incorporates traditional Japanese elements but also a large, central column that sustains the building in case of earthquakes. Fun Fact: The Skytree Tower is the second tallest building in the world.

Sustainable Design

Architects aim to minimize the negative impacts on the environment by adding improvements to regular design processes. Some architects analyze shadow studies to find out the direction a building should face. By doing this, architects prevent energy consumption when it’s not needed. Materials must be also be chosen carefully to reduce CO2 emissions in production and for its sustainability in the natural environment. Another part of sustainable design is infrastructure. Public buildings are located closer to transportation systems, decreasing the CO2 emissions from cars.

The world must cherish energy and natural resources. Resources have been taken for granted ever since the Industrial Age. The reality of running out of natural resources is clearly in the near future. Buildings can store now store energy if there’s ever a power outage. Finally, architects have been working feverishly to include renewable energy sources such as solar, geothermal, and wind, and they are making progress.

Isolation Being Helpful?

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdown, and confinement, people have felt less social. However, the isolation has proven something important! Annual carbon dioxide emissions have decreased around 7% across the globe. Architects, don’t fret. Changing tradition and lifestyle may not be acceptable at first, but together, change can happen.

Conclusion

The changing climate has caused many problems. Even though accepting change is difficult and we’ll never know the future, the only way solutions can be found is by experimenting. Architecture is a profession that has been evolving as time passes. With climate change, architecture and design have evolved to a great extent to limit waste, resist disasters, and introduce new solutions.