I think it is possible to talk about an approach to sustainability in extremely simple terms. For example, it’s cold and you have some wood, you can burn the wood and you will feel warmer. On the other hand, you may use the wood to construct shelter to provide warmth (Banham’s parable). My interest toward Environmental Architecture is concerned with maximising the potential of the latter. Such thinking translates to practice, where I am keen to remind client’s that the most sustainable approach is to reduce the energy demands of the proposal from the outset.

Using daylight is a key consideration with regard to visual comfort, as well as thermal comfort. Understanding how light from the sun impacts the proposal and how to manipulate daylight internally are important design considerations. I’m interested in looking at annual daylighting in foot candles, spatial daylight autonomy (sDA) & daylight factor analysis, to work in conjunction with the design concept. Over the next post I will break down how detailed analysis of these factors can help influence the design concept at the outset.

The driving force behind this approach is rooted in the idea that changes in the physical environment effect the behavioural patterns of people. The examination of a series of multi-faceted subjects facilitates design quality as well as environmental responsibility. Believing that such practice is possible is a source of inspiration, even when it diverges from the conventional path.

“We are facing an ecological emergency. According to the United Nations, if we want to avoid a climate breakdown, carbon emissions must be cut by 45% by 2030 and reach zero by 2050. We are no longer discussing an environmental catastrophe that might impact future generations, but a catastrophe that will now drastically affect our own”

Eco-Visonaries Exhibition, Royal Academy

Image: Eco-Visionaries: Confronting a planet in a state of emergency, Royal Academy of Arts, London, 23 November 2019 — 23 February 2020.