Ecogradia - Invidious

Let’s address the elephant in the room:

green certification ≠ sustainability

While certification is certainly a tool, which when used well, can help improve our buildings, it is often reduced to a list of items to be passively crossed off the list.

Last week, Editor-in-Chief Nirmal Kishnani wrote about this discrepancy and how to supersede it in our newsletter.

“The current approach, sometimes seen as a “checkbox mentality”, can obscure the real progress needed to meet our evolving environmental challenges,” he says.

“This raises a crucial question: if our certification models aren’t capturing what truly matters, what might a reimagined, more holistic approach look like?”

Read the newsletter to find out. Link in the comments.

And if you find it valuable, consider subscribing to the newsletter. We send it out just once every two weeks.
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#Ecogradia #Newsletter #Sustainability #GreenCertification

6 months ago | [YT] | 1

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Ecogradia

Is a building sheathed in plants truly sustainable?

Don’t get us wrong: vegetation on buildings can be beneficial.

The issue arises when highly visible yet often tokenistic interventions like a green facade are prioritised over deeper systemic change.

Last week, Editor-in-Chief Nirmal Kishnani wrote about our collective obsession with greenery on buildings in Ecogradia’s newsletter.

“What’s also troubling is how building-integrated greenery has become a form of environmental absolution”, he explains.

“Some developers claim sustainability credentials with skin-deep greening while avoiding harder conversations about embodied carbon, energy performance, and ecological footprints.”

Read the full newsletter at the link in the comments.

And if you find it valuable, consider subscribing to the newsletter. We send it across just once every two weeks. No spam guaranteed.
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In images:

1. Jakob Factory (image by Hiroyuki Oki)
2. Urban Farming Office (image by Hiroyuki Oki)

#Ecogradia #Sustainability #SustainableArchitecture #GreenWall #Urbanism #LivingWall #GreenFacade

7 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 5

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Ecogradia

Is your building’s form intelligent?

Very often in the design process, considerations of sustainability and energy performance are pushed downstream.

Here’s how things usually go:

A pre-decided form is layered with a patchwork of cursory interventions: a green wall here, a brise-soleil there, and perhaps a dash of solar panels on the rooftop – and voila, we have ourselves a ‘green building’.

Last week, Editor-in-Chief Nirmal Kishnani wrote for our newsletter, arguing that this superficial approach needs to be discarded.

“Truth is, form shapes everything in architecture: how much of a building’s thermal energy is gained or lost, how people move through spaces, how we interact with the world around us,” he says. “In today’s world, facing climate change and social challenges, we can’t afford to treat a building merely as a visual artefact.”

Read the full piece on the power of form at the link in the comments below.

And if you find the newsletter valuable, consider subscribing! It lands in your inbox just once every two weeks, spam-free.

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Image 1: VIΛ 57 West by BIG (📸: Nic Lehoux)
Image 2: Powerhouse Telemark by Snøhetta (📸: Thermory)
Image 3: Kampung Admiralty by WOHA (📸: Patrick Bingham-Hall)

#Ecogradia #FormIntelligence #BuildingPerformance

7 months ago | [YT] | 1

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Ecogradia

“[W]hat kind of problem is the city?”

Earlier this month, our Editor-in-Chief, Nirmal Kishnani, traveled to Colombo, Sri Lanka, with his students to explore this thought-provoking question, first posed by author and activist Jane Jacobs.

Addressing urban challenges through a sustainability lens goes beyond just constructing greener, more energy-efficient buildings. It requires understanding the systems and processes that shape a city.

Yet, this perspective is often missing in both discourse and practice.

“Systems thinking creates transformative change, even when starting with just a small parcel of land,” Nirmal shares in Ecogradia’s latest newsletter. “When cities face challenges like extreme weather or growing inequality, tackling the bigger systemic whole first leads to more effective solutions.”

🔗 Check out the link the comments to read the newsletter and learn how a systems thinking approach can help solve urban challenges more holistically, as opposed to fragmented, piecemeal solutions.

And if you find it valuable, consider subscribing! Our newsletter lands in your inbox every two weeks; we won’t spam you (we promise).

8 months ago | [YT] | 6

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Ecogradia

Check out the final webinar in the Holcim Awards 2023 limited webinar series on low-carbon construction: https://youtu.be/1FBlltTUzJ8

Timber is having its moment in the global sustainability discourse.

Will it replace concrete and steel, or be used in combination to usher in a new era of low-carbon construction?

Find out in the tenth and final episode of the Holcim Awards 2023 limited webinar series titled, ‘Material smart: Designing low-carbon buildings’.

In the episode, Editor-in-Chief Nirmal Kishnani is in conversation with representatives of two Holcim Award-winning projects, which use timber as a primary construction material.

Benjamin Scheerbarth, Urban Planner at Office ParkScheerbarth, represents the project Haus 2+ (Berlin, Germany).

Matthias Peterseim, Head of Project Development and Member of Leadership Board at Boltshauser Architekten represents the project High-Rise H1 Zwhatt Site (Zurich, Switzerland).

Here’s what you can expect to learn in this episode:

1️⃣ How far has engineered timber come? What are the pros and cons of building with it?

2️⃣Is fire really timber’s biggest enemy?

3️⃣Is the material more or less expensive than traditional concrete and steel construction?

And much more!

🟢 Check out the full episode OUT NOW.

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In collaboration with Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction.

10 months ago | [YT] | 1

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Ecogradia

New webinar on designing for resilience is out now: https://youtu.be/RqDGNTnCbI4

All over the globe, environmental risk has been distressing communities living in vulnerable areas.

How can redevelopment initiatives in these regions build social and economic resilience?

Find out in the penultimate episode of the Holcim Awards 2023 limited webinar series titled, ‘Reviving communities: Designing for resilience’.

(Note: This webinar was recorded in Spanish. Turn on the subtitles to follow along in English.)

In the episode, urban planning scholar Andrés Ramirez is in conversation with representatives of two Holcim Award-winning projects from Latin America that demonstrate sustainable approaches to reviving at-risk communities.

Iván Forgioni, Architect at FP-Arquitectura, represents the project San José De Nueva Venecia School (Santa Marta, Colombia).

Carolina Rodas, Architect at Rama Estudio represents the project Saving Portete - Sustainable Island (Esmeraldas, Ecuador).

Here’s what you can expect to learn in this episode:

1️⃣ What are the various vulnerabilities communities face today?

2️⃣How can architects think about driving ecological, cultural and financial resilience in the face of these shocks?

3️⃣What role can indigenous building techniques play in creating resilience?

And much more!

🟢 Check out the full episode OUT NOW on our channel.

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In collaboration with Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction.

10 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 0

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Ecogradia

Our webinar on crafting biocentric public spaces is OUT NOW! ☘️
https://youtu.be/T6z4XnrgUQM

Can urban landscapes help to integrate social functions with natural systems?

Tune in to the latest episode of our Holcim Awards 2023 limited webinar series where we speak with Neil Davidson of J&L Gibbons and Carlos Zarco Sanz of Openact Architecture.

Their respective Holcim Award-winning projects – Urban Nature Project (London, United Kingdom) and Stream Co-Habitat (Istanbul, Turkey) – illustrate this biocentric approach to landscape urbanism.

The two projects not only satisfy communal needs, but also create blue-green systems that act as carbon sinks, enhance biodiversity, and restore ecosystems.

Here’s what you can expect to learn in this webinar:

1️⃣ Integrating the social and the ecological calls for a new prism on urbanism. How are the two integrated at the drawing board?

2️⃣ Who speaks for nature? Who is the “voice” of flora and fauna during design?

3️⃣ How are these spaces sustained? Who manages them? What is key to long-term success?

And more!

In collaboration with Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction

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[Sustainability, architecture, sustainable architecture, landscape, urbanism, regeneration, regenerative design]

1 year ago | [YT] | 0

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Ecogradia

Watch our new webinar on designing water-conscious cities!
https://youtu.be/1ymuOXbLxio

From droughts to flooding, rampant, unplanned urbanisation is one of the primary causes of water issues in cities.

Now, more than ever, it is crucial to focus on urban regeneration by strengthening ecological and hydrological systems.

Tune in to the latest episode of our Holcim Awards 2023 limited webinar series where urban planning scholar Andrés Ramirez speaks with Juan Carlos Cano of Cano Vera Arquitectura and Laura Urueña Serna of Geográfica Sur.

Their respective Holcim Award-winning projects – Utopia Estrella Iztapalapa (Mexico City, Mexico) and Memories of Water (Rionegro, Colombia) – demonstrate different approaches to ecological revival in cities, exhibiting water-consciousness at varied scales.

(Note: This webinar was recorded in Spanish. English subtitles are available on YouTube)

Here’s what you can expect to learn in this webinar:

1️⃣ What is the role of water in urban regeneration?

2️⃣ Who are the different stakeholders in large urban projects such as these? Are their respective needs in sync or at odds?

3️⃣ How do we design with water? In what ways does hydrology inform urban and architectural form?

And more!

In collaboration with Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction

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[Sustainability, architecture, sustainable architecture, water, landscape, urbanism, regeneration, regenerative design]

1 year ago (edited) | [YT] | 0

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Ecogradia

#ThoughtoftheDay from our recent conversation with Jay Springett on Ecogradia season 5.

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Thank you to Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction for supporting season 5 of Ecogradia.

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#Ecogradia #Podcast #Sustainability #SustainableArchitecture #Urbanism #Solarpunk

1 year ago | [YT] | 3

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Ecogradia

Working towards a better planet is no small feat. The urgency is real.

How, then, can sustainability professionals balance work and life?

“Stress and anxiety are not great breeding grounds for creativity,” says Marianne Therese Amores Dutta, Founder and Director of The Regenesis Project.

Here’s how Marianne balances the pressures of the job while also nurturing creative thinking.

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Watch the full conversation with Marianne titled ‘How three leaders under 40 built successful careers in sustainability’ out now on YouTube / Spotify / Apple Podcasts.

Link: https://youtu.be/QLk6PVQOx6M?feature=...

Thank you to Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction for supporting season 5 of Ecogradia.

1 year ago | [YT] | 4

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