Sustainable Architecture: The way to the Future

Abraham Thomas

27th September 2020

Sustainable architecture is known for giving back to the environment in the form of adding greenery into the architecture. Sustainable architecture has been gaining popularity in recent years to reduce the negative impact of construction in the future. The sustainable architecture provides a balance to the consequences made by only making a house.

Forest school in Pune which follows sustainable architecture (Source: www.dezeen.com)

Steps on how to sustain architecture might be as simple as incorporating natural resources into the building site wherever conceivable. Simple as the thought is, it is much harder to implement it practically. Making use of all the materials as cautiously as possible is also an aspect of sustainable architecture.

The three main factors of sustainable architecture are ‘environmental sustainability, economic sustainability, and social sustainability’. An architect must go through all the factors before starting the work. Checking if the elements complement each other can make decision-making easier for the architect. Architects should start including materials which will not cause as much harm to the environment. Using such materials will help the building remain environment-friendly during its lifetime. Architects have also started using renewable energy resources such as solar and wind power to help them with the construction.

For a project to be entirely sustainable, architects need to use environment-friendly raw materials. They can also use environment-friendly products for finishing touches — paint, solar panels, and others. The easiest way to find sustainable supplies is to find and utilize products that are recycled and require the least energy while being manufactured.

Recycling is the heart of a sustainable architect’s design. A sustainable architecture project must also find energy and resource efficiency where the architect must use renewable energy. The sustainable architect can also consider different aspects of how to use the space available — if the building will have proper ventilation, temperature control, and the use of materials which do not emit toxic gases.

Many Indian architecture firms focus on sustainable architecture and have been very successful with their projects. Architecture Studio Nudes has designed a school in Pune, India which is completely covered in greenery and has a cycling track shaped like an Infinity symbol at the top. Many architects in these firms are invested — they are willing to think about bettering the environment in every small and big way possible.

Some Indian architects who are recognized for their craftsmanship in this field are Trupti Doshi, Biju and Sindhu Bhaskar, Benny Kuriakose, Eugene Pandala, and Gopal Shankar. These architects have initiated a change in the architecture industry. Sustainable architecture is going to benefit India environmentally and financially.

(Sources: Dezeen, The Medium, The Better India) Edited by Meghna Venkatesh