Environmental sustainability cannot be achieved without changing our approach to architecture, with every year bringing a range of ideas for the industry. Here are five architectural topics explored on This Big City in 2010:
1. Is Product Placement the Future of Sustainable Architecture ?
How could a housing design firm make money by giving away their building plans? Following the lead of the television industry, Free Green are monetising their work through product placement, and hoping to make architecture a more sustainable industry in the process.
2. A Sustainable Future for Downtown Chicago
If Chicago’s Loop is to become a more sustainable area, old buildings need to be retrofitted with green features and mixed-use developments must be encouraged, but this is just the beginning of Ruthanna Gordon’s suggestions.
3. Beautiful Green Prefabs Go National
One Californian housing design firm is going national, introducing stylish and sustainable prefabricated housing to America.
4. Sustainable Housing Done the British Way
Designed and built in the UK, Cub Homes have created what they call ‘a solution to carbon neutral living’, exceeding British sustainability standards just in time to capitalise on government targets for sustainable housing.
Suitable for construction off-grid and without connection to any utilities, this self-sufficient building is capable of generating enough energy to meet its needs. One problem though – its designers need $350,000.