Because the experience is that many design studios are hopelessly behind when it comes to what lies on the backbone of young architects: responsibility and ethics.
– Many students end up in conflict with themselves. They are trained in thinking about sustainability from the start and in working with wood and nature’s own materials and in thinking about how they leave the least possible impact on the climate.
– But they don’t feel heard. They meet an old industry that does what it usually does, says Signe Glud, candidate in architecture from Architecture and Design at Create at AAU.
She predicts a revolution – a quiet one of that kind.
“If Denmark is to achieve its climate goals, we must get away from the enjoyment of a new car and fresh paint – that enthusiasm for everything that is new. In fact, there should be no smell of paint in a building at all, because then it has not degassed”. Photo: Martél Andersen
You do what you feel comfortable in
When Signe Glud was a child, she was often looked after by her grandmother and grandfather.
Her maternal grandfather was a landscape gardener and stonemason, and he took her with him when he carved shapes out of granite and up to the summer house in the dune landscape at Lild Strand.
He had built the house himself, carved out large blocks of granite for the stairs and kitchen table, and driftwood bought at local auctions became furniture and lamps.
The environment Signe grew up in was generally one where you did things yourself, and from an early age she knew what she wanted to work with as an adult: buildings and spaces.
On the architecture course at AAU Create, she became deeply interested in buildings from the 20th century.
The industrial, commercial and residential buildings that many of us find ugly and would rather be apart of.
Her graduation project is about how to re-insulate old commercial buildings with biogenic materials, i.e. materials that nature has grown by its own power, and create a large energy saving in the building, without the buildings losing their cultural-historical value and ability to tell about their contemporaries.
Today, she is a civil engineer specializing in sustainable architecture, and she currently works as a scientific assistant, supervisor and is part of three research projects.
It is through the role of supervisor that she has contact with the students who are doing internships.
Many of them repeat experiences she herself has had.
Experiences of an industry that is not much for -, but also does not know where to find alternatives to the methods and ways of thinking that are deeply rooted in themselves
– There is no ill will in it, but it is a conservative industry. You do what you feel comfortable in.
Series: Future urban development
We get too little architectural quality for the money and resources we use; our homes are rotting too much and villages are dying out.
This is how some of the conclusions from the working group that the Ministry of Culture has set up to create a new national architecture policy that will inspire politicians, architects and everyone involved in construction and urban development across the country.
It may sound lofty, but it doesn’t have to be.
Nordjyske has spoken to a number of those who have an influence on urban development in North Jutland or have strong opinions about it, about what they have learned in recent years, what they are proud of and what they want to do better.
A generation gap
These are the new smaller and more experimental design studios such as Ræværk, Pihlmann and Panum & Kappel, students these years are queuing up to get an internship with.
Here you get more hands-on experience, but also a fundamental difference in the view of construction draws.
– People will probably continue to apply to the large conventional design studios, you always want to have a big name in your portfolio. But more and more people want to be in a place that has the same set of values as themselves, and where they can be proud of what they do, says Signe Glud.
– My generation grew up in a time when people are increasingly distancing themselves from the use-and-throw-away culture. More and more of us are making an effort to ensure that everything we own is included in a cycle – we buy used and sell instead of throwing away.
“It can quickly become more expensive to transform, because many more hours have to be put into getting used to an existing building. It is something new young architects are trained to a great extent these years – how to think about both conservation and sustainability”. Photo: Martél Andersen
The same view applies in the view of construction, she believes.
– In relation to sustainability, in recent years there has been a shift from a focus on building sustainably to a focus on whether to build new at all. Now it is instead about whether you can transform what we already have.
– And how do you do it in a responsible way? As Søren Nielsen – new professor at the School of Architecture in Aarhus – says, this is where architects are really needed, says Signe Glud.
Too many investors and builders can eventually design a concrete building themselves.
– Transformations are where the professionalism of architects is really unfolded, because it is far more complex to build on something that someone else has done before you, than to draw something from scratch on a white paper.
And a new agenda is on the way.
There are many design studios that are in a hurry to get projects off the ground before new EU requirements for sustainability come into force.
A quiet revolution
She calls it a quiet revolution – the one that lies ahead.
There is great respect for the older colleagues, the young people want to learn from them, emphasizes Signe Glud.
And, according to her, the small design studios that move into sustainability do not create a fuss about the many good projects they do.
But they are going to set an agenda that will gain momentum when the requirements in the Danish building code and from the European side become stricter.
– There it will no longer be enough to send an architect on a two-day course in LCA (the environmental consequences of a product’s life cycle, red.), as some design studios do today.
– If you really want to be able to act within the new demands that are being made, you have to have someone who is a native of them. And it is the young people, because it has been a premise of their entire education, says Signe Glud.
For the same reason, according to her, several design studios lag behind in keeping up with the current requirements.
– What I hear from interns is that some design studios find it very difficult to live up to them. And then they start to pass the ball on to builders etc. and put responsibility aside, just as there are many design studios that are in a hurry to get projects off the ground before new EU requirements for sustainability come into force.
But many design studios can still get away with it.
– Today there are plenty of examples of greenwashing. Virtually all design studios write on their websites that they work with sustainability, but there are many places where it doesn’t matter in practice – it’s only there because that’s what people want to hear.
People don’t want to put something full of perfumes and chemicals on their skin, but they want to live in a concrete block insulated with rockwool.
When the revolution comes
When the practice of some design studios does not follow the visions, it is of course because it is not a demand from their customers.
– It’s really fun. People don’t want to put something full of perfumes and chemicals on their skin, but they want to live in a concrete block insulated with rockwool. No one has yet said they want an organic or vegan building, says Signe Glud.
“Right now, the EU is talking about stopping bare-marks projects, so that you can only build in places where there is already construction. This places new demands on the design studios, which must make it attractive to choose renovation without compromising on new sustainability requirements”. Photo: Martél Andersen
But it is a matter of time before that comes, she believes.
And what will we get when the revolution comes?
According to Signe Glud, we will see solutions where sustainability and energy security are already thought into the design of buildings and are decisive for the aesthetic choices.
– No matter how beautiful a view is, it does not make sense to make a huge window section to the north, because it creates an enormous heat loss.
And then it’s about choosing biogenic insulation materials rather than rock wool and glass wool, which are created using fossil fuels.
– It is something that is not only good for the environment, but also for the indoor climate. Many new buildings today are too tight and cannot breathe, which leads to dampness and mould.
Can you end up in a situation where society’s development runs from the drawing rooms?
– Maybe. At least we can get into a situation where the design studios have to follow along.
– But it is also a question of willingness to take risks. There should be a payoff for those who try something different, some kind of insurance, some new roads are hard to walk.
Blue Book: Signe Glud
- Signe Glud (b. 1998) is a civil engineer with a specialization in sustainable architecture.
- She currently works as a research assistant at AAU Create in the department of architecture, design and media technology.
- Here she is part of three research projects, which respectively deal with circular building architecture, material practice, and Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) (evaluation of completed and occupied buildings). In addition, she is a supervisor on the programme.
- She grew up in Bjerringbro and currently lives in Aalborg.
2024-11-14 15:09:00
#architects #meet #industry
How does consumer behavior influence the effectiveness of sustainability claims made by design studios?
The text discusses the current state and challenges of sustainability practices in design studios in light of impending EU regulations. Here are the main points summarized:
1. **Rush to Comply**: Many design studios are hurrying to launch projects before new EU sustainability requirements come into effect, often sidelining genuine responsibility towards sustainable practices.
2. **Greenwashing**: There is a significant prevalence of greenwashing, where design studios claim to prioritize sustainability on their websites but do not implement these practices meaningfully. This often stems from a desire to meet consumer expectations rather than true commitment to sustainability.
3. **Consumer Attitudes**: The text highlights a contradiction in consumer behavior; people express a desire to avoid harsh chemicals in personal products while simultaneously favoring traditional building materials that may not align with sustainable practices. Signe Glud points out that no significant demand has been made for buildings that are truly organic or vegan.
4. **Impending Regulatory Changes**: The EU’s proposed regulations may restrict new constructions to only areas that already have buildings, thus encouraging renovations that adhere to sustainability standards. This shift will place new pressures on design studios to innovate and make renovations appealing without sacrificing sustainability criteria.
5. **Future Prospects**: Glud anticipates a future where sustainability and energy efficiency are integral to building design, influencing aesthetics and practical choices. For instance, intentional design decisions, like avoiding large window openings facing north, will become commonplace due to their implications for energy loss.
In essence, the text critiques the current state of sustainable design practices, highlights inconsistencies in consumer demand, and anticipates a shift towards more conscientious building design as regulatory pressures increase.
