What

does the climate emergency

mean to architecture?

Introduc5on
 What does the climate emergency mean to architecture?

Ques5on:
•  What are the main issues?

•  On a scale of understanding/belief/concern
about climate change, where do you stand?
 What does the climate emergency mean to architecture?

Prof Jem Bendell’s talk on the climate change scenario and the
implica5ons for the earth
(European Commission)

 What does the climate emergency mean to architecture?

The hard facts

•  At minimum global warming must be kept to 1.5 degrees but this means
stop increase in emissions now (last year alone over 2% increase)

 What does the climate emergency mean to architecture?

The hard facts con5nued

•  Temperatures rising, sea ice melts, more dark water will absorb more heat
•  Destruc5on of biodiversity, eg. dead coral reefs, mass ex5nc5on of species
•  Weakening of natural carbon sinks
•  Dispersal of cloud banks – poten5al for another 8 degrees on top of
current rate of warming
•  Human Migra5on – popula5on shiU to more inhabitable areas of planet
•  Global hunger
•  Mass ex5nc5on – we’ve lost 60% of animal popula5ons to date
•  Extreme events such as flooding, fires, hurricanes etc

It may be too late to stop the climate breakdown…

 What does the climate emergency mean to architecture?

This can leave us in despair, denial and/or indifference!

What can governments do?
what can society do?
What can individuals do?

In response to this concern for the future of the earth,
The Ex5nc5on Rebellion movement was formed by a small group
of ac5vists in October 2018
 What does the climate emergency mean to architecture?

What is XR?
•  Ex#nc#on Rebellion (abbreviated as XR) is a socio-
poli5cal movement with the stated aim of using civil disobedience
and nonviolent resistance to compel government ac5on on
climate breakdown, biodiversity loss, and the risk of social and
ecological collapse. (wikipedia)
•  XR Ireland has a set of 10 principles & values
(see haps://ex5nc5onrebellionireland.com/)

Core demand is system change for more equitable society
•  Power hierarchies
•  Financial structures
 What does the climate emergency mean to architecture?

System change and the built environment

•  Buildings account for on average 40% of greenhouse gas
emissions throughout their lifecycle
•  This includes embodied carbon (35%) and opera5onal carbon
(65%)
•  In Ireland & elsewhere, energy efficiency standards mainly
focusing on hea5ng & cooling (24%)

 What does the climate emergency mean to architecture?

Lifecycle carbon emissions of a typical building (hap://etool.global.com/)

 What does the climate emergency mean to architecture?

System change and the built environment: We need to change

the way we create the built environment in response to climate
breakdown
•  Reduce embodied energy in buildings
•  Use healthy natural building materials & resources
•  Encourage local infrastructure (food, transport, waste etc)
•  Encourage community engagement in building process
•  Incorporate design that promotes biodiversity
 What does the climate emergency mean to architecture?

Rob Hopkins, founder of Transi5on Towns concept

video “From What Is to What If”, a snapshot of how society could be in 2030
(new book, “From What Is to What If” to be published on October 17, 2019)

What does the climate emergency mean to architecture?

hap://www.thevillage.ie/
 What does the climate emergency mean to architecture?

Cloughjordan eco-village & town

•  55 low energy homes so far (130 sites)
•  Community: 120 people & 10 businesses
•  Governance by consensus
•  Intergenera5onal, variety of zones based on permaculture concepts (understand what is
necessary in a successful system), ie. 1/3 living, 1/3 growing, 1/3 nature
•  District Energy system
•  Village Charter on building:
–  Low environmental impact materials
–  Water conserva5on
–  Energy efficiency
•  Natural reedbed waste treatment system to be installed to serve en5re ecovillage
•  Community farm produces fruit & veg
•  Local wood-fired bakery

The arrival of the ecovillage revived a small town that had experienced huge popula5on loss. The post
office and train sta5on have stayed open despite closures throughout the country. There are now 2
primary schools, 2 cafes, a bookshop and a flourishing economic environment.
 What does the climate emergency mean to architecture?

How do you stand now?

Get in groups of 2-3 & discuss the following ques5ons:
What is the future for architecture?
How will it need to change to adapt to future condi5ons?
Will architecture exist as we know it?
How will buildings change?


Any Answers?

 What does the climate emergency mean to architecture?

What can architects do?

The construc5on industry?
Architecture/engineering schools – administra5on, lecturers?

What can students do to help bring about change?

Jem Bendell video:
haps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke1PCgiM3V4
Rob Hopkins video:
haps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTNhpXdyciM
Georges Monbiot, Rachel Treharne & Zuhura Plummer –XR in Oxford
haps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n__y1FXK_jE&t=1503s