Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León

Facultad de Arquitectura

Unidad de Aprendizaje:

Competencia Comunicativa en inglés

1.3 - Documentary Video

Catedrático (a): Durán Delgado Fátima Denisse

Alumno: Matrícula:

Escamilla Morales Mariana Amabelly 1996936

Ferrusca Súchil Ximena 2014515

Garza Cano Dayana Lizeth 2086772

Garza Reyes Hernán Eduardo 1997532

Gaytán Luna Cristian Jair 1874635

González Dávila Iván Alejandro 1994017

Gpo: 01

San Nicolas de los Garza, Nuevo León, 18 de febrero

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 Sustainable Architecture

Links
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIddRKVH6H0
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUGQNVleOEo&ab_channel=TinyHouseGiantJour
ney
• https://youtu.be/tpMku9PqXSA?si=HOyOUInPDfpkZGnU
• https://youtu.be/e6UZAgoRVAU?si=NHnF-BEm6yv7vVu9
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rx3DYgSfeCU

Conclusion

Sustainable architecture aims to reduce the negative impacts of construction or reduce

people's energy consumption, giving them the opportunity to obtain comfort and harmony
through natural processes and materials. Currently, it doesn't take much to learn how to
be sustainable. Still, if you must know a little about what it's about, sustainable
construction has several objectives and principles that are broken down depending on
what characteristics or effects you want to achieve in a place.
Five of the principles of sustainable design are passive design (using natural free
resources to warm your house) , energy efficient (well isolated walls), systems and
technology (get the gas out of the home, installing solar panels), footprint (less i more,
respect to spaces that are not really necessary), materials ( consider where they come
from, use recycle materials, using constructions techniques that avoid wastage of the
materials) .
Regarding the reasons for sustainability in architecture by Norman Foster is that
sustainability is essential not only as an ethical responsibility towards the environment
and future generations but also as an opportunity to create buildings that enhance
people's quality of life and promote more equitable and resilient development. Foster
advocates for a holistic approach that goes beyond simply reducing the environmental
impact of buildings but also aims to maximize their energy efficiency, optimize their
operation, and promote the health and well-being of their occupants. This involves using
innovative technologies, sustainable materials, and design strategies that minimize the

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consumption of natural resources and reduce carbon emissions. In summary,
sustainability in architecture according to Norman Foster is both a moral imperative and
an opportunity to drive innovation and create a more harmonious and resilient built
environment.
In their designs and practices, several architects have adopted sustainable approaches.
Some of them are:
Norman Foster: Sir Norman Foster is known for his designs that focus on sustainability
and energy efficiency. Beijing International Airport and The Bow skyscraper in Calgary
are examples of landmark projects with sustainable features that his firm, Foster +
Partners, has worked on.
Renzo Piano: Several projects by Italian architect Renzo Piano, such as the California
Center for the Arts in Los Angeles and The Shard skyscraper in London, have
demonstrated his commitment to sustainability.
Bjarke Ingels: Danish architect Bjarke Ingels and his company, BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group),
have created sustainable innovations such as a waste conversion plant.
As example we choose The COB house, it’s a natural home made from subsoil, water,
and fibrous organic material, it’s between 700 and 800 hundred square ft. The couple
explain that Cob it’s an old building technique made of sand, clay, and straw. Referring
to how it works, they explain that the walls are comprised of straw bales, which means
these are taking the load of the roof, and on the inside, we have 6 inches of cob as a
thermal mass on the interior keeping the heat in the winter.
They also used recycled windows, and as an artistic part of the house they choose to use
bottles of wine to make an effect with the sunlight inside the house, they also said that
the COB is a material that allows you to make sculptures in any part and any stage of the
construction process, they also have a composting toilet, to save water.
On the other hand, the Nubian vault technique is related to the previous one, because
they use the same type of materials (water, straw, stones, and soil). This design was
revived, by Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy in the 1940s after he saw the technique in
the Nubian village of Abu al-Richie.

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It has curved structure, that doesn’t require wood or metal reinforcement, making it
environmentally friendly, and ideal for countries with limited natural resources and with
high temperatures.
There is no waste, everything is reusable and in the moment that you use mud for the
bricks everything becomes recyclable.
Previously it has been said that this technique was ideal for high temperatures, and that’s
because the mud has a high thermal mass, which means it slowly absorbs and stores
heat during the day, stopping a house from becoming too hot. It’s a construction system
that uses very thick walls. The weakest wall is 40 centimeters and thickest are 60 to 80
centimeters so the thickness of the wall will play a big role in the thermal inertia of the
building.