Chapter 7
The Global Landscape of Green Architecture

A. Senem Deviren

We live in a world that increasingly tames difference. Built environments produced by global capital are the projection of global capitalism, expressing value systems that are often narrowly described as ‘Western.’ In the process, the local and the particular are lost, sacrificed to the global and general. As dominant power disseminates its preferred ways of thinking, such homogenization happens at all levels of our existence.¹

As Lewis (1999) puts forward “There is no internationally-agreed definition for green architecture.”² Green, or sustainable, or environmentally-friendly architecture is not simply an environmental benefit. It is place-sensitive; in a globalizing world it leads to location-specific architecture by responding to local climatic conditions and using local materials. It also offers better architectural quality with more natural and fewer artificial inputs; not only is less more, less is also beautiful.³ However, the question remains: Is it really possible to give one global perspective of green architecture while there are social, economic, politic, demographic, climatic, ideological and cultural differences on earth? The question leaves the architects, who are going to genuinely deal with green architecture, with challenges and opportunities at the same time.

In regards to the circumstantial differences and in the light of regional “modifiers,” this chapter is on contravening exemplifications of greening of architecture (Urban–Rural, High-Tech–Low-Tech, New–Existing, Extreme–Mainstream, X-Small–X-Large); regardless of their scale or context, giving a panorama of the landscape of greening architectural practices worldwide. Though, it may only be possible to just to give a glimpse of what potentials are laying in different parts of the world and the diverse ways in which green architecture is interpreted.

URBAN–RURAL

With increasing urban population on earth the importance of the presence of urban green buildings are also increasing. The importance and power of urban green buildings are sourced from their potentials to provide sustainable microclimatic environments within urban fabric. But not only that is important. On an urban scale the issues of conservation of fossil fuel and energy resources, and the need for more environmentally friendly energy sources are magnified. However, energy efficiency is not a goal in itself, but a part of an integrated search for sustainable development which recognizes the local, regional and global impact of cities on air, land, water, vegetation, wildlife and the human population.⁴ The architects’ responsibility becomes more significant at the scale of building site within the urban fabric. The design decisions taken at this level have great impact and consequences for future sustainability of the whole urban context and further. The following selected examples for urban projects have varying functionality from residential use to a public building. The common criteria for these projects here are to be newly built, bringing new understanding of design decisions for energy efficiency and urban sustainability while supporting place connectedness of people with local conditions, sources, community spirit and place memory.

7.1 Urban Projects a) Yusuhara Town Hall, Japan (Photograph: Takumi Ota Photography) b) Harmonia 57, Sao Paolo, Brazil (www.triptygue.com/Photograph Nelson Kon)

The largest scaled wooden hall in Japan was built in the town of Yusuhara Kochi Prefecture, known for its urban development using “Japanese Cedar,” by Kengo Kuma. The building is designed around a large atrium, for cold winters with snowing weather conditions, which serves as an indoor plaza for combining the two main functions of this complex: a market for local products and a small hotel (with 15 rooms). This atrium also functions as a cultural salon. While the architecture of building is capable of making people reconfirm the excellence of Japanese wooden structures it also helps to visualize how the local material of cedar sustain the structure. The traditional material is used in new forms to create the new characteristics for modern Yusuhara. The material serves as a connecter between the people, the land, the history and culture of their own place. With all its contributions to the effective integration of the buildings into their context and its respect for the environment the project won the Energy Performance and Architecture Award in 2007.

The ongoing efforts in Austria in the field of energy-efficient housing research, construction and design are creating a competitive environment for providing energy efficient housing. In 2009 the largest passive house project “Lodenareal” was completed in Innsbruck, the capital city of Tirol, Austria. The project is a development of local based firm Neue Heimat Tirol, a city and state-owned development company, well known with their new energy efficient and ecological low-income housing, elderly apartments and condo projects for the region. Lodenareal complex is designed by Architekturwerkstatt din a4 with Team K2. The whole housing is expected to save 680 tons of CO₂ per year and the cost of the whole project is not much more than code minimum buildings. The complex is designed in two L-shaped buildings, each forming a semi-open courtyard, which contributes to create both a shared common open space and microclimatic green areas. The whole façade of the buildings are surrounded by cantilevered balconies which minimize thermal bridging, roof-mounted solar collectors provide more than half of the domestic hot water needs and a pellet boiler is being used for space heating. The whole project has already proved that Passivhaus offers immediate and significant energy and CO₂ emission reductions.

Located in the west side of São Paulo, Brazil, Harmonia 57 is a residential project by Triptyque Architects. The project is offering an opportunity for bringing domestic green landscape design into architecture with the aim of creating a living organism. The building (studio) consists of two parts connected with a metal bridge, also used as an outside balcony. The façade is covered in small holes filled with vegetation. A special irrigation system is installed on the house to water the plants in the hot Brazilian climate. As the architects of the project indicate, “the water is the main feature in this project where the rain and soil water are drained, treated and reused, creating a complex ecosystem.” The overall scheme and system of the studio is made around the simple idea of bringing landscape and architecture together in design of a living habitat.

Within the popular highly polished systems for effective climatic control we are all pleased to obtain our comfortable living conditions. However, in the long term, we are paying the price by high heating and cooling bills, increase of the CO₂ level in the atmosphere and global warming, which threatens every living organism on earth. Residential buildings have a high impact in urban areas as they cover the largest surface area within the urban fabrics. Therefore, housing projects designed according to energy efficiency and ecological living principles are becoming important for achieving the goals of sustainable ecological development. One of the most important aims for the architect is to reduce the ecological footprint while improving the quality of life both at the level of private and public living environments.

With their limited access to materials, skills and resources, provided by the urban systems, the projects in rural areas have situational necessities to obtain required materials and energy from renewable sources. The increasing awareness on the negative environmental impacts of high energy demanding luxurious buildings for these areas are now well known to green sensitive architects. The environmental suitability of local traditional building materials, lighting, ventilation and water saving strategies are being re-utilized for modern sustainable green buildings. The projects selected here for rural locations are demonstrating experimental yet big achievements in terms of highly efficient renewable energy use, climate and human comfort balance and promise for future sustainability of the single or groups of relatively new—not vernacular—buildings within the heart of less disturbed landscapes.

After a six-year study for the hut of the future at the architecture department of the Swiss Federal Technical University in Zurich (ETH) and the Swiss Alpine Club (SAC), the new Monte Rosa hut on Zermatt, Switzerland is opened in 2010. The building generates over 90 percent of its own energy and known as one of the most complex wooden structures in the country. It is covered with an aluminum shell with solar collectors mounted its southern façade. Warm air and hot water are provided with the help of this façade collectors and the ice melt is used for water needs. The program of the project includes accommodation for hikers and mountain climbers. The project was awarded with the bronze Holcim Awards Europe and will continue to serve as a research project in power and building service engineering. The building is also called “Mountain Crystal” as it resembles the Alpine ice-covered rural landscape.

7.2 Rural Projects a) Mountain Crystal, Zermatt, Switzerland (© Siemens AG, Munich/Berlin) b) Energy Lab, Preparatory Academy, Hawaii (courtesy of Flansburgh Architects, Photo: Matthew Millman) c) Hanil Visitors Center, South Korea (courtesy of BCHO Architects Associates)

Another science building dedicated to the study of renewable energy technologies is located in Hawaii and called the New Science Building at Hawaii Preparatory Academy, completed in January 2010. It is a zero-net-energy building generating all its power from photovoltaic and wind turbine sources, capturing and filtering all of its drinking and wastewater and generating hot water from solar thermal panels. It is totally naturally ventilated. The building has a LEED Platinum and Living Building Challenge certification. The program of the center is presenting a living energy laboratory for the educational purposes. The climatic comfort is provided just by the design and space configuration of the building itself, which links the interior study spaces with the outdoor experimentation and discovery areas.

A combination of research and accommodation program is applied for the Hanil Visitors Center and Guest House project in South Korea. The center has a high purpose of educating its visitors for the use of recycled concrete. Concrete is broken and recast in various materials creating both translucent and opaque tiles. The gabion wall and fabric formed concrete which constitute the main façades of the building, was erected first, and the concrete left over from it was recycled in the gabion cages, on the rooftop for insulation from sun, and as a landscape material at the street and around the factory. Thus, the building complex structure itself is also a showcase in how to reuse this material in different types of construction, casting formwork types as well as re-casting techniques. From its spatial form to its very surrounding landscape recycled concrete is used to show the evolving and changing potentials to the visitors.

Taking the local climatic conditions, materials and surrounding context as the root of their design, the architects of these rural projects struggle with providing comfort without using state of art technology and depletion of sources. Yet the results are worth to achieve with minimum footprint on land, increased living quality and ecological balance between man and nature.

HIGH-TECH–LOW-TECH

All big cities turning into metropolitan areas are now densely populated with high-tech, high-rise, multi-functional cutting edge towers. Yet reaching high and far, these towers are now also competing to fulfill their environmental task: to incorporate “green” features into their design to contribute to a sustainable future. The competition to become the “greenest” tower continues in different continents. Swiss Re Headquarters, also known as the Gherkin Tower, built by Foster and Partners Ltd. in London, UK, is the city’s first ecological tall building with its cleverly designed ventilations system that reduces the energy consumption by half of a similar type of regular high-rise building. Bahrain World Trade Center, in the city of Manama, rises 787 feet (240 meters) in height and has three 95-foot (29 meters) wind turbines, each supported by a 98.43-foot (30 meters) bridge spanning between two towers. It is the first building in the world to incorporate this sort of technology at this scale. Reaching from Arab peninsula to China, to Haizhu District of Guangzho (formerly known as Canton), the capital of Guangdong Province 2,001-foot (610 meters) tall Canton Tower (also known as the Guangzhou TV Tower) stands with one of the most complex building façade integrated photovoltaic systems in the world. By February 2011 the tower is the tallest building on earth. The LED technology applied for all lighting, as a result, the tower consumes only 15 percent of the allowed maximum for façade lighting. The tower is designed by Information Based Architecture (IBA), from The Netherlands in collaboration with Arup and Local Design Institute. The green features are not only building-integrated but also considered the master plan for the surrounding landscape with a 44-acre (17.9 hectares) park at the base level and a carefully planned 139-acre (56.6 hectares) multifunctional area with an elevated plaza, a pagoda park, retail facilities, offices, a TV center and a hotel.

Vietin Bank Tower, the first project of Forster and Partners in Vietnam, is a 322,917-foot squared (300,000 meters squared) mixed use development comprised by two connected towers, including conference facilities, luxury shops, cafes and restaurants and topped by roof top gardens, an energy-efficient new headquarters for Vietin Bank, a five star hotel, spa and serviced apartments. The scheme has a progressive environmental agenda and is designed to mitigate the effects of the area’s high levels of humidity using a low-energy, desiccant wheel. The system draws in humidity, separating the water from the atmosphere and exhaling hot, dry air, which can then be cooled by ground water and released back into the buildings. This was the first time this technology has been applied in the region on such a large scale.

At a nearby geography, in the capital of Australia, Sydney, the Bligh 1 Office Tower also has earned the highest score in Australia’s Green Star standard with its 28-story inner-atrium, allowing natural daylight to the extended office balconies and working as a natural cooling system, siphoning hot air and funneling it out the top of the building. With its double-skinned façade cooling inside, green roofs providing shared semi-open spaces for the users, onsite wastewater recycling system and bicycle parking contributes to Sydney city to become greener.

Not only the high-rise buildings are using cutting edge technologies to achieve the maximum levels in green architecture category, but also well-known industrial leaders are competing with each other to make their headquarter buildings more green. In 2003 BMW set out a design competition for a new building and distribution center located in Munich, Germany. The results were more than grand; not only is the new BMW Welt aesthetically pleasing with its sinuous curves and gleaming façade, but it was also consciously designed to save energy in its production of cars through efficient solar heating and natural ventilation systems.⁵ The design of Coop Himmelb(l)au is centered around a multifunctional hall, which serves as a public–industry interface and the heart of all green features. The central multifunctional hall is designed as a solar-heated, naturally ventilated sub-climatic area, removing the normal requirements for building heating and ventilation.

Located at Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, The Nissan Advanced Technology Center is designed around the central concept of promoting the creativity and imagination of engineers. The features such as open balcony gardens, stepped workplaces facing green hills, central space all contribute to communication between people by creating an optimal and pleasant work environment in energy efficient and landscape blended complex. The building is awarded at the national and international levels promoting its overall positive influence both technical issues concerning high levels of energy efficiency and also promoting the quality of the life of users.

7.3 Low Tech Green Architecture a) A Yurt, Kyrgyzistan (courtesy stock.xchng) b) Quensel House, TR North Cyprus (© image courtesy A. Senem Deviren) c) Bali Green School, Indonesia (© Green School)

Although the technology dependent green buildings are contributing in raising awareness and stimulating debate about sustainable architecture, they have some limitations in achieving green dimensions. These buildings have higher initial investments than traditional constructions. On the other hand, using mainly natural, local materials and sources, low-tech green projects present the human nature engagement at a very basic yet most necessary level.

With building traditions developed by trial and error and handed to the following generations through local knowledge transfer systems, vernacular architecture is an undeniable base and will probably always serve as the main source of genuine sustainable habitat solutions. One of the earliest examples, the yurts, which are home to the nomads of Asia, are marvelous examples. A yurt completely intertwines and presents a whole life cycle of man and habitat under one simple shelter from birth, siting, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, demolition, death and re-birth.

The modern interpretations of vernacular architecture, with the use of local materials, construction techniques and labor, are all well known to the Mediterranean building culture. The Mediterranean way of living close to earth, sun and all other natural sources is not only inspiring professional architects but also all who are looking for life quality enhancing conditions for sustainable living. The Quensel couple, who decided to settle down and live off-grid in Zeytinlik village, nearby Girne, TRNorth Cyprus, designed and constructed their own house with the help of local masons by using local materials. The house is located at the edge of a sloping hill with 1,205 feet squared (112 meters squared) indoor and 3,229 feet squared (300 meters squared) outdoor constructed space—including terraces, balconies, paths—700 feet squared (65 meters squared) garage and two workshops overlooking the Mediterranean sea at a distance. The total size of the site is 25,618 feet squared (2,380 meters squared) where the remaining area—out of constructed spaces—is left to gardens and a small size vineyard. The rainwater is collected in underground water tanks with the total capacity of 2,472 feet cubed (70 meters cubed), which is even more than the need of both household and garden facilities. The electric power needed for the house and the water pumps in the garden is provided by solar PV panels—129 feet squared (12 meters squared) in total. Also, hot water needed for thermal floor heating and daily use is provided from solar thermal panels with vacuum tubes.⁶ The plan is organized according to the sun, wind and view orientations to get the most beneficial and delightful atmosphere for living conditions.

Traditional building techniques and design strategies are not only providing information sources for houses but also some new green public projects particularly in remote locations where sources of materials and services are rare. The Green School in Bali, Indonesia, is constructed by using 99 percent natural local materials: mainly bamboo, grass and mud. The building is not using artificial cooling system; all spaces are naturally cooled down and ventilated. For the heating system, the methane produced from cow manure is used for fueling stoves and bamboo sawdust is used for hot water and cooking. Solar panels are also installed to support the system. The surrounding landscape is also integrated into the program of the school as the students practice organic permaculture exercises by growing rice, fruits and vegetables. The crops of all these gardens and fields are sold to support the school management. Students are also involved in producing coconut oil, chocolate, harvesting honey and breeding fish in campus aquaculture ponds. It is not a surprise that this green school has been named for the 2010 Aga Khan Awards for Architecture, which promotes local architectural excellence and improving the quality of life of the inhabitants. The school was also awarded “2012 Greenest School on Earth” by the USGBC Center for Green Schools.

NEW–EXISTING

Under the title of “new,” the examples here present “new understanding of master planning” for green settlements and “new design approaches” to green working places in broad terms. Being one of the leading countries in the world with its traditional architectural schools, blending architecture well with landscape and creating its own design culture, Spain, is comfortably welcoming new experimental eco-settlements. The new 3,000 social homes are under construction for the Eco-City on the south facing slopes of hilly countryside in Logroño, Montecorvo. The project is designed by MVRDV in collaboration with GRAS and occupies only 10 percent of the site while leaving the rest of landscape to become an eco-park, both for green and for energy production. The total energy needed is generated onsite by solar panels on south facing hills and the windmills, which also become landmarks of the project. A greywater circuit and onsite natural water purification are parts of the plan that combines dense urban living with real ecological improvements. The aim is a totally CO₂ neutral footprint.

In 1990 Linz City (Austria) adopted a policy to develop a substantial stock of low energy social housing. At the end of 1991 Roland Rainer presented his master plan for the lakes district of Linz-Pichling. A functional, coherent concept that would open the entire area in terms of housing, work, public was commissioned to plan the “Linz-Pichling lakes district,” a new urban district that would provide areas for housing, work, education and recreation. The scope of the planning was laid down in three plans, one each for development, transport and green spaces, organized into four planning phases. These plans were: the “urban planning outline concept,” the “urban planning measure concept,” and the “design concept” for the new housing area, Pichling, including a design study for the areas at the tram stops Ebelsberg and Pichling.⁷

7.4 New Green Settlements (Communities) a) Eco City Montecorvo, Spain (courtesy of GRAS Architects) b) Solar City, Linz, Austria (© image courtesy A. Senem Deviren) c) Sonnnenschiff, Freiburg, Germany (© image courtesy A. Senem Deviren)