Following along with climate change discussions, resource depletion, and urbanisation; the sustainable and green architecture concepts have been a well-discussed and applied topic over the last few years. Green architecture or green design, is an approach to buildings that minimises harmful effects on human health and the environment. The “green” architect or designer attempts to safeguard air, water, and earth by choosing eco-friendly building materials and construction practices (Roy,2008). This topic can bring several benefits to the environment by minimising the negative impacts and responding to an environmentally responsible project.
However, in fact, it is essential to be critical while addressing this topic, especially while proposing the benefits for the environment although it mostly uses the green concept as a facade to promote the building and concept, and in really, not bringing all the discussed benefits to the society and the environmental connection it proposes.
The Possible Questions for Green Architecture
As mentioned above, the concept of Green Architecture follows the premise of an environmentally friendly and resource-efficient building lifecycle; as its main goal is to maximise the positive impacts the building will have on the environment and human occupants. For that, the design should address different characteristics, such as sustainable site design, water conservation and quality, energy and environment, indoor environmental quality, and conservation of materials and resources.
While the concept presents some promising solutions to environmental challenges, it is important to acknowledge the contradictions and complexities that follow this design line; the concept can be developed through different lenses, such as biophilic design, sustainable projects, biomimetics, and using nature as a tool to gain attention as a building that cares about the environment and the people who use it.
Following this proposition, several projects attend to this demand proposing the concept of nature maintenance; an example is the Spheres Amazon Headquarters in Seattle. As mentioned on the Amazon website “The Spheres are a place where employees can think and work differently surrounded by plants,” the building contains 40,000 plants from over 30 countries. The 60,000-square-foot greenhouse environment, where Amazon employees can work, eat, and relax, is surrounded by thousands of plants.
Alongside the workplace, the project develops its use of the capitalist vision of mixing the productive and unproductive experiences of human existence. Mixing work and leisure/ resting, where the natural vision turns into a tool to make the employee more productive and provide a green mark in the environment. Additionally, most of the natural elements stay enclosed inside the Spheres, the external society mostly gets in contact with the sustainable and natural environment as a showcase, showing its sustainable power throughout the facade.
Does this bring the proposed benefit to the environment?
The technological grandiosity of the project needs to be addressed but also questions about the real connections it initially proposes to the environment. The project proposes through the facade a connection to the external, where only the workers and visitors can take full advantage of the benefits it offers.
Questioning the human-scale environment through the lens of Jane Jacob, the neighbourhood could expand the concept more freely to the concept, where everyone in its surroundings could take advantage and interact directly with the natural elements. Additionally, connecting to the previous topic, it is possible to notice that many green buildings are designed for corporate use only, with green amenities accessible only to employees and selected visitors. Creating a barrier between the workers and the broader community.
Addressing access and inclusivity
Connecting those questions to Jane Jacobs’s vision of a human-scale environment and vibrant communities; green buildings might be considered isolated and fail to integrate into the urban fabric. The concepts from Jacobs remind us to expand further on the technological advancements to include social equity and community engagement in the urban environmental connections. It should include not only the proposal of eco-friendly workplaces but also foster inclusive space where members of the community can benefit from and engage with the natural environment and benefits the building proposes.
To provide that, architects must consider more attractive and comfortable parks, green roofs, and community gardens that are accessible to everyone, not just a privilege for a few. Such spaces should be included in the everyday lives of the city residents, providing internal and external areas for recreation, relaxation, and social interaction. This way it is possible to envision a resilient and inclusive urban environment that might reflect Jacob’s vision of a diverse environment.
While accessing the needs of the local community, and people who live and work there, those developments can reduce long commutes and lower carbon footprints, the wishlist promotes a sense of community. Involve society in the planning and design process and foster a sense of ownership and engagement with the local environment. This approach aligns with Jacob’s discussions on the diverse human-scale neighbourhood, which might help the green architecture projects fulfil the initial proposal of environmental and social sustainability
In conclusion, while green architecture offers possible solutions to environmental challenges, with its fair magnificence, it must consider addressing its inherent contradictions. While integrating Jane Jacob’s principles of human-scale design, inclusivity, and community engagement, it is possible to propose a sustainable environment, while being vibrant and equitable. As architects continue to innovate in building technologies, it is important to remember that true sustainability should involve fostering connections between people and their environment and providing a safe space for all members of society.
References:
Jacobs, Jane. (2011). The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Modern Library; Anniversary edition
Ragheba, A., E. Hisham, E. Ghada. (2016). Green Architecture: A Concept of Sustainability. Procedia, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Volume 216, 778-787.
Lentz, Linda C. (2020). Amazon Headquarters by NBBJ
. [online]. . Available at: https://www.architecturalrecord.com/articles/14794-amazon-headquarters-by-nbbj [Accessed date: 27/06/2024].
Brownell, Blaine (2018). Amazon’s Seattle Spheres and the Evolution of the Architectural Biosphere. [online]. Available at: https://www.architectmagazine.com/practice/amazons-seattle-spheres-and-the-evolution-of-the-architectural-biosphere_o [Accessed date: 27/06/2024].
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