Architecture & the Environment
Architecture & the Environment
Future Architecture will make a positive contribution to the Environment.
Currently, buildings construction and maintenance account for 40% of the world’s energy-derived carbon dioxide production. Rapid adoption of new technologies is crucial to mitigating further climate change and halting the ecological devastation that comes with new construction and urban sprawl. Tackling climate change requires swift transformation. Today, new building methods are developed to absorb, rather than emit carbon dioxide. Bacteria are enlisted to grow biological building materials.
Using New York City, as a laboratory, your investigations will be based on one illuminating hypothesis: in the future, buildings will come to be self-sufficient in their critical necessities. The production of energy, alimentation, and objects are key elements to establish the basic necessities to create self-sufficient habitats. You will meet with architects, engineers, ecologists, and inventors and explore how architecture is adapting to address these changes. You will imagine and present a small portfolio of building sketches inspired by everything you’ve learned.
Students will examine and do work centered on the relationship of structures and design objects to their built and natural environments.
Visits will vary based on the instructors and terms. Possible site visits include:
Various Navy Yard businesses and non-profits, which may include Farmshelf, Vycarb and other innovative initiatives.
Guests vary term-by-term. Past guests have included:
Eran Chen, Founding Principal and CEO, ODA Architecture
Dr. Nina Anker, Founder, NEA Studio and Professor, Parsons School of Design
Paul Miller aka DJ Spooky, Multimedia Artist and Climate Activist
Andrew Shearer, Founder and CEO, Farmshelf
Portfolio Examples
Please note: All information is subject to change at the discretion of ONE Lab and Terreform ONE.