Sustainable architecture: innovative and inspiring building design – Wallpaper*

Sustainable architecture: innovative and inspiring building design

From amazing abodes to centres of care and hard-working offices, we chart some of the worlds best examples of sustainable architecture, buildings that not only look good but also do good

Photography: Spaceshift Studio

Elephant Worlds architecture nods to both human and elephant needs, showcasing a strong sense of social sustainability but a respect to the environment too. The Wallpaper* DesignAwards 2021Best Sanctuarywinner is a design by Thai architect Boonserm Premthada and his practice,Bangkok Project Studio. Premthada worked with local labour and materials to create a complex dedicated to the wellbeing of humans and animals, including an observation tower, a museum and a multifunctional event space. The design blends with the landscape and uses natural materials. For example, the bricks used for the museum were created on site by local workers using loam found in the area.

This ultra-sustainable workspaceis abuilding that actuallycreatesmore energy than it will consume over its entire lifespan. Architecture studioSnhetta,together with collaborators R8 Property, Skanska and Asplan Viak, has recently completed the project, Powerhouse Telemark, the fourth energy-positive building in its Powerhouse portfolio.Located in the city of Porsgrunn, the project creates much needed office space. Itfeaturessolar panels on its roof; natural shading is promoted, while plentiful insulation ensures heat is retained where possible;and heat is stored in the building elements, to be released slowly, while a geothermal well supports heating and cooling. As a result, Powerhouse Telemarkwas awarded a BREEAM Excellentcertification.

German architect Anna HeringersAnandaloy project in rural Bangladesh is asuccessful example of sustainable architecture, both in terms of social and environmental responsibility. Thecommunity centre and textile workshop in rural Bangladeshcontains a therapy hub for people with disabilities on the ground floor anda fair-trade textile manufacturing workshop for local women on the first floor. Made out of rammed earth and bamboo, the structure explores age-old local building techniques and materials in soft curves and textures that connect with its place and the regionsvernacular.The building recentlyscoopedthe prestigiousObel Award for 2020.

Photography: Nic Lehoux

USarchitect Tom Kundig, of Seattle practice Olson Kundig, is behind thissustainable teak holiday house in Costa Rica.Called the Treehouse, the private home isbuilt predominantly out of locally harvested teak, and is open to the elements. This makes sense for Kundigs clients for two reasons: as avid surfers, it gives them a chic version of a basic surfers hut; and as environmentalists, their new home ticks a number ofsustainabilityboxes. Spanning three floors, thebuilding is designed to operate passively, and slatted panels keep it open to the outdoors. Our aim was to create a home that is very leaky to the view and light and air, says architect Tom Kundig. The structure also has itsown rainwater collection system.

Egyptian architect Sarah El Battouty, head of local studioECOnsult, ledthe sustainable design of Bahareya Village, an eco-friendly compound for farm workers in the countrysWestern Desert. Created to be home to the farming community engaged by organic tea producer Royal Herbs, the complex uses gravel manufactured from recycled construction waste for the base of itsminimalist concrete structures. Cacti scattered throughout the campus offer splashes of greenery without compromising on a commitment to water efficiency.And atechnique El Battouty borrowed from desert communities raisingthe foundations of the buildings to create distance between the floor and therefore the rising heat from the land reduces indoor temperatures by eight to ten degrees.

Photography: Richard Barnes

This minimalist and highlyeco-friendly house overlooking the Hudson River Valley is the country home of New York-based Alloys principal,architect and developer Jared Della Valle. NamedCold Spring Residence, the house sits on the land as lightly as possible.Della Valle worked with passive housesustainability standards to create his retreat, including solar panels foryear-round energy, awell-insulated building envelopeand careful management of the sites water resources. The building is also partly sunken and cannot be seen from the street, aligning with its creators desire for a a degree of modesty, so that the architecture doesnt compete with the striking surrounding natural landscape.

Photography: courtesy of Amager Resource Center

The Amager Resource Center in Copenhagen, also known as Copenhill, is one of the citys latest initiatives that put climate action to the forefront. Designed by the Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the building is essentially a rubbish burner; yet its also so much more than that. The structure housesan artificial ski slope, recreational hiking area and climbing wall on top of the waste-to-energyplant. Built using aluminium blocks, this piece of infrastructureaims to treat 400,000 tonnes of waste annually. The result issupplying150,000 Danish households with district heating and 70,000 with electricity from non-recyclable waste.

Photography: Edmund Sumner

Created byarchitect Martand Khosla for aDelhi-based family of four, thisweekend retreat in Indias Dharamshala isrooted in traditionalmaterials and techniques.Set between farmland and a lush forest on the Dhauladhar mountain ranges of the Himalayas, Flying Househas been built using local resources stone, stabilised mud brick, slate and pine.A lot of the earth and stone dug out from the site during the foundation excavation went back into the construction. Building site wastage was minimised and a lot was recycled, making this house quite literally of its place. The construction uses stabilised mud brick, a method localworkers were taught, usingequipment from Development Alternatives (a social enterprise for sustainable solutions in India). This way, not only would the local stonemasons be able to build this particular house, but they would be able to master the craft and continue using it in the future.

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Sustainable architecture: innovative and inspiring building design - Wallpaper*