“ Climate change remains one of the central concerns of the industry , and including sustainable materials and processes into projects is no longer a trend but a necessity .
ADVANCING TOWARDS CIRCULAR ECONOMY
In the wake of the pandemic , many businesses have closed or reduced office space creating a surplus of disused buildings . As a result , we ’ re witnessing an increasing trend for diversifying and repurposing existing architecture . Adaptive reuse is the process of upcycling building structures and materials to create new functions , often for retail or residential use . This process brings a wealth of sustainable benefits , such as conserving energy and reducing carbon emissions that would have occurred if the structure was rebuilt entirely . Investment in these types of projects allows for greater conservation of land and therefore prevents the expansion of unsustainable urban sprawl . Adaptive reuse projects typically tend to be located in areas with high population density , so can also provide an abundance of support for the local community .
Another method becoming more popular in the industry is Design for Manufacture and Assembly ( DfMA ), whereby building components or modules are built offsite to minimise material wastage and maximise quality control – also reducing
ARCHITECTURAL FOCUS
embodied carbon . This method also uses standardised design modules and building systems , the prefabrication of building elements and the pre-casting of façades .
SCIENCE-BASED CLIMATE ACTIONS
Climate change remains one of the central concerns of the industry , and including sustainable materials and processes into projects is no longer a trend but a necessity . The construction industry alone contributes to 40 % of global emissions every year and architects are obliged to rethink energy production strategies to combat this .
Cities are increasingly being designed with nature-based solutions to battle the harsh effects of climate change . Urban water management strategies , known as sponge cities , help to mitigate extreme weather conditions by mimicking the natural processes of soil . Like a sponge , rainwater and surface runoff is absorbed and then naturally filtered by the ground . This process replenishes aquifers and allows other bodies of water to regenerate , while also eliminating standing , malodorous water and restoring natural habitats .
Ronald Lu & Partner ’ s Zero Carbon Park was designed to showcase the state-of-the-art eco-building design and technologies to the construction industry internationally and locally and to raise community awareness of sustainable living in Hong Kong . The project addresses the imminent need for actions to reduce GHG emissions and is specifically designed for the high density , hot and humid sub-tropical urban context of Hong Kong . Open to the public , ZCP is a visitor education centre and houses a green office for Construction Industry Council ,
Treehouse by Ronald Lu & Partners PAGE 7 - ARCHETECH