The most sustainable cities in the world know that in order to improve the quality of life of their inhabitants they must look for better methods to do things and integrate nature as a fundamental part of any construction. We have heard of friendly buildings, bioclimatic architecture, vertical gardens, among other advances. What’s next? What is the future of sustainable construction?

If you want to know if a building or house you want to buy is still sustainable and will not cause you further trouble in the future then contact us today and we will carry out an evaluation.

The future of sustainable construction

Among the most sustainable cities, and according to the Sustainable Cities Index made by the Arcadis consultancy Zurich, Singapore and Stockholm occupy the first places.

Within these cities, there are constructions that represent the future of sustainable construction, capturing the attention not only of the area of ​​construction but of society in general with sophisticated designs.

1-. Vertical gardens in Singapore

In Singapore there is one of the most impressive buildings that incorporates nature in every corner, through vertical gardens, a new trend that can be adapted to almost any surface.

In this case they are part of the facade of the “Tree house” building, which has 24 floors and holds the Guinness record for the largest vertical garden on the planet. The wall has 24,638 square feet of green space, while the roof was used to place more plants and flora throughout the building. The advantages of implementing these gardens are that they help filter pollutants and carbon dioxide, maintain a better temperature in the building and therefore have an energy saving potential that is not common amongst traditional buildings.

2-. Energy conservation

The city of Stockholm leads the field of urban landscapes. About 40% of the city is green areas, while the city also seeks to be free of fossil fuels by 2040, according to Mayor Karin Winngard.

Part of the fact that the city is one of the most sustainable is due to the fact that society and the business sector are encouraged and supported to innovate in terms of sustainability. Like the Ferroamp company, which is building a network with photovoltaic panels that help store energy. These networks allow excess solar energy to be captured and stored in a more efficient way to take advantage of its full potential.

Another company that is also innovating in the future of sustainable construction is Climeon, which, through its hot water conversion system, uses residual or geothermal heat to run turbines that produce electricity.

The CEO of Climeon, Thomas Öström, recognises that part of Stockholm’s energy comes from renewable sources, is due to the ease in which companies can integrate new mechanisms to obtain and save energy.

3-. The Minergie Principles of Zurich

The leader in 2016 Sustainable Cities index was Zurich, which has led the future of sustainable construction for decades. In this city they incorporate Minergie’s principles in each project, these principles are a series of sustainability standards that apply to both skyscrapers and residential homes.

The Prime Tower, the tallest building in the city, reduces energy consumption by one third, thanks to these principles that show the materials and percentages necessary to feed the entire building without wasting.

Minergie allows Zurich to continue to lead the future of sustainable construction, allowing each commercial or residential building to count on ecological innovations such as solar, wind, green roof systems, cooling systems, among others.

The future of sustainable construction is to integrate all those strategies that take advantage of and save the natural energy that comes from sources such as water, air and sun allowing a more sustainable footprint in the environment.

Although the cities that position themselves as the most sustainable, they also have companies that are truly committed to their environment and society, constantly proposing ideas that help improve the way things are made and obtained.

This type of companies allows cities to create a more sustainable future for people and the environmental balance. The best brands know that they need to encourage other companies to be more responsible and committed.

What about wooden buildings: the future of sustainable construction?

Lighter

The Waugh Thistleton studio inaugurated this month in London what they claim is the project built with a special type cross laminated wood, whose initials are CLT (cross laminated timber), the largest in the world. With 33.8 meters of height it is one of the tallest buildings built with this system that eliminates the production of carbon dioxide in its construction. Although its façade is made of brick, the structure, partitioning, floors, staircases and lift box are made entirely of glued wood. The load-bearing structure is five times lighter than concrete, which reduces the weight of the foundation. Thus, it was possible to build a building of greater height than originally planned, since below the construction a metro line passes. Daniel Shearing

A material under discussion

The quality, sustainability and speed of construction that the cross-laminated wood allows were determinant for the study Leers Weinzapfel Associates decided to use this material to build the new design school of the University of Amherst, Massachusetts. The building itself is designed to be an element of debate among the students of the school and to raise awareness about the importance of sustainable construction.

Perfect harmony

A building of six apartments in London was covered with a brick facade so as not to break the aesthetics of the neighborhood, but inside you can see the structural use of the contralateral wood. The studio in charge of the project, Amin Taha Architects, defends the ability of the laminated wood panels to serve as a structure and finish, eliminating false ceilings, cornices, baseboards, tiles and paint. The carbon emission in the construction process was reduced by 15 percent, as well as the construction cost and construction time. In addition, balconies with wicker rails were built as proof that the coexistence between wood and brick is possible. Tim Soar

The hybrid solution

In the popular Shoreditch neighbourhood of London, the Hawkins / Brown studio built a building with a cross-laminated wood structure combined with concrete cores and some steel elements. It was one of the pioneers in using this system in the United Kingdom. By combining wood and steel, the architects were able to create a complex structure with numerous cantilevers so that the 50 apartments could have views of the Wenlock Canal.

If you are looking for a qualified expert to know their opinion and measure the real quality of the building you want to buy, Able Building Inspections will carry out a study of the situation, do not hesitate to contact us.