In recent years, the so-called ‘greening’ of architecture has produced a new class of experts and professionals. Some of the world’s leading architectural practices have set up specialist teams with a focus on sustainability. These teams leverage the power of advanced modelling and environmental simulation to explore new frontiers of sustainable design. They work on multiple design projects, usually at early design stages, engaging in dialogue with design teams in order to define targets and design strategies. Furthermore, the majority of teams also collaborate with educational institutions and research laboratories. New approaches, technologies and computational design methods are tested on real projects, thus bridging the gap between research and development on one hand, and practice on the other.
While schemes such as LEED, DGNB and BREEAM are drivers for green design on the client side, they barely impact the approach of design teams at the onset of a project. In general, sustainability specialists believe that certification presents an incomplete picture of the real environmental impact of buildings; and that it inevitably leads to conventional solutions rather than encouraging innovation and architectural creativity. Practices therefore seek higher goals in terms of design quality and innovation than certification systems propose. They have their own idea of sustainability, which is accompanied by customised targets, tools, and templates. (Emanuele Naboni)
While schemes such as LEED, DGNB and BREEAM are drivers for green design on the client side, they barely impact the approach of design teams at the onset of a project. In general, sustainability specialists believe that certification presents an incomplete picture of the real environmental impact of buildings; and that it inevitably leads to conventional solutions rather than encouraging innovation and architectural creativity. Practices therefore seek higher goals in terms of design quality and innovation than certification systems propose. They have their own idea of sustainability, which is accompanied by customised targets, tools, and templates. (Emanuele Naboni)