Building a Sustainable Future City
Published 25 October 2023
The global urban population is set to rise by 52% by 2050. As demand for sustainable urban design grows, now is the time for the construction industry to act. It needs to urgently bolster global biodiversity, strengthen climate change resilience and construct a new path towards healthier built environments.
We explore two pathways to creating sustainable cities that are more eco-conscious, resource-efficient and in harmony with nature.
Bio-Based Architecture
Concrete alone is responsible for 11% of global carbon emissions. Fast-growing, regenerative and carbon-sequestering biomaterials are becoming more widely recognised as viable renewable alternatives to carbon-intensive materials like concrete and steel. And with cities such as Amsterdam requiring 20% of all new homes to be built from bio-based materials and mass timber by 2025, now is the time to be thinking about alternatives derived from the likes of hemp, mycelium and algae.
Let’s look at hemp’s prospects as a sustainable building material. A fast-growing strain of the cannabis plant, hemp is a burgeoning material among architects and designers seeking natural options. It’s especially popular as these future city creators seek to reduce their projects’ carbon impact by leveraging the plant’s sustainable qualities and durability. In our Ingredient Index: Hemp report, we underscore the popularity of hempcrete alongside other recent developments in hemp construction, such as low-carbon micro-dwellings. Take inspiration from Dutch practice Overtreders W, which used pink-hued hempcrete dyed with madder plants for an innovative bio-based pavilion.
Sustainable materials like hemp offer many desirable properties applicable to various sectors and industries. Businesses should collaborate with materials scientists, researchers and craftspeople to customise applications outside of architecture and construction, such as hemp-based biodegradable packaging, textiles and automotive components, to reduce environmental impact.
Designing for Multi-Species
In the past 50 years, wildlife populations have declined, on average, by 69%. Biodiversity loss and species decline call for wider ecological thinking when it comes to urban design.
In November 2023, the UK’s Environment Act will make it mandatory that any new development in England must demonstrate a minimum of 10% biodiversity net gain. But what can the construction sector do to make the future cities meet these goals?
Our trend experts are citing greening structures as one solution to meet the biodiversity net gain quota. Forward-thinking modular façades and porous materials are explored as living systems to support biodiversity in urban environments by making space for small wildlife, insects, birds and plants. An interesting example comes from Cookfox Architects (US) and British engineering consultancy Buro Happold: a tessellating terracotta prototype that includes pods for plants, bees and birds.
Building the future city requires a holistic approach to tackle biodiversity loss and create healthier environments for nature and people. Look for ways to make cities greener and more accessible to insects, birds and other living creatures by incorporating surfaces and design elements that can act as habitats and provide shade.
In the face of the climate crisis, it’s imperative for all businesses – across all sectors – to play their part. These are just two key sustainable construction trend insights to help inspire more resilient, resource-efficient and eco-conscious future cities.
Want to know more?
You can access more trend insights like these by downloading Part One of the report series this blog is based on: Towards Sustainable Construction: Advanced Materials & Manufacturing.
