Climate Change at the Building Scale Pt. 1

Climate change is ground zero for a shared discussion about architecture’s engagement with the world. The magnitude and stakes could not be clearer, but architectural action on climate change involves the territory of uncertainty. Climate change is complex and no linear formula or approach is adequate. It requires architecture to work across multiple scales and diverse realities. It forces us to rethink the way humans coexist with non-humans (other species, environments, and technologies). In responding to climate change, technical aspects (such as energy consumption and carbon footprint) become intertwined with social and political dimensions (which may participate in the enactment of inequality and public policy). intersect with social and political dimensions (including the enactment of inequality and public policy).

Organized as part of the Advanced Studio curriculum, and as a collaboration between GSAPP’s AAD and M.Arch programs, the series of summits entitled “Climate Change at the Building Scale” starts from the practice of architectural design. Advanced Studios have a unique opportunity to address climate change at the scale of the building, and to address climate change through design. With this in mind, we have invited a diverse group of speakers to help us explore these topics. Some questions included: How might buildings be designed with a scope that extends beyond a single site, client, and moment in time? What are specific and actionable methods for addressing carbon footprint, biodiversity, and social equity? What are the scales at which building practices unfold their participation in climate? What are the best ways to balance quantitative and qualitative factors in design? How should architects design for uncertainty? What is the way buildings and building practices might participate in transitioning to a non-anthropocentric paradigm?

Climate Change at the Building Scale is a series of summits that bring together architects and researchers from around the world who are directly addressing climate change and environmental responsibility in their design work.

Pair One: Growing and Reusing Materials
Introduction by David Benjamin
Ginger Krieg Dosier, bioMason
Julien Choppin, Encore Heureux

Pair Two: Timber Future
Introduction by Ziad Jamaleddine
Natalie Telewiak, Michael Green Architecture
Yasmin Vobis and Aaron Forrest, Ultramoderne

Pair Three: Environmental Scale
Introduction by Andrés Jaque
Alon Schwabe and Daniel Fernández, Cooking Sections
John Palmesino, Territorial Agency

View Climate Change at the Building Scale Summit: Part II which occurred on April 5, 2019 here.