IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME
What makes a building sustainable? This is a question many architects are asking themselves as built environments remain crucial to the development of sustainable cities and communities. A green building can be built with natural materials, consume fewer resources and create lower emissions. Crucially, it’s architecture that works with, rather in opposition to, the environment it’s in. Living and working in green buildings makes humans happier, healthier and more productive – some studies show similar benefits to spending time in nature.
Like its trailblazing namesake, Marco Polo Tower in Hamburg, Germany, ventured where few buildings had gone before. Each floor of the apartment building is turned a few degrees away from the one below around an axis. This results in a striking structure with the recessed facades protecting residents from direct sun and negating the need for electrical air conditioning. By implementing green features, the CH2 Building in Melbourne, Australia, not only has reduced power and water consumption by 80% and 75% respectively, but plants and people are at a one-to-one ratio. The city also boasts what
