scholarly journals Living in the “Age of Humans”. Envisioning CAD Architecture for the Challenges of the Anthropocene—Energy, Environment, and Well-Being

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (19) ◽  
pp. 6093
Author(s):  
Krystyna Januszkiewicz ◽  
Natalia Paszkowska-Kaczmarek ◽  
Fekadu Aduna Duguma ◽  
Karol G. Kowalski
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Parametric Design ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Natural Systems ◽  
Safe Production ◽  
Energy Environment ◽  
Access To Water ◽  
Reduced Water ◽  
Energy Network

The Anthropocene thesis poses new challenges to human activity on the planet. These challenges also apply to the built environment. Climate change will increase existing threats, and create new ones, for both human and natural systems. Above all, the built environment is expected to provide structural stability, access to water necessary for life, and safe production of clean energy. This research-by-design was focused on designing an adaptive built environment for Anthropocene societies and the maintenance of their well-being, and on envisioning and conceptualizing new architectural solutions based on multidisciplinary knowledge and CAD parametric design methods and tools. The conceptual designs are the result of these studies. These visions show how wind loads can be reduced, water can be stored, diverse energy sources can be integrated into one work of architecture, and thermal comfort can be provided to support local communities and the life of the environment in the belief that the coexistence of species on the planet will happen. They also illustrate how humanity will be able to use the Earth and its atmosphere as an energy producer and conductor and create a global, wireless, non-commercial energy network, accessible to all.

scholarly journals Neurodivergent Themed Neighbourhoods as A Strategy to Enhance the Liveability of Cities: The Blueprint of an Autism Village, Its Benefits to Neurotypical Environments

Urban Science ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eurydice Chan
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Design Guidelines ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Different Populations ◽  
Limited Option ◽  
Living Environments ◽  
And Function

In the next decades, it is expected that there will be a significant number of adults living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) who will continue to strive in the neurotypical environment. Despite the recent rise of developments that deviate from the institutional type of facility, many parents continue to voice their struggle to find safe and appropriate living environments for their adult children. The problem is not just the limited option on where to live, financing a home is also another dilemma. Thus, the challenge to provide appropriate living environments coincide with the need to provide meaningful opportunities that allows them to thrive and function in the society. This paper explores the existing design guidelines through recommendations on how spaces can be articulated by considering the value of savant skills and productive vocational skills for individuals living with ASD. This optimistic approach hopes to enlighten built environment practitioners in designing spaces where different populations can co–exist, particularly those with varied abilities. The environmental needs of ASDs and the proposed spatial interventions also extend its benefits to the well–being of neurotypicals. In addition, the participation of the ASD population in the built environment bridges accessibility and spatial experience. Therefore, designing neurodivergent neighbourhoods can be employed as a strategy to improve and enhance the liveability of urban regions.

scholarly journals Why Affordable Clean Energy Is Not Enough. A Capability Perspective on the Sustainable Development Goals

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 2485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafaela Hillerbrand
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Capability Approach ◽  
Energy Systems ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
The Capability Approach

This paper reflects on criticisms raised in the literature on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These have been criticized as creating a dichotomy between the environment and human beings that fails to address the multiple interconnections between the two. This paper focuses on SDG7—“affordable and clean energy”—and suggests that there is in fact a tripartite distinction between the environment, human beings and technology underlying the SDGs. This distinction, we argue, does not adequately represent the multiple interconnections among the various SDGs and hampers their implementation. We contend that the formulation of SDG7 produces a circular definition of sustainability, a difficulty that is currently resolved at the level of the targets and indicators in a way that regards energy technologies primarily as artifacts. By contrast, the literature on ethical aspects of energy systems largely agrees that energy is a paradigmatic example of a sociotechnical system. We contend that, by not considering this sociotechnical nature, the SDGs run the risk of implicitly defending a certain variant of technological optimism and determinism. We argue that this is disadvantageous to the environment, human well-being and technological development. In line with recent critical evaluations of the SDGs, we argue that these (and other) shortcomings can be addressed by better connecting the SDGs to human well-being. Building on recent literature that expands the scope of the Capability Approach as an alternative measure of well-being so as to include considerations of sustainability, we articulate a framework that allows us to elucidate this connection and thus to take advantage of synergies between human well-being and the environment. On the basis of the Capability Approach, we argue that equating sustainable energy with renewable energy—as is done in the transition from SDG7’s goal to its targets—is indefensible because, as part of the overarching energy systems, energy technologies cannot be classified as simply right or wrong. Rather, the indicators and targets within a framework focused on sustainability need to be (more) context sensitive, meaning that, among other things, they may vary by country and with the available technology.

scholarly journals The Impact of Lack of Clean Cooking Fuels on Sustainable Development in Developing Countries

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ifeoluwa Garba ◽  
Richard Bellingham
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The World ◽  
Cooking Fuels ◽  
The Impact

Access to energy is crucial in tackling many of the current global development challenges that impact on people’s economic, health and social well-being as well as the ability to meet the commitments of reducing carbon emissions through clean energy use. Despite increased attention from multiple governments and agencies, energy poverty remains a serious sustainable development issue in many developing countries. To date, most research have focused on general access to electricity and the generation of clean energy to replace fossil fuels, failing to address the lack of basic access to clean energy for cooking and heating. More people in the world lack access to clean cooking fuels than to electricity. This issue is one aspect of a broader research which investigates the impacts of optimized energy policy and energy business models on sustainable development in developing countries.

scholarly journals A state-of-the-art review of built environment information modelling (BeIM)

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1638-1654 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.H.M. Tah ◽  
A.H. Oti ◽  
F.H. Abanda
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Data File ◽  
Building Information Modelling ◽  
Engineering Construction ◽  
Information Modelling ◽  
Planning And Design ◽  
Urban Planning And Design ◽  
Building Information ◽  
3D City Modelling

AbstractElements that constitute the built environment are vast and so are the independent systems developed to model its various aspects. Many of these systems have been developed under various assumptions and approaches to execute functions that are distinct, complementary or sometimes similar. Furthermore, these systems are ever increasing in number and often assume similar nomenclatures and acronyms, thereby exacerbating the challenges of understanding their peculiar functions, definitions and differences. The current societal demand to improve sustainability performance through collaboration as well as whole-system and through-life thinking is driving the need to integrate independent systems associated with different aspects and scales of the built environment to deliver smart solutions and services that improve the well-being of citizens. The contemporary object-oriented digitization of real-world elements appears to provide a leeway for amalgamating the modelling systems of various domains in the built environment which we termed as built environment information modelling (BeIM). These domains include architecture, engineering, construction as well as urban planning and design. Applications such as building information modelling, geographic information systems and 3D city modelling systems are now being integrated for city modelling purposes. The various works directed at integrating these systems are examined, revealing that current research efforts on integration fall into three categories: (1) data/file conversion systems, (2) semantic mapping systems and (3) the hybrid of both. The review outcome suggests that good knowledge of these domains and how their respective systems operate is vital to pursuing holistic systems integration in the built environment.

scholarly journals Biology in the 21st-Century: Transformation in biology science and education in supporting the sustainable development goals

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yudha Gusti Wibowo ◽  
Ali Sadikin
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Biology Education ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Good Health ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
New Biology ◽  
Zero Hunger

The transformation in education must be directed in accordance with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) program. This article aimed to discuss the potential support of New Biology in achieving the formulated SDGs. This literature review covered 31 articles which were published since 2010 to 2019. The keywords used to collect the data were new biology, future biology, biology education, biological science, and biology. The review results informed that New Biology can potentially enact five goals of SDGs, i.e. goal 2 (Zero Hunger), goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being), goal 4 (Quality Education), goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), and goal 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy). By considering the findings, it is suggested to promote New Biology approach in Indonesian educational system.

scholarly journals How Rating Systems Support Regenerative Change in the Built Environment

2021 ◽  
pp. 131-144
Author(s):  
Melinda Orova ◽  
András Reith
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Main Question ◽  
Rating Systems ◽  
Living Building Challenge

AbstractUrban development principles have evolved from sustainability, where the focus was on limiting the negative impact of urban environment, to restorative and regenerative sustainability, where positive impact is needed on global social and ecological systems. This recent paradigm shift requires the development of new tools for practitioners, like design methodologies, new technologies, and assessment methods.To measure the impact of sustainability on the built environment, several building-scale assessment tools exist. The question is how these widespread rating systems support restorative change in the built environment.The main question of the research is answered in three methodological steps. First, the goals of restorative sustainability are summarized from the available extensive literature, including the topics of Place, Energy, Water, Well-being, Carbon, Resources, Equity, Education, and Economics. Then different rating tools (Living Building Challenge, WELL, LEED, BREEAM, DGNB) are analysed how the considered issues and indicators in these rating tools are connected to restorative goals. Then these indicators are assessed how they serve that goal.The result of this study shows the main strengths and gaps in current wide-spread international rating tools regarding their support of restorative sustainability.

Moving toward a green revolution in Japan: Symmetric and asymmetric relationships among clean energy technology development investments, economic growth, and CO2 emissions

2021 ◽  
pp. 0958305X2110417
Author(s):  
Zahoor Ahmed ◽  
Michael Cary ◽  
Sajid Ali ◽  
Muntasir Murshed ◽  
Hamid Ullah ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Research And Development ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Energy Sector ◽  
Energy Development ◽  
Public Investments

A revolution in the energy sector is crucial for achieving environmental sustainability since almost three-fourth of global carbon dioxide emissions is generated from the energy sector. It is believed that combustion of unclean energy resources is the major contributor to the multifaceted environmental adversities experienced across the globe. Thus, the development of clean energy technologies, to elevate their shares in the global energy mix, is deemed necessary to reinstate environmental well-being worldwide. Against this background, this study aims to explore the symmetric and asymmetric impacts of public research and development investments for nuclear and renewable energy development and economic growth on carbon dioxide emissions in the context of Japan over the 1974–2017 period. As opposed to the conventional approaches, this study contributes to the literature by specifically scrutinizing the environmental effects associated with public investments in clean energy development projects; whereas the majority of the preceding studies have either considered the environmental impacts associated with the overall research and development investments in the energy sector or that made by firms in general. However, evaluating the effects of such investments for clean energy development is more appropriate for policy-making purposes. The results from both the symmetric and asymmetric analyses reveal that higher public investments in clean energy research and development-oriented projects help to curb carbon dioxide emissions in Japan. Besides, such investments for nuclear energy development are evidenced to be relatively more effective in facilitating the nation's carbon emission-abating agenda. In contrast, economic growth in Japan is evidenced to trigger higher carbon dioxide emissions. In line with these key findings, this study offers several policy-level suggestions in respect of undergoing clean energy transition and achieving environmental sustainability in Japan.

Towards a Sustainable Built Environment : Environmentally Concious Planning, Design and Construction

2006 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norhayati Mahyuddin
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Living Environment ◽  
Global Environment ◽  
Healthy Living ◽  
Ultimate Outcome ◽  
Design And Construction

Cities, urban areas and other built-up areas must possess a good healthy living environment which contributes to the general well-being of the regional and global environment. This can be achieved if buildings and other man-made objects are planned and designed in an environmentally appropriate fashion to promote sustainability. This paper is directed towards the ultimate outcome of providing a better built-environment. It reviews how we can enhance environmentally-concious planning, design and construction in the built environment involving all building professionals.

Design and Restoration

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Anna Anzani ◽  
Claudia Caramel
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Human Dimension ◽  
Multiple Functions ◽  
Rational Use ◽  
Design Psychology ◽  
Psychological Studies

This study uses a design based approach which is focused on the human dimension in all its complexity to give value not only to a functional or rational use of spaces, but also to an experiential one, gaining further significant inspiration from the memory layered in complex historical spaces. Interestingly, psychological studies highlight the collective base characterizing a number of disorders and suggest that changing the outside world can be just as therapeutic as changing the subject's feelings, indicating that psychology merges with ecology. From an intersection between design, psychology and restoration, emphasizing a cultural inclination more than a technicistic attitude, opportunities seem to develop to promote beauty, identity and memory as essential dimensions for collective and individual well-being. Design oriented processes could bring out the potential of the built environment, promoting multiple functions and reuse methods, inspired by quality and capable of creating hospitable and welcoming physical and relational spaces.

Biophilic Design

2022 ◽  
pp. 46-74
Author(s):  
Gamze Satılmış ◽  
Özge Yalçıner Ercoşkun
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Biophilic Design ◽  
High Rise ◽  
Social Environmental

Humans by nature need contact with nature for their physical and mental health, productivity, and well-being. However, the natural habitat of modern humans has become the built environment where they spend most of their time. Unfortunately, most modern buildings and cities are places that are harmful to the environment, disconnected from nature, and estranged. Therefore, the need for biological contact with nature has become increasingly important in high-rise and urbanizing societies. In this context, in this study, the concept of biophilic (healing) design is explained; its physical, social, environmental, and economic benefits are revealed; and its advantages against the most important problems of the 21st century are discussed at different scales. By examining different world examples of biophilic cities and biophilic buildings, a matrix was formed, and biophilic design principles and the benefits used were evaluated. Finally, the difficulties in implementing the biophilic design are mentioned.

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