Sustainable architecture is more than just about the building

PETALING JAYA (Nov 12): Sustainable building and design are the current buzzwords in the building and construction industry but sustainable architecture is now moving beyond merely hardware development, according to global award-winning architects.

T.R. Hamzah and Yeang principal architect Datuk Ken Yeang said architects are now designing sustainable environments in their architectural designs.

“Sustainable architecture design must fulfil three criteria — it must work well (function), be cost manageable and aesthetically fulfilling. These attract people to love and want to use the building,” said the Asia Pacific Bronze winner of the 2012 LafargeHolcim Awards.

Yeang, together with the 2014 LafargeHolcim Awards Asia Pacific Gold winner Jariyawadee Lekawatana from Architectkidd Thailand and  the 2014 Global Silver winner Milinda Pathiraja from Robust Architecture Workshop Sri Lanka, were guest speakers at  “An afternoon with Lafarge-Sustainable by Design” organised by Lafarge Malaysia yesterday. The event was supported by Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia (PAM) while TheEdgeProperty.com was the media partner.

Besides giving presentations on their award-winning projects, the speakers also participated in a panel discussion moderated by TheEdgeProperty.com managing director and editor-in-chief Au Foong Yee.

During the panel discussion, Milinda emphasised that sustainability is not a choice in the current environment. “It is an obligation for all human beings to develop responsibly — by building infrastructure and preserving the environment at the same time,” he said.

“There are some easy solutions to reducing pollution, such as choices on lightings and air-ventilation designs, but we often neglect these simple passive ways to preserve the environment,” he added.

Meanwhile, Jariyawadee said sustainable design in architecture not only helps to “rescue” the environment as a good architectural design could convey the right message and educate the public to appreciate mother nature and commit themselves to saving the environment.

In her winning project entitled “Protective wing, a bird sanctuary" in Chiang Mai (Thailand), Jariyawadee had aimed to transform unused agricultural land into a bird habitat, which in the future, could serve as an education centre for children and the general public.

Another guest speaker at the event was Taylor’s University School of Architecture, Building and Design Professor Robert Powell who shared about sustainable design, citing his project King Abdullah City for Atomic and Nuclear Research in Saudi Arabia as example.

He emphasised the importance of incorporating the use of renewable energy in the design of future cities and finding ways to integrate renewable energy to power cities will be an important aspect to look into.

Also present at the event was Lafarge Malaysia President and CEO Thierry Legrand who introduced the upcoming 5th LafargeHolcim Awards, which is now open for submissions. He urged Malaysian architects to participate in this global competition.

“Through this Awards, we hope the winners will inspire local industry players to develop inspiring and sustainable responses to the challenges facing the industry today,” he said.

Organised by the LafargeHolcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction, the Awards offers US$2 million (RM8.35 million) in cash prizes.

Projects and concepts from the fields of architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, planning, technology, and civil and materials engineering, which could provide insights on smart solutions for cities and the built environment, are eligible for entry. Online submissions close on March 21, 2017.