Caught between circular ideals, social realities and forgotten traditions, architecture must become more efficient but also more adaptable. Five perspectives on the future of construction.
Densification without displacement
In times of climate crisis and scarce resources, sustainable building primarily means making more use of the existing built environment. This helps us protect unbuilt land - a key objective of Swiss spatial planning. But densification can also have downsides. Right now, this mainly occurs when existing housing is replaced with new construction or completely renovated, displacing lower-income residents. Switzerland is not yet on the right path here. Approaches such as maintaining and adapting existing structures, or renovating in phases are more environmentally friendly and also more socially acceptable, as they allow residents to remain in their homes. Construction has both sociological and ecological dimensions; it cannot be seen purely as a technical activity. We always build within a lived environment and on land that already serves a purpose for nature and society. Construction therefore also requires a socioecological perspective. It is a task for society as a whole - one that demands careful planning and shared responsibility.
David Kaufmann is Assistant Professor of Spatial Development and Urban Policy.
Learning from forgotten traditions
I hope that in future we can strike a better balance between today's progressive construction methods and the time-honoured building traditions of the past. These often overlooked practices embody a profound understanding of the local environment and offer sustainable ways to meet the challenges of a warmer climate - knowledge that will be vital for the cities of tomorrow. I hope that we can rediscover the simple yet ingenious solutions for our buildings and our cities that people in the southern hemisphere have been using for centuries, long before concrete, air conditioning and central heating. This includes the use of materials such as clay, which keeps houses cool and is inexpensive, low in energy consumption and biodegradable. By combining such traditional practices with our own technological skills, we can devise a more sustainable and equitable architecture - one that protects the environment while preserving people's livelihoods, culture and architectural heritage.
Mariam Issoufou is Professor of Architecture Heritage and Sustainability.
Circular construction remains a lofty goal
In my view, the future of construction lies - at least in part - in the past. It is vitally important to conserve, or to dismantle and recycle, the materials and components used in construction, ideally establishing a cascading use of resources. That said, circular construction remains a challenging goal. In the current economic system, characterised by cheap materials and high labour costs, the most promising starting point is new build architecture. Disruptive circular innovations require a reorganisation of value chains and face significant hurdles due to the many stakeholders and their diverging interests. If, however, the entire building stock is one day to serve as a resource for the construction industry, we must begin today with two vital tasks: first, documenting the materials used and their potential for reuse; and, second, developing techniques that enable construction materials to be reused. But as long as new materials and waste disposal remain inexpensive, circular construction will remain a niche phenomenon.
Catharina Bening is an ETH professor and leads the Group for Circular Economy.
Versatility as a value
We should plan and build in such a way that buildings can be easily adapted to new needs and remain in service for as long as possible. This means ensuring they can be repaired and that building materials and components can be reused. Yet the current focus on reusability brings its own challenges. It can, for example, lead to the heedless demolition of buildings. It also raises fundamental questions in my own field of heritage conservation: how can - and should - we protect and preserve listed buildings when they are designed and built to be dismantled into their individual components, which are then to be returned to the construction cycle? One response is to recognise versatility as an architectural value in its own right. For this reason, I recently proposed adding "transformation" to our canon of values - a concept that acknowledges the adaptability of certain buildings or structures and encourages their preservation.
Silke Langenberg is Professor of Construction Heritage and Preservation.
Ecological efficiency alone is not enough
If we continue to build as we have in the past - in a linear, energy-intensive, growth-driven fashion - we will squander the ecological capital that makes Switzerland a worthwhile place to live. Future-proof construction means not only better insulation but, above all, a reduction in new construction. Our greatest resource for the future is the building stock we already have. At the Future Cities Laboratory in Singapore and Zurich, our research explores how urban systems can become sustainable through circular processes, sufficiency and efficiency strategies, and spatial resilience. Switzerland has developed a fund of technological expertise in this field and could well play a leading role in sustainable construction - but a focus on ecological efficiency alone is not enough. We also need to talk about transformation, adaptation, a fairer distribution of space and making do with less. Yet structural considerations such as land policy, building practices and sociological issues are often left out of the debate. The future of construction lies not in demolition but rather in a transformation of what we already have. This will make our built environment denser, more vibrant and more diverse.
Sacha Menz is Professor of Architecture and Building Process and Executive Director of the Future Cities Laboratory of ETH Zurich in Singapore.
