One of the classic
definitions of sustainability is the ability to meet the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
In fact, this definition was coined in 1987 by the Brundtland Commission in
considering our common
future.
The very essence of
sustainability is to create this common future – or create an enduring future
of abundance. Sustainability becomes not only a way to do optimize the triple
bottom line, but it also becomes a strategic tool to help invent our clients’
future and to build in resiliency for the unforeseeable. This is going beyond
future-proofing a design to a process of future-enabling the built environment. The Design for One Earth framework can be
expanded to include a future-mapping process for our projects.
The
basic process for future-mapping for the built environment involves four steps.
Step
1 – Framework: What is the context and scale? What are the key clarifying
questions that define our problem? There
are three primary scales within the framework – Global, Market and Project. The
market scale filters relevant global perspectives to a specific project application.
For example, what do economic trends regarding employment, education and income
mean for the future of higher education markets? Do demographic trends indicate
a change in the make-up of the college student of the future and how will our
higher education buildings enable a new type of college student in the future?
Our
Step
2 – Scan: What are the driving forces for the future on the project? For
instance will operations require high energy or water use? What are the climate
factors now and potentially in the future? How will changes in demographics
affect the workforce and the workplace? While scanning driving forces don’t
forget to consider internal information, as well as external research. Some of
the best research can come from our own projects and clients. It is also
beneficial to seek diversity of perspectives by inviting outsiders with
different, but valuable view points in on the discussion.
Some
driving forces to consider are: Energy
Step
3 – Synthesize: What might these identified trends mean for the future of the
project and its market? Synthesize a handful of potential future scenarios or
future-maps and use these scenarios as strategic design tools. Three to four
scenarios should provide enough diversity to understand the potential range of
future possibilities. The simplest scenario to create is the no surprise
scenario where the future unfolds based on present trends. It is useful to
create at least two other scenarios. First, the worst-case scenario and second
the best-case scenario. Are there elements in these scenarios that have a
direct impact on the project’s design? Can design strategically buffer against
the elements of the worst-case scenario while enabling the elements in the
best-case?
Step
4 – Plan: A well developed future-map provides a strategic approach so projects
remain resilient and prosperous. It should influence a project’s program
objectives, resulting in a solution that is future-proofed and future-enabled.
Future-enabling
strategies built into a project should be project specific. Here are some ideas
on how to make buildings more resilient for the future.
+ Utilize green features to
attract the next generation of the workforce providing a long-term talent
recruitment advantage.
+ Pre-plan a project’s future
adaptive reuse, making it easy to convert a building’s use. This is
particularly relevant for projects with relatively short term purposes, such as
sales centers.
+ Build in as many passive and
renewable systems as possible such as daylighting, natural ventilation, thermal
mass, solar control/passive solar, photovoltaics, geoexchange systems, water-reuse
systems, etc. This will not only save on energy and water it will make a
building more resilient to power outages, energy price surges, peak demand
charges and droughts and water shortages.
+ Make every project
photovoltaic-ready. Renewable energy from photovoltaic systems will reach grid
parity with grid electricity in the near future of the buildings we are
designing today. Why not make a low cost, no carbon future available for our
clients by orienting and massing their buildings correctly for solar access and
maintaining a ready roof space for incorporation of a photovoltaic system?
The future of
sustainable design is the future itself. How can this technique drive
innovation and bring more value to your current or next project?