Energy

Magazine / 1st Quarter 2021

Energy

The first rule of energy is to use less. The building sector emits an excess of 30 per cent of all global greenhouse emissions. And so, for nations to reach the targets of the Paris Agreement, it must become more efficient, stay cool and reduce demand. In the pages ahead we see examples of passively cooled architecture in India (Integrated Production Facility for Organic India), Singapore (Reaching Energy Targets) and Taiwan ROC (Sky Green). There are also super-efficient buildings in the Philippines (A Carbon Neutral Skyscraper) and Singapore (SMU Connexion).

With the emissions question, however, lowering consumption is not enough. The building sector must also actively decarbonise. And this has several implications.

To start, there needs to be a shift towards reliance on renewable energy, preferably sourced on-site. We are seeing more solar panels on roofs and façades. Decarbonisation also calls for new materials and construction methods. The SMU Connexion, for example, is the first net-zero energy building that uses compressed laminate timber, a material with low embodied energy, i.e., energy to source, manufacture and assemble.

With decarbonisation, some developers expand the canvas and look for off-site solutions. For instance, the Arthaland Century Pacific Tower (ACPT), a carbon neutral skyscraper, procures hydroelectric power instead of fossil-based energy. Some might say this is a cop-out, that a building should do all it needs to do on-site. But is it? Asian cities have high densities; with today’s technology, it is practically impossible for tall buildings to produce enough renewable energy on-site to meet their needs. Here, we solve the carbon challenge by tackling a wider systemic scale.

The question of where and how renewable energy is produced and stored is the next frontier of urban planning. The article on water suggests the ground is shifting on how this may be done (Water Becomes the New Crude and Other Things). Imagine the islands of Indonesia or the Philippines with large swaths of floating solar farms within territorial waters.

Why hasn’t this happened yet? Well, mostly because we are too invested in the fossil economy, so much so that our mindsets have become obstacles to change. Gregers Reimann does a great job of unpacking these mindsets and laying out a pathway that includes everything from electric cars to healthy buildings (Steering Clear of Catastrophe: Solutions from the Built Environment). What he reveals is that the question of energy is more than the size of solar installations. It can also shape how buildings and cities evolve with, say, electric cars and densely vegetated neighbourhoods. The pursuit of zero carbon creates an impetus for liveable and healthy cities.

And with that, it seems, we have even less reason not to act. Happy reading.

Table of Contents
3Q 2024: GREEN AWARDS | ARCHITECTURE FOR LIFE AFTER
MAIN FEATURE
FuturArc Prize 2024: Architecture for Life After

FUTURARC PRIZE 2024 WINNERS
First Place | Ouroboros: Gamification to Transform A ‘Trash-Scape’
Second Place | Coastal Reform: Muara Angke 2100
Third Place | The Spatialization of Salt

MERITS
Circulation of Life
Reviving Mines: The Tan Cang Ecosystem
Haven to Heaven
The Commons Cooperative
Living Traces, Leaving Traces
Mangrupuncture: A Tale of Coastal Remediation

THE FUTURARC INTERVIEW
FuturArc Prize 2024 Jury Meeting Special

PROJECTS
Prabha
The Sri Aman Master Plan
The Gong: Reviving the Sound of Cambodia

COMMENTARY
Advocating an Informal Reuse of Waste and Circular Systems

HAPPENINGS
Awarding Architectural Solutions for Climate Destruction and Endings
FuturArc Exchange and Exhibitions (FEX)
Products




Previous issues:

2Q 2024: IN-BETWEEN SPACES
THE FUTURARC INTERVIEW
Zhang Tang, Founder and Principal of YIIIE;
Liu Tao & Cai Chunyan, Co-founders and Principal Architects of Atelier tao+c

PROJECTS
Northeast Pavilion at the Surajkund Craft Fair
Terminal 2 at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru
Epiwalk Rejuvenation: Refurbishment of Epiwalk Lifestyle Center
Longhouse with an Engawa
In Praise of Public Spaces
To Infinity and Beyond
Sentosa Sensoryscape
Living In Between Nature


PHOTO STORY
In-between Spaces

HAPPENINGS
FuturArc Exchange and Exhibitions (FEX) | 2Q 2024
Lee Kuan Yew Water Prize 2024 Awards Researcher of Wastewater-based Epidemiology (WBE)
Products




1Q 2024: HEALTH/WELLNESS
MAIN FEATURE
The Symbiotic Relationship between Housing and Health

PROJECTS
JSW Sanjeevani Multispecialty Hospital
Green Oasis: Handmade with Love for Health
Ordos Smart Sports Park
Siu Lam Integrated Rehabilitation Services Complex
Healthy Homes: The Importance of ‘Blank Spaces’
Public Housing Developments at Queen’s Hill, Fanling
Meeting Societal Needs: Kitakami Health & Childcare Support Complex
Buon Ma Thuot University Hospital


THE FUTURARC INTERVIEW
Milinda Pathiraja, PhD

COMMENTARY
Seeking Wellness from the Earth

HAPPENINGS
FuturArc Exchange and Exhibitions (FEX)
Products




4Q 2023: YEAR-END ISSUE | WATER
MAIN FEATURE
The Ecosystems of Water

THE FUTURARC INTERVIEW
Khondaker Hasibul Kabir & Suhailey Farzana, Co.Creation.Architects

PROJECTS
Towards a Healthier, More Resilient Future in Flood-Prone Kurigram
Living on Water: Floating Homes
Jin Wellbeing County
Virdas: An Ingenious Water Harvesting Marvel of Banni’s Sustainable Landscape
Bintaro Jaya West District Master Plan
Hong Kong’s First District-Wide Grey Water Recycling System at Anderson Road Quarry Site
Indre Laksevåg Master Plan




COMMENTARY
Rebuilding Before Building

HAPPENINGS
Notes from the Rebuilding Pavilion at the World Congress of Architects
Collaborations to Strengthen Malaysia’s Climate Action at IGEM 2023
FuturArc Exchange and Exhibitions (FEX)
Products




3Q 2023: GREEN AWARDS | CROSS-GENERATIONAL ARCHITECTURE
MAIN FEATURE
FuturArc Prize 2023: Cross-Generational Architecture

FUTURARC PRIZE 2023 WINNERS
First Place | Renewing Water-edge Communities
Second Place | Re-generational Architecture
Third Place | A Scaffolding System Adapted for Double Aging
Third Place | A Small Intervention: Urban Bamboo Forest

MERITS
Floating Community and Training Centre By the River
Connecting Separate Generations
Keeping Communities Afloat Over the Flood
Future-proofing an Oceanic Village
A ‘Groundscaper’ Workspace
A Hybrid Ecological ‘Reincarnation’ of a Landfill Community
A ‘School’ of Remembrance



THE FUTURARC INTERVIEW
Emi Kiyota, PhD

PROJECTS
For the Love of Dog
House of the Sacred Fig: The People Tree House

COMMENTARY
Designing for Non-humans as an Act of Service
Design for Aging is Design for All

HAPPENINGS
Climate Feature | Special Focus: International Green Building Conference 2023
FuturArc Prize 2023: Awarding Winning Cross-Generational Architecture Design Ideas
ARCHIDEX 2023 Achieves Major Milestones
FuturArc Exchange and Exhibitions (FEX)
Products




2Q 2023: OLD IS GOLD
MAIN FEATURE
Pioneers of Tropical Living: Singapore’s ‘Middle-aged’ Condos

THE FUTURARC INTERVIEW
Dr Johannes Widodo

SHOWCASE
Architectural Restorations for Remote Countryside Regeneration in Hong Kong

COMMENTARY
Climate Feature: Cultivating the Right Tree in the Right Place

IN CONVERSATION
Gurmeet S. Rai
PROJECTS
Uplifting History Sensitively: 137 Pillars House
Benjakitti Forest Park
The Old Alley’s Way of Life: Architecture Office in Hao Sy Phuong
An Ecologically Sensitive Continuation of the Old Tai Po Police Station: Green Hub
Reimagining Heritage: Architectural Regeneration in Rural China

HAPPENINGS
FuturArc Exchange and Exhibitions (FEX) | 2Q 2023
Cultural Wisdom for Climate Action: The Southeast Asian Contribution
Products

PHOTO ESSAY


1Q 2023: MOBILITY & TRANSPORT
THE FUTURARC INTERVIEW
Bryant Lu
Elisa Sutanudjaja

PROJECTS
Regeneration of Disused Transport Infrastructure
MRT Kota Station: Catalysing a Historic Node
Cakra Selaras Wahana (CSW): Articulating a Lost Roundabout
The Longest Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge in Flanders, Belgium
The Rise of PAREX in Manila: An Antithesis to Green Mobility
A Greener Future for September 23 Park

COMMENTARY
Climate Feature: Climate Targets and the Transportation Sector
Roads Reimagined
Cable Cars as Feasible Urban Transport Option?
Can Pune be a Case Study for Indian Cities to Improve Pedestrian Infrastructure?

HAPPENINGS
Can Indonesia accelerate the adoption of net zero buildings?
FuturArc Exchange and Exhibitions (FEX)
Products



4Q 2022: YEAR-END ISSUE | POLICY VS PRACTICALITY, PRACTICE VS PRINCIPLES, PROGRESS VS PLANET
MAIN FEATURE
The Uneasy Relationship Between Architecture Practices and Labour

FUTURARC INTERVIEW
Swati Janu

PROJECTS
Private Houses, Public Good?
A Tale of Two Platinum Firsts
Huma Betang Umai: What Should a Future Governmental Palace Look Like?

COMMENTARY
Form Follows Political Paradigm: A Reflection on Indonesia’s New Capital City
Peak Heat: Learning from London’s Hottest Days
Land Reclamation in Asia: Is Eco-engineering Possible?





PHILIPPINE FOCUS
City Profile | Quezon City: Setting up an Infrastructure of Sustainability
Commentary | Master-planning Happier Philippine Cities
Project | Hue Hotel Wave Front

HAPPENINGS
WGBW spotlights recent efforts to advance net zero around the world
IGEM 2022: Can we push a ‘carbon report card’ for every single building?
WCSC 2022: What entails a liveable and resilient urban future?
IBEW 2022 aims for Industry Transformation
Better Climate Festival 2022: Preparing an industry ecosystem to meet carbon targets
Products


3Q 2022: GREEN AWARDS | REINTERPRETATION
MAIN FEATURE
FuturArc Prize 2022: Reinterpretation Jury Panel & Comments

FUTURARC PRIZE (FAP) 2022 WINNERS
First Place | A Chronographic Blueprint:
Reinstating the Valley of Hope

Second Place | Biodivercity: A Story of Flight
Third Place | Revival Waste: Propagating Permaculture

MERITS
FluxToActive
Footsteps of Imagination
Agropolis
Wastefilter
Touch of Change
Low Garden
San Chung


FUTURARC INTERVIEW
Excerpts from FuturArc Prize 2022 Jury Meeting
Round-Table Discussion with FuturArc Prize 2022 Jurors

SHOWCASE
Ragunan Bio Park: A Nature-based update of Indonesia’s oldest zoo

COMMENTARY
And Now the Real World

HAPPENINGS
FAP 2022: Young talents awarded at BCIAA
FuturArc Exchange and Exhibitions (FEX) | 3Q 2022
Actionable steps for Malaysia’s building industry
Products


2Q 2022: NEW & RE-EMERGING ARCHITECTURE
MAIN FEATURE
Imagining a Building Culture Revived on Architectural Robustness

COMMENTARY
The Sky as a Source of Cooling & Other Tropical Innovations
Igniting Ideas from Other Insights
Reinforcing a Labour of Love
Re-emergence of the Vernacular in India

HAPPENINGS
SIWW & CESG 2022
The potential of circular materials for architectural use
Revitalised Tebet Eco Park opened as a Green oasis
How emerging architectural technologies can decentralise healthcare
Milestones & Events
Products

FUTURARC INTERVIEW
Wendy W. Fok

IN CONVERSATION
Aswin Indraprastha & Carlos Bañón:
Next-Generation Technologies in Architectural Design


PROJECTS
OCEANIX City: Keeping Future Cities Afloat
A Futuristic Idea of Using Nature to Heal & Manage Diabetes
Cocoa Craftsman Factory: The Building as a Chocolate Melting Machine
Daylight Ducts for High-Rise Offices


1Q 2022: HOUSING ASIA
MAIN FEATURE
Homes, not Houses
3d-printed housing in India
Homes built by homeowners in Sri Lanka
Carbon Tech Modular House in Indonesia

VIETNAM FOCUS
Adapting Vietnam’s Urban Street House to High-Rise Apartments
Hong Ha Eco City
The Nest Modular Housing
Tan Phu House

COMMENTARY
Public and Private Housing in Malaysia

HAPPENINGS
8th APHF: Mainstreaming Green throughout the housing value chain
Oceanix City
Milestones & Events
Products

SHOWCASE
Habitat ’67: Critique on a Classic & Its Modern Interpretations
Safdie Architects: Charu Kokate

FUTURARC INTERVIEW
Toyo Ito

IN CONVERSATION
Eko Prawoto: Living More Authentically With Nature

PROJECTS
Bay Window Tower House
AMN Student Housing
Baan Hom Din
Jervois Mansion
Permeability Housed

To read the complete article, get your hardcopy at our online shop/newsstands/major bookstores; subscribe to FuturArc or download the FuturArc App to read the issues!