YEAR-END 2020
The sustainability roadmap that emerged two decades ago has failed us. Yes, more buildings in Asia are certified Green. And yes, more professionals and developers now buy into the need for change. But the situation is escalating faster than the pace at which solutions are generated. There is also a substance gap here. Are things that we do the same as what must be done?
We invited a panel of experts to tell us where we are, and if they see a fork in the path ahead. Here is a summary of what they say:
It’s a systemic problem.
We’ve grown accustomed to tinkering with parts; we need to tackle wholes. This means expanding the canvas beyond site and shell. It means fostering generosity. The architects at WOHA talk of generosity, how a project gives back to the neighbourhood, the city and the ecosystem. This does not obviate the case for building efficiency or occupant wellness; it adds a layer to what is already done. Critically, generosity is a clarion call to policymakers. System-wide changes will happen if there is a new DNA for urbanism and planning. This means raising the bar on planning and codes, and incentivising private actions that create public good.
It’s about our relationship with Nature.
Michael Grove, Sasaki and Bill Browning, Terrapin Bright Green say the rethink here starts with knowing what we have, how natural systems are vital to our survival. This leads to the protection of ecosystems, inside and outside human settlements. It alters how we design buildings and neighbourhoods to forge a partnership between the man-made and the natural. This is how design becomes a force for good, and an agent of change.
It’s time for courage and some outrage.
Big change is hard work. There are some who must be gently persuaded; others who must be aggressively refuted. The role of designer expands to educator, activist and agitator. Anna Heringer talks of how she founded a company that commissions hand-stitched textiles from women in Bangladesh villages. It was the only way they could stay in their community, and not have to move to a city to make a living. Nikos Salingaros decries self-delusion and aggrandisement of the design community. These are harsh words, meant to jolt us. Dr Nirmal Kishnani deconstructs the Green movement, which has lulled us into complacency. Challenging path dependencies is the first step to knowing what’s next.
Collating these views into a single issue has been a milestone for FuturArc. We’ve always advocated critical thinking and positive change, mostly through the curation of past projects. This time, we step outside our comfort zone and, with the help of experts, signpost the journey ahead. We hope this manifesto triggers optimism and urgency in you, as much as it has in us.
Table of Contents
1Q 2022: HOUSING ASIA
Previous issues:
4Q 2021: YEAR-END | NOW & THEN
3Q 2021: CITIES ISSUE | EQUITY AND URBAN INTERVENTIONS
2Q 2021: WOMEN IN ARCHITECTURE
Main Feature: Intersectional Feminism for a Sustainable Future | Kotchakorn Voraakhom |
Yasmeen Lari | Ganga Rathnayake |
Serina Hijjas | Ching-Hwa Chang |
Sonali Rastogi | Milestones |
Maria Warner Wong | Product Advertorials |
1Q 2021: ENERGY
MAIN FEATURE
FuturArc Prize & FuturArc Green Leadership Award 2020 Winners
PROJECTS
The Green Hostel Village, CUHK – Jockey Club Postgraduate Halls 2 & 3
House No. 17
H.A House
Forest In The Sky
Viettel Academy Educational Centre
THE FUTURARC INTERVIEW
Prasoon Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO, billionBricks
HAPPENINGS
BCI Asia Top Ten 2020
Milestones & Events
Book Review
Product Advertorials
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT 2020
Information on FuturArc Prize & FuturArc Green Leadership Award
Jury & jurors’ comments
FuturArc Prize 2020 winning entries
FuturArc Green Leadership Award 2020 winning entries
MAIN FEATURE
Urban Farming
THE FUTURARC INTERVIEW
Veera Sekaran, Founder, Greenology
CITY PROFILES
Singapore
Kuala Lumpur
Dhaka
FUTURARC SHOWCASE
Thammasat Green Roof
Main Feature
Frontlines of Ecological Practice
The FuturArc Interview
Yu Kongjian (Professor for landscape architecture, Peking University; Founder, Turenscape) and
Lou Yongqi (Dean, Tongji University’s College of Design and Innovation in Shanghai; Founder, TEKTAO and Design Harvest)
Futurarc Showcase
Shanghai Houtan Park & New Jindai Elementary School
Main Feature
Designing for Health
The FuturArc Interview
Ken Yeang, Principal, T. R. Hamzah & Yeang Sdn. Bhd.
Projects
Rural Clinics and Facilities
Shanghai Greenland Center
Our Lady of The Assumption Catholic Primary School
Healthy HAUS
Office For Communique
URBN Hotel
People
In Conversation with Palinda Kannangara
Commentary
Putting Wellness at the Heart of Building Design
Happenings
Milestones & Events
BCI Asia Awards 2019
Product Advertorials
Main Feature
FuturArc Prize & FuturArc Green Leadership Award 2019 Winners
The FuturArc Interview
Brinda Somaya, Architect & Urban Conservationist
Special Supplement 2019
• Information on FuturArc Prize & FuturArc Green Leadership Award
• Jury & jurors’ comments
• FuturArc Prize 2019 winning entries
• FuturArc Green Leadership Award 2019 winning entries
Happenings
Milestones & Events
BCI Asia Awards 2019
Projects
• Brick Cave
• Stepping Park House
• Chennai Airport
• Z9 Resort
• The Confluence Club
• 3500 Millimeter House
• iSchool Quang Tri
• Sengkang Riverside Park Large Childcare Centre
• Chai Wan Campus for the Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong (THEi)
• The University of Chicago Center in Hong Kong
FuturArc Interview
Rural-Urban Dichotomy
Projects
The FuturArc Interview
Main Feature
Happenings
BCI Asia Top Ten 2018
Milestones & Events
The FuturArc Interview
The FuturArc Showcase
- Beauty in Zero
Projects
- Neeson Cripps Academy
- Urban Rigger
- TK-SMA BPK PENABUR Summarecon
- Institute for Integrated Learning in Management Campus
- Aravali Institute of Management
- University of Central Asia Naryn Campus
- The International School of Kuala Lumpur
- Heriot-Watt University Malaysia
- Lung Luong Elementary School
- Sentia School
The FuturArc Interview
People
Projects
- The Ey Centre
- An Urban Infill
- The Office Typology, India
- Bamboo Research and Training Centre
- Between Inside and Outside: Small Offices, Vietnam Viet My Office
- The Biophilic Workplace, Vietnam
Commentary
The FuturArc Interview
The FuturArc Interview
Books
People
Commentary
Happenings
Milestones & Events
The FuturArc Interview
Main Feature
People
FuturArc Interview
Commentary
- A New Era of Philippine Infrastructure
- When Architects Become Mayors
- Are Naturally Ventilated Office Buildings Now a Lost Cause?
Happenings
Milestones & Events
Projects
- China Fuzhou Jin Niu Shan Trans-Urban Connector
- Brick by Brick
- Living & Learning Design Centre
- Indian Institute of Technology
- Jodhpur
- Menara Kerja Raya
- Mapletree Business City II
- A First with Geothermal Energy
The FuturArc Interview
Commentary
Happenings
The FuturArc Interview
Main Feature
People
Happenings
- BCI Asia Awards 2017
- Special Focus
Milestones & Events
The FuturArc Interview
- Janine Benyus Biologist, Innovation Consultant, Author, Partner and Co-founder of Biomimicry 3.8
The FuturArc Showcase
- Thao Ho Home Furnishings & Environmental Education Center
Main Feature
Commentary
Happenings
Special Supplement 2016
- Featuring information on the FuturArc competitions, jurors and winning entries
- FuturArc Prize 2016 Winners
- FuturArc Green Leadership Award 2016 Winners
Projects
- New Lawuga School
- Earth Village
- Toigetation
- Cornwall Gardens
- Automated Warehousing Facility
- Cyberjaya Community Recycling Collection Centre
- House No. 10
- Naman Retreat
- University Library Extension, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
- Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and Jurong Community Hospital
- Pioneer and Crescent Halls, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Main Feature
People
FuturArc Interview
Happenings
Milestones & Events
Product Advertorials
The FuturArc Interview
The FuturArc Interview
The FuturArc Interview
Main Feature
FuturArc Interview
Happenings
Milestones & Events
Projects
Commentary
Vietnam focus
- In Conversation with Luu Thi Thanh Mau
- Projects: VH House
- Projects: Ccasa Hostel
- Commentary: Private vs State Housing: A Review from Hanoi
The FuturArc Interview
Special Supplement 2017
- Featuring information on FuturArc Prize 2017, jurors and jurors’ comments
- FuturArc Prize 2017 winning entries
Main Feature
Happenings
Projects
- Canton First Estate
- Public Housing, Hong Kong
- Plug-In City 75
- Apollo Tyres Global R&D Center
- Imagine Studio at The Trees
- Banjarejo Market
- Fibonacci Library
- Sasana PJH
- Altlas Hotel in Hoi An
- Maison T
The FuturArc Interview
The FuturArc Interview
People
Main Feature
Happenings
Milestones & Events
Product Advertorials
The FuturArc Interview
The FuturArc Showcase
- Paramit’s Factory in the Forest
Commentary
Happenings
- Milestones & Events
Projects
- Tangshan Organic Farm
- Shenzhen East Waste-to-Energy Plant
- Pixelet
- Rajasthan Solar Processing Zone
- Method South Side Soapbox
- Stanford University
- Central Energy Facility
- Deutsche Bekleidungswerke Ltd Factory Long Hau
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