Green courses

Green courses for the architects of the 21st century

This is a 2007 proposal on the systematic integration of green design in the curriculum of National Technical University of Athens School of Architecture.

1.   Introduction

The link between natural phenomena and human activity becomes increasingly visible today, underscoring the importance of our relationship with the environment and increasing doubts about the viability of the dominant economic-political model of consumerist 'perpetual growth'. Problems such as the urban heat island, the traffic asphyxiation, or the “not in my yard” charade of landfills are tangible examples of the growing problem in our country, along with others from the global scene like the antagonism of oil, the frequent 'unprecedented' floods, or the shrinking polar ice.

Against this backdrop, architecture -which always reflects coexisting social structures and values- is a major factor of the human impact on the environment. Looking at the current situations and trends around us, how realistic is it to believe that architectural priorities after 10-20 years will be the same as today, where nature is often treated as a decorative background -and sometimes even as an enemy- in games of private aesthetics?

2.   Environment & Greek schools of architecture

Few would disagree if someone says that nowadays we experience an unprecedented environmental crisis with alarming prospects. But how many would agree if he also says that the architectural schools in our country are ready to face the consequences of such crisis on architecture?

Greek schools of architecture, like most in the world, are rather hesitant in tackling the need to adapt the architectural mindset to the new reality. It is true that certain environment-related courses have been added to the curriculum -e.g. on energy design or sustainable planning. But these courses are typically focused on quantitative aspects of certain technical issues usually related to energy, or they refer to large scale issues in an abstract manner. In both cases they are not accompanied by systematic applications in core design courses, therefore they do not promote a systematic development of sustainable architecture education. The new additions to the curriculum are certainly encouraging, yet they are not sufficient for the effective integration of environmental concerns in architectural design, which continues to be taught according to the conditions of the last century, often considering the building as a utilitarian piece of sculpture on an isolated plot. Thus two illusions are prolonged:

•   The first, that respect for the natural environment is a voluntary choice like 'love thy neighbour', vegetarianism, or boy scouting, but not an inescapable inevitability like the one imposed by gravity or ergonomics.

•   The second, that environment-friendly architecture is just a matter of some thermal calculations and a few mechanical 'gadgets' that we attach to any building that we wish to label as 'green'.

So the essence of sustainable environmental design stays out of the design process. Topics like

-    the built space as a subset of human biosphere

-    the morphological effects of natural forces

-    issues beyond energy (water, air, waste, etc.)

-    the ecological footprint of each building

-    time as a design, structural, and functional parameter

-    the building as a living organism

-    environmental assessment of alternative building materials or technical solutions

-    the dynamic relationship between indoor-outdoor space

-    the difference between landscape and environment

-    the life of the building after its inauguration

-    the effect of natural elements on materials, spaces, and users

-    the local and global impact of designer’s choices

-    the building as a "vessel of life" instead of 'nature morte'

-    the environmental wisdom of traditional architecture,

could contribute to a sustainable architectural consciousness, but they are not embedded in actual design courses today. Thus they are not transformed into a way of thinking over the drawing table and into built space.

Such topics go beyond the quantitative-technocratic emphasis given today in courses e.g. on bioclimatic design, where the main objective is energy conservation. The architectural sector of sustainable environmental design should address the qualitative elements of the built environment, not just kilowatt-hours. It should also promote design priorities different from those of the regenerated 'Beaux Arts' fashion that disregards the pressing problems of today (and much more of tomorrow). Furthermore, it should put forward the everlasting architectural values, practices, and aspirations that existed long before the era of "machine á habiter" and International Style. It refers to the fundamental essence of architecture, which transforms natural elements to meet human needs –a fact we tend to forget, caged in the virtual reality of technology. Moreover, it inevitably involves a strong social-ideological dimension, which is a fundamental element of the broader sustainable design.

3.   From theory to practice

Aspects such as those listed above, even if they are occasionally incorporated in some courses today, they do not take root in students’ minds without actual design applications. Praxis is the only method to connect successfully the environmental concerns with the usual architectural parameters in the design process; without practice, it is like trying to learn swimming through lectures.

It is therefore evident that the full development of an environmentally sustainable spirit in the curriculum requires the systematic promotion of its practical implications. However easy it is to recognize the necessity of such change, it is equally difficult to integrate it from one day to another in a specific educational context with a specific attitude, with specific practices and specific faculty. Perhaps the problem is simpler in newly created schools, which are rather more flexible and more open to the inevitable educational developments than the old schools that sit comfortably onto their past.

The urgent integration of the environment as a key design parameter in correlation with form, function, and matter can be achieved in two ways: (a) by modifying existing courses, or (b) by developing a new ‘green’ curriculum. Let's put aside case (b) as more complex -albeit more effective for the ultimate goal of sustainability- and let's look at the enhancement of the existing curriculum.

4.   ‘Design for Special Conditions'

Being hypnotized by the illusion of consumer abundance, a fundamental and implicit assumption in the design studio is that we can build anything, anywhere, in any way. We have only cultural or legal restrictions, and we are free to give priority to 'I want' or 'I like' of today, instead of 'I need', 'I can' or 'I must' of tomorrow.

This is precisely one of the main objections of sustainable design, which advocates the opposite perception in all architectural scales, from construction detail to the urban organization, highlighting the limitations of the planet as one of the forces that guide architectural principles.

So, if we hypothetically remove one of the 'self-evident' assumptions in design –e.g. the availability of water, electricity, oil, or truck access- then the design importance of that assumption becomes apparent, forcing us also to look for alternatives and to adjust other elements -something like an architectural 'bypass'.

Such tricks can assist the integration of sustainability issues into design, replacing the implicit assumption of abundance with hypothetical restrictions in selected architectural parameters. This can be done, for example, in a design course titled, say, ‘Design for Special Conditions', which addresses design issues

• in remote areas (mountains, deserted islands, forests),

• in extreme climatic conditions (e.g. cold mountain, hot seaside)

• with some of the key raw materials absent or rare (e.g. water, cement, oil)

• for emergencies (such as natural disasters, temporary living), or

• to minimize the ecological footprint (from building materials to waste disposal).

A major teaching assistant here is traditional architecture, which was developed precisely in such circumstances, without the contemporary ‘incubator’ of technology.

The educational goal of such nonconformist assumptions is that students –and teachers alike- will recognize the importance and the extend of our dependence on natural and artificial conditions that we usually take for granted. Moreover, the adaptation to a non-conventional framework and the review of established priorities promote the ability to investigate and develop original solutions beyond conformist clichés, leading to the revision of the classic architectural way of thinking. Undoubtedly this is the first step in the development of sustainable architecture.

5.   'Designing for Outdoors'

Other architectural themes that can be used to consolidate the environmentally sustainable design are open spaces of any scale, from courtyards to parks. In such environments we can hardly use the mechanical 'painkillers' that usually alleviate the architectural deficiencies of buildings. In an open space, the architect must address the elements not through the logic of "machine à habiter" but rather of "espace à vivre". In other words, we should devise not a 'submarine' for artificial survival against nature, but a 'sail yacht' to sail in harmony with winds and waves.

The 'outdoor' themes include various topics that can highlight the interdependence of natural and built environment in an instructive manner. They can also lead to ways of tackling the architectural problem without technological 'crutches', an experience that can subsequently be transferred onto buildings too. Such topics are

• thermal, visual, acoustic comfort,

• solar shading and wind protection,

• heat capacity and aging of materials,

• water management and vegetation,

• natural heating and cooling,

• scale and time,

• manufacturing capabilities and limitations

• relationship with buildings and traffic

• noise and ventilation, etc. etc.

6.   'Environmentally Sustainable Design'

The previous courses may culminate in a course titled, say, 'Environmentally Sustainable Architectural Design’. This course focuses more systematically than the previous ones on the integration of environmental aspects in large buildings (e.g. apartment block or school) or in small scale urban design (e.g. a neighbourhood or a holiday village). It covers the interaction between nature and built space, the efficient use of artificial and natural resources, reaching to the wider environmental and social impacts of architectural proposals. A major objective here is the promotion of natural environment into a key architectural parameter in the design process and its final outcome in a sustainable manner.

This course is clearly design-oriented and not limited to technical environmental issues like those usually covered by bioclimatic design. The aim is to emphasize the complex relationship of nature and architecture, and to transform environmental factors into an eloquent architectural dialect.

7.   Course scheduling

Some could argue that such courses should be taught only to mature students, due to required prior knowledge. But that would imply that the link between architecture and environment is not included in the fundamental design principles covered in early semesters.

It is preferable to introduce sustainable design through the course 'Design for Special Conditions' in the second year, i.e. in the critical phase when students have their first good contact with architectural design and shape their priorities and way of thinking. Project topics should be small scale with a predominant influence of natural elements, such as a bus shelter in the city or the countryside, a mountain cabin, a holiday cottage, a beach bar, etc. Perhaps selected proposals could be collectively realized during a weekly workshop at the end.

The course ‘Design of Outdoor Spaces’ follows in the third year, with topics like a school yard, roofs of large buildings, a pedestrian street, a square, park or suburban green, etc. This could be located (and) in a traditional village, in order to promote the awareness of methods used by past generations to deal with open spaces and environmental conditions in general. A major requirement in this course is ‘physical scouting', i.e. the direct contact of the senses with all the conditions that exist in the given area.

The course 'Environmentally Sustainable Design' closes the circle in the fourth year, utilizing the knowledge and experience of previous years in usual design projects through the prism of the link between buildings and nature.

Such an escalation would facilitate a quick and smooth integration of 'sustainability' and 'environment' in core design courses, for the subsequent development of the green theme on a wider scale in the curriculum.

8.   Epilogue

It should be emphasized that the gamut of the above courses exceeds the so-called 'bioclimatic design'. It is a broader perception of the kind of architecture that will be inevitable when the consequences of contemporary 'hubris' against nature and logic become more significant and compelling than today. If architectural schools really prepare the architects of the future, then we should contemplate the expiration date of the current consumer individualism and its architectural off-spring, and prepare the ground for the next generation. The sooner the better.

 "If we convert forests into apartment blocks, we will not have paper for poems."

Thanos N. Stasinopoulos
09.09.2007

Courses related to environment at School of Architecture NTUA when this proposal was written: 

SEMESTER	TYPE	COURSE	STUDENT WORK
3	Compulsory (lecture)	Environment & Space Design	Not required
4	Compulsory (seminar)	Energy use & conservation in buildings [course abolished in 2008]	Energy refurbishing of existing building
6	Elective (tutorial)	Environmental bioclimatic design and city upgrading	Building survey – proposal for minor amendments
7	Elective (lecture)	Open and Green Spaces in the City	Essay
8	Elective (lecture)	Urban Environmental Design	Essay
8	Elective (tutorial)	Environment-Landscape-Architecture	Outdoor design project