5 Green Trends Influencing the Architecture and Design Landscape

Over the years, the environmental revolution has evolved to become a global movement, a necessity in modern times, and the only way forward for humankind. That’s not an exaggeration, as the need to avert a climate crisis, conserve the depleting natural resources, and restore the natural world is the only way to avoid a world-wide ecological disaster. So naturally, environmentalism is finding its way into every industry in the world, as well as the private, government, and civic sectors.

From building green homes to designing sustainable cities of the future, eco-consciousness is becoming paramount for our survival. However, it’s not just about saving the planet, it’s also about our quality of life and minimizing the financial impact of the 21^st-century lifestyle.

Needless to say, going green can help achieve all of these goals, particularly when business leaders implement green solutions in architecture and design. With that in mind, let’s break down some of the most impactful green trends that are transforming these sectors and what this means for you.

Adopting the green roofing concept

The problem of the urban islands has become a pervasive one around the world due to the rapid global urbanization and the influx of people. Now that cities are numbering millions and even tens of millions of people, the effects of overpopulation and the strain it puts on the urban infrastructure is all-too apparent. There are, luckily, many ways smart and green urban design and development can mitigate these effects over the long term, and one of the solutions is definitely the green roofing concept.

Green roofing is a part of a much broader concept called the biophilic design, which encompasses everything from using sustainable materials to creating indoor gardens and promoting healthy airflow. While all of these green solutions are impactful, green roofing deserves a special mention as an effective way to counter the urban island effect, excess heat production, drought, and excess energy consumption.

A green roof is not only a beautiful rooftop oasis, it also features a drainage and irrigation system, a waterproof membrane, and a root barrier to soak up excess heat and help regulate the environmental temperature. It’s a wonderful design and architectural solution that is quickly revolutionizing the way public and private buildings, and homes, are designed.

Optimizing for passive conservation

Another very important solution that architects and designers are increasingly implementing in all sectors is passive conservation. While active conservation requires the use of energy-efficient technologies and water-conservation systems, passive conservation works without any direct oversight or control.

The key is to help conserve energy throughout the building or the household through insulation, for example, preventing heat from escaping in the winter while keeping the interior naturally cool in the summer. This is one of the best ways to reduce the carbon footprint of your home. Designers achieve this with the use of insulated floors, walls, and ceilings, but also by choosing double-glazed windows instead of traditional models because most heat escapes through these openings.

Passive conservation is a simple yet highly effective solution that can minimize heating and cooling expenses throughout the year. Interior designers are also using passive water conservation features like low-flow toilets, faucets, and showerheads to curb water consumption, thus reducing the water bill and your impact on the environment.

Now more than ever before, it is important that we focus on water conservation in order to safeguard this most precious natural resource for future generations.

Minimizing waste with shipping containers

The shipping container trend in architecture and design has been growing steadily over the years, and nowadays it is a popular global trend that aims to benefit the environment as well as the new generation of homeowners. With global trade increasing and more shipping containers winding up stranded in ports around the world, it only makes sense to utilize them for something practical. The sheer number of available shipping containers means that they are relatively cheap, while the material is versatile enough to fit into various unique designs.

Shipping container homes are cheap yet sturdy, and with the right insulation, positioning, and elevation, they can easily become the sustainable homes of the future. Complementing shipping container home design with other tried-and-tested green home design trends is paramount for the success of this project, and with diligent planning and preparation you can become a green homeowner without breaking the bank.

Enabling energy efficiency with better lighting

Artificial lighting can be one of the most wasteful features in the modern household, building, and the entire urban environment. Green cities are increasingly adopting better, more sustainable lighting solutions across all sectors to battle energy waste and minimize the impact on the environment. Adopting green lighting solutions is important in modern households as well, but also in grand public and private spaces that consume vast amounts of energy.

This is why innovators in the field of artificial lighting need to focus on energy-efficient industrial lighting design, the way this company has achieved energy savings with advanced LED solutions on a grand scale. The key is to transform the urban infrastructure with energy-efficient lighting across the board in the decades to come, in order to drastically lower energy consumption, support sustainable urbanization, and minimize the effects that modern cities have on the environment.

Adapting for clean energy production and storage

Conservation and green design go hand in hand as the best solution for long-term efficiency, sustainability, and preservation. That said, passive conservation will only get you so far without the use of energy and water efficient features in your household, building, or workspace. That’s why architects and designers are increasingly creating building projects that are completely adapted for clean energy production and water conservation.

Allocating space for solar panels, planning for solar inverters and batteries, creating more efficient water systems, adapting the design of the home for smart and energy-efficient technologies, all of this is an essential element of modern architecture and design. This should come as no surprise, because by making the new developments in the civic, private, and government sectors more efficient from the start, we can mitigate some of the risks and eliminate wastefulness from day one.

Wrapping up

Architecture and design are increasingly adopting green solutions, and for a number of crucial reasons. Now more than ever before, it is important to adopt these measures across the board in order to build a better tomorrow for our planet and future generations.