Knowledge Bank
The first phase of SUSTAINORDIC has focussed on knowledge gathering around the question of what does it take to implement a truly sustainable construction sector in the Nordics? The take aways from a series of knowledge generation activities over the course of 2022–2023 can be clustered into four focus areas or topics. The main topics and each of these topics will be further explored in four articles with the purpose to have a deeper understanding and wider debate.
Where do the topics come from?
Knowledge has been gathered over eight panel debates and the main take aways were the following:
We need to intensify the use of the existing building mass and design for multifunctional and flexible use.
We need to energy retrofit, renovate, and repurpose rather than building new.
We need to shift to biogenic building materials both in new construction and retrofit to address the negative impact from embedded energy.
Place based architecture. Construction should be defined by the context in terms of local material and resource availability, cultural, social, and aesthetic context as well as legislative context.
Architecture as a community builder (Fællesskaber).
We need to bring in and include more voices within the process of architecture.
We need to shift from human-centric design to Life-centric design and consider the limitations and the competition for land use. This points to inclusion of space for all life (biodiversity) both in construction and in the whole value chain.
Emissions from the construction sector must operate with maximum emissions defined by planetary boundaries and include activities in the whole value chain.
These eight take aways can be clustered into four focus areas or topics. The four main topics and each of these topics will be further explored in an article with the purpose to have a deeper understanding and wider debate. The various topics may be more relevant to specific focus groups, and we would therefore invite a group of experts to reflect upon each article.
The hierarchy of material use in construction
We need to intensify the use of the existing building mass and design for multifunctional and flexible use. We should energy retrofit, renovate, and repurpose rather than building new and only when it is absolutely necessary to add virgin material, we need to use biogenic building materials both in new construction and retrofit to address the negative impact from embedded energy.
Retain. Maintain. Renovate. Repeat.
Roundtable: Tackling short term planning and growth-addiction in Nordic construction
Place-based development and architecture as a community builder
How can we work with place-based community design and architecture? Construction should be defined by the context in terms of local material and resource availability, cultural, social, and aesthetic context as well as legislative context. How can we work actively with architecture as a community shaper and a nudger of sustainable behaviour?
Perspectives
on Place-Based
Architecture
Roundtable: Highlighting the need for a Nordic knowledge bank about local architecture and planning
The underrepresented stakeholders in construction policy
This article will focus on the underrepresented vices in architecture: The future generations, biodiversity, and the planet/climate. The article will focus on the following questions:
How can we bring in the civil society perspective into our architectural planning and policy processes?
How can we design governance systems and democratic models that ensure meaningful representation of the interests of the planet and biodiversity?
Regulation and maximum emission requirements for construction
This article is focusing on LCA and regulation and the focus area will be unfolded in close collaboration with the Finnish Ministry of the environment. The article will focus on the questions of:
How can we influence processes related to this focus area most efficiently?
How do we ensure user involvement in law making processes?
How do we make sure that ambition and speed follows the urgency of the climate crisis, the biodiversity crisis, and the supply crisis?