Incorporating Structures into their Environment

Seamless environmental integration isn’t just a matter of aesthetic taste. By taking the time to evaluate the properties and spatial form of the surrounding area, we can design buildings that are more efficient and simple, as well as beautiful.

A terrific example of this done right comes from the Netherlands, where the Dutch have designed a floating apartment complex. Almost all of the Netherlands is located below sea level, so flooding is a huge concern, and water is frequently pumped out of low lying areas. In order to move beyond this struggle with nature, Dutch architect Koen Olthuis has designed “The Citadel,” the first structure in the “New Water” development.

The complex will be located in a recessed area that will be allowed to flood, and the apartments will rise with the water. The project will include 60 luxury apartments with views of the lake, a car park, and a floating road to access the buildings.

And although there are some difficulties in building a floating building, like corrosion and maintenance, the complex is expected to use 25% less energy than similar land-based buildings, thanks to the temperature regulating nature of the water.

The Dutch already occupy this land, so the project itself isn’t a means of claiming new territory, but it is a way of drastically reducing the energy costs of maintaining the land while incorporating human habitation into the natural environment, instead of insulating ourselves from it.

A spectacular example of the type of nature-blind, ostentatious thinking that has gotten us into the mire of global warming and other problems, is the new “Blue Crystal” building in – where else – Dubai.

For some reason, someone decided that the one think lacking from the scorching desert environment of the Gulf Coast was a giant luxury ice hotel. I’ll say that again – a hotel made of ice! ... in the desert!

The architects claim that a photovoltaic system set up in the ice shell will generate enough electricity to make the whole project self-sustaining. As crazy as this project seems, it’s hard to fault the people behind Blue Crystal if they can pull off energy indepencence. As an isolated example, it doesn’t really matter how big its energy expenditures are so long as they are covered by onsite generation. One could argue that that PV electricity could be used to power surrounding buildings, but then the ice hotel would lose its primary draw, and wouldn’t be built at all.

The problem that I have with the project is a philosophical one. Sustainable architecture is about more than photovoltaics and recycled materials. While they certainly help the movement, it’s vital to remember that they are only a means to an end. The goal of sustainable architecture and design is to create buildings that tread lightly on the environment. This sort of building cannot be the norm. We need buildings and cities and infrastructure that blend in to the environment instead of trying to change and beat back the environment to suit our needs.

We’ve been down that road, and we’ve seen where it leads. We don’t need to compromise comfort in order to build sustainable buildings. But we do have to abandon the notion that we can do whatever we like with our structures. To truly achieve sustainability, we have to adapt to nature, not to adapt nature to our purposes.


For more information and source photos, see Inhabitat: The Citadel, and Inhabitat: Blue Crystal.