role of architects in sustainability development

8/13/2019 Role of Architects in Sustainability Development

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THE ARCHITECTS ROLE IN SOCIETY WITH REGARDTO SUSTAINABILITY(For 1st International Troi!al Ar!"ite!t#ral Con$eren!e%Ar!"ite!t#re an& Ur'an Desin in t"e Troi!al reions)S#staina'ilit* an& So!iet*% oranise& '* NUS+

, C Tin -o"n.resi&ent% Sinaore Instit#te o$ Ar!"ite!ts

It is my privilege to be invited to participate in this 1st International

Tropical Architecture Conference organised by the Department of

Architecture, National University of Singapore, to share some

thoughts on the architects role in society !ith regard to

sustainability" I !ill discuss this role from t!o perspectives # the

macro $i"e" SIA% and micro $i"e" individual architect%"

De$inition o$ S#staina'le De/elo0ent

&efore loo'ing at this role, let me define !hat is sustainable

development" (or the purpose of my tal', I !ould li'e to borro! the

definition from the Sustainable &uilding Technical )anual,

produced by *ublic Technology Inc and US +reen &uilding Council"

Sustainable development is the challenge of meeting growing

human needs for natural resources, industrial products, energy,

food, transportation, shelter and effective waste management while

conserving and protecting environmental quality and the natural

resource base essential for future life and development. This

concept recognises that meeting long-term human needs will be

impossible unless we also conserve the earths natural, physical,

chemical and biological systems


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Go/ern0ents ision o$ S#staina'ilit*

The Singapore +overnment is committed to ensure its

sustainability" This commitment is reinforced in the vision

statement, !hich is stated in the Singapore +reen *lan -.1- and I

/uote0

Clean and green ingapore has beaten the odds to come this far.

!or the ne"t lap of our development, we strive to forge a country

that will give our people and all who come after them, their best

home possible, e"ercising wise and #udicious stewardship of our

resources and optimising the balance between $an and %ature.

&ith intelligent innovation and strategic partnership, we will prevail

over our limitations, to build a ingapore that will endure for

generations to come.

In the +reen *lan, there !as also a statement, !hich I feel is

important for the discussion of my topic today and that is, !or us,

sustainability can be no mere fad' (ur very survival depends on it.This statement, together !ith the vision statement testifies to the

+overnments commitment to ensuring Singapore sustainability"

2a!ro .erse!ti/e 3 SIAs Role

I believe that sustainability is the responsibility of every constituent

of society and each must play its part to achieve maimum results"

A critical element of sustainability is ecology and architecture and

ecology cannot be separated in the creation of a conducive habitat

for man'ind" 2n the one hand, the basic physiological and

psychological needs of man must be fulfilled and architecturally

epressed" 2n the other hand, there is a need to balance,

harmonise and integrate mans habitat !ith the surrounding in all

aspects" This need to integrate architecture !ith ecology is no!

being brought to sharper focus arising from various environmental


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movements to!ards sustainable development over the years" 3et

me cite t!o eamples of the Institutes effort in promoting

sustainability through green architecture"

The first eample concerns the promotion of eco architecture"

Singapore as a land scarce island city#state, the achievement of

eco#architecture is not only a greater challenge in terms of design

innovation and technical 'no!#ho! as compared to many

developed nations, but also it must have its o!n flavour in order to

be identified as Singapores response to 4co#Architecture" The

development of capability in this direction meets !ith our national

and professional aspiration to become a )odel +reen City5" It is

this belief that has been the driving force behind the Institutes effort

in promoting sustainable or green architecture over the years" In

1667, the Institute organised a 4co#&uilding Architectural Design

Competition5" The ob8ective !as to promote broad based

a!areness for the environment both indoor and outdoor, designinnovation and technological applications" In con8unction !ith this

competition, there !as also a design competition for students and a

seminar on the same sub8ect" This !as then part of the effort of the

Institute to complement the 1stSingapore +reen *lan"

The second eample is the promotion of ecological design in the

tropics" This is done through an 4DITT programme in 1669" 4DITT

stands for 4cological Design in The Tropics5" This initiative !as

predicated on the fact that the built environment is a ma8or factor in

the energy consumption, pollution production and resource usage

of any society" The air#conditioned, electrically lighted, mechanical

services modern building : from offices to factories, from schools to

hospitals, from homes to hotels : are all ma8or elements in the

environmental e/uation of energy flo! and pollution control that


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constitute the ecological and environmental agenda of Singapore"

;e live, !or' and play in buildings, in an urban and artificially

maintained environment" )uch, if not all, of !hat !e do is

supported by services and facilities that are housed in buildings and

in the built environment" 2ur physical acts of eating, sleeping,

!or'ing and playing do not create an ecological crisis" The physical

environment !ithin !hich such activities occur do" Indeed, the

energy consumption and environmental impact of a society is

directly proportional to the urban /uality of its built environment" If

the built environment is a primary factor, then architecture must and

can provide a ma8or contribution to the solution of the

environmental crisis"

;e believe, both these initiatives had generated substantial

a!areness in the architectural fraternity as !ell as in the industry"

2i!ro .erse!ti/e 3 In&i/ial Ar!"ite!ts .erse!ti/e3et me ta'e you no! to the micro perspective, that is the individual

architects role" The primary role is to contribute through designing

buildings, !hich achieve the ob8ectives of sustainability"

I believe, in order to achieve sustainable development, buildings

must be designed inclusive of the concepts of sustainable

development, epounded in my introductory remar's" Such

buildings !ill have a positive impact on the environmental, social

and economic systems, !hich !ill lead to enhancing both the

economic !ell being and environmental health of communities and

the /uality of life" Sustainable buildings should meet certain

ob8ectives, li'e0


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- protecting the health of building occupants

role of architects in sustainability development

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