What Makes A Sustainable Building?

What makes a sustainable building? We investigate the notion of green living with four modern architects.

- Nawaf Rahman

KEN YEANG

Malaysian architect and ecologist Ken Yeang references to nature as his biggest inspiration for his bioclimatic skyscrapers that focus on the wellbeing of their occupants. One of the early pioneers of ecological design and planning, Yeang has approached the design of buildings and communities through the lens of ecosystem services. His ultimate goal has always been the creation of ‘benign’ built forms that compliment and work within the planet’s delicate biosystems, so it’s no surprise The Guardian has named him one of the 50 people who could save the planet. Yeang studied architecture at the Architectural Association (AA) in London, an institution with a tradition of radical thinking. It was the starting point when he first began to question architectural role within the context of a growing concern for the environment, energy, and sustainability. In his dissertation that was published in 1995 within Designing With Nature: The Ecological Basis For Architectural Design, he wrote, “It is easy to think that if we assemble enough eco-gadgetry in the form of solar collector and biological recycling systems, this can automatically be considered ecological architecture”. This statement pretty much sums up his lifelong desire to provide an approach that goes beyond fancy technology. In one of his famous projects: the National Library of Singapore, Yeang used 14 landscaped gardens to regulate temperature, sun shading blades to prevent excessive heat, motion sensors that reduce electricity usage, and an air-conditioning system that balances carbon dioxide levels or the Solaris skyscraper which is known for its “linear park”, a 1.5km long strip of greenery that winds around the entire building like a snake – all in the name of a greener future.