Objective
Objective
Acknowledging that the building and construction sector accounts for over 34% of global energy demand, the need to think critically about designing with climate-sensitive approaches in mind has never been more important. The Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture (RICA) is an innovative case study which serves as an alternative model for sustainable agriculture, land use, and construction. Designed to be the first climate-positive campus of its kind, the buildings of this new campus have been designed with the lowest carbon footprint possible, aiming for a regenerative impact by 2040 and removing more carbon from the environment than will be produced by the campus’ creation and ongoing operations.
Event Outline
- Setting the Scene: Steven Oundo, CAA President and Hugo Chan, CAA Youth Representative provide an introduction to the event, outlining the United Nation’s and Commonwealth’s projected world population, and the importance of ecologically sustainable design to house these people in the coming decades.
- Design Philosophy: Anton Larsen, Design Director at MASS Design Group in Kigali, introduces the practice’s overarching ethos of ‘A Model of Architecture Serving Society,’ highlighting their critical engagement with understanding climate, context and community behind the development of their project.
- Construction and Methodologies: Taking us on a journey through the Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture, Anton highlights key design aspects, construction methods and integrated systems in the project to demonstrate how a carbon-positive approach to architecture can be delivered.
- Questions & Answers: Following the presentation, Anton responds to a series of audience questions ranging from design implementation to the potential for future applications.
Lessons Learnt
- Understand how to work within a design framework and mindset of achieving the aims of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through a real-world exemplar case study.
- Understand how to make informed decisions about integration of various strategies to deliver a climate-positive outcome through a whole-of-systems approach to architectural design.
- Understand how a critically informed understanding of context, involving climate, material availability, existing construction techniques and socio-cultural practices can be an important factor in shaping the design process and outcome of a project.
- Be introduced to a range of different construction methods, technologies and techniques which integrate the contextual architectural language of a place with climate-positive design in mind.
- Be introduced to examples of a ‘whole-of-system’ approach including understanding how we can trace sources of carbon emissions for the entire manufacturing process of construction materials.
- Be introduced to examples of how local customs, technologies and embedded knowledges can help support and inform design to achieve better outcomes for communities to meet their needs and aspirations.