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ARTICLE
Legislation and Policies to Pave the Way for Sustainable Architecture
Text: Malin Zimm
Research: Pernille Martiny Modvig
Roundtable
In conjunction with the interviews a roundtable was held with the contributing experts to this article, discussing the topic further.
In 6 interviews with capacities from within and around the building sector we explore how we can actively gear legislation to steer architecture and construction in the direction of sustainable practices and conduct.
Legislation and policies have the final voice in shaping the trajectory of the construction industry towards sustainability. Traditionally, regulations have focused on safeguarding individuals through mandates ensuring fire safety, structural integrity, and the use of safe materials. However, in the face of the ongoing climate crisis and the wider environmental challenges we are facing today, there is a growing imperative to extend the protective umbrella of legislation to encompass planetary well-being.
“Sustainable development for future generations should be the very fundament of any law. If we find that the national law in its core does not support sustainable development, it would mean that we would have to rewrite the legal code. Our task today is to methodologically and philosophically reconstruct a logic or an ideology for why we build and if we have to build and with what methods, based on a fundamental understanding of sustainability and sustainable practices.”
– Kai Reaver, Head of Architecture & Chief Advisor NAL
In this article we have collected six of voices from diverse backgrounds—researchers, policymakers, and representatives from NGOs, universities, and architects – each offering their view on the complexities of sustainable construction and pointing at paths forward while identifying the hurdles impeding the transition from unsustainable to sustainable practices in construction and architecture:
Kai Reaver, Head of Architecture & Chief Advisor Norwegian Architecture Association (NAL)
Matti Kuittinen, Associate Professor, Department of Architecture, Aalto University
Harpa Birgisdottir, Professor at the Department of Civil Engineering, City and Environment at Aalborg University, housing the BUILD research institute (Danish Building Research Institute SBI)
Dani Hill-Hansen, sustainable design engineer at EFFEKT architects, team member of the Reduction Roadmap initiative.
Nel Jan Schipull, Architect MAA, Ph.d., partner at Vandkunsten Architects
Ruth Schagemann, President, Architects’ Council of Europe (ACE)
About SUSTAINORDIC and Nordic Sustainable Construction
This article is a part of the Nordic Sustainable Construction programme, an initiative from the Nordic Council of Ministers powered by Nordic Innovation. This program is part of the Nordic Vision 2030 with the aim to place the Nordic region in a leadership position in sustainable and competitive construction and housing, while simultaneously minimizing environmental and climate impacts.
At its core, this program is designed to foster the green transition of the Nordic construction sector by generating and disseminating novel insights, instigating crucial debates, establishing networks, workshops, and showcasing best practices. Moreover, it aims to facilitate the harmonization of Nordic regulations concerning buildings' climate impact.