in content lists or on the content page. A plethora of changes in technology, culture and economics has influenced the design of the built environment, communities and buildings.
Development of steel and concrete structures and the invention of the lift significantly affected design solutions and, subsequently, the development of the built environment. Innovations outside the field of construction – cars and inventions in electrical communications – have influenced and continue to influence our needs with regard to the built environment and the way our surroundings are designed and used.
Over the past hundred years design has been less concerned with the impact of construction on the local climate and environment. Traditional vernacular construction was matched to the local climate and consumed minimal local material resources. A scarcity of economic opportunity led to environmentally sustainable solutions, whose traditional nature and working methods nevertheless failed to accommodate the needs of an industrialising society. Professional architects replaced self-taught vernacular builders and introduced design methods which involved drawing projections focusing mainly on façade design or space planning. Computer-aided design was also based initially on projection-based thinking. Product modelling has since been further developed with the hope that this will increase the efficiency of the construction process. The profession has also been divided into separate branches, the single master builder replaced by teams involving architects, engineers and designers.
Energy and climate issues have appeared on the construction agenda, challenging current design methods and tools. The focus has shifted towards the design knowledge base and a range of technical solutions needing further development, such as thermal insulation and ventilation. Updates are also required for established design methods and practices. Multidisciplinary design projects aiming to provide creative solutions across occupational boundaries should already be included during designer education. Companies in the design branch also need to work in closer network cooperation. Current design fails to make full use of the opportunities provided by the open innovation process, even though this would benefit areas such as participatory planning, which is one of the goals of urban design.
With climate and energy issues the designer requires rather more than information and partner networks, namely familiarity with what is socially and culturally acceptable. From the user perspective, energy and climate-conscious construction is only compelling if there is demand for it – new solutions must sell and be competitively priced. No one would choose to live or work in an environment which is impractical, unattractive or equipped with superfluous special solutions. Beauty, sustainability and practicality are the trump cards for climate-conscious, energy-efficient construction.
Helka-Liisa Hentilä
Professor
University of Oulu