Sustainability - the art of modern architecture

Over the last 10-15 of years the building industry has been faced with an increasing demand for sustainable solutions. According to Peter Bakker, president and CEO of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development WBCSD, buildings are the largest energy consumers in the world economy, accounting for over one- third of final energy use and approximately 30% of global carbon emissions [1]. These figures do not take into account the energy and carbon emissions due to production of building materials or for logistics and building construction. The demand for both energy and resources is soaring as global construction booms, especially in countries such as China and India. This means that developments in building practice can significantly contribute to tackling climate change and energy use. The use of ETFE foils as a new transparent material substitute for glass provides the potential for not only vast savings in material quantities but simultaneously makes possible a new type of space for living and working. The environmental benefits are presented as results of a comparative study between glass and ETFE solutions on two projects in Germany, Domaquaree in Berlin and Kapuzinergraben in Aachen, based on a life cycle analysis. The social benefits will be presented using the example of Kingsdale School in London and Kuwait Avenues, Kuwait. It will be shown that the introduction of ETFE foil systems in modern architecture will significantly contribute not only to environmental sustainability, but also create economic and social advantages compared to more classic building materials. (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.