SUSTAINABLE DESIGN UNIT 1 INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABILITY

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
III Year , V th Semester
2023-2024
PROF. AR NIVEDITHA V
UNIT 1
INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABILITY
AR3002
niveditha.arch19@gmail.com
+919551416510

Architecture
• So what is sustainable design?
• Why Sustainable Architecture Is Vital
• The World's Most Sustainable Architecture Projects
Academic
• Defining Ecosystems
• Food Chains
• Natural cycles on earth
• Need for Sustainable Design
• Sustainable Design in context to Anthropogenic activities
• Climate Change
• Ecological footprint
• Carbon footprint
Sustainable Design
Sustainable
Design
Topics to Discuss

So what is
Sustainable
Design
The conscious avoidance of
exploiting natural resources through
designs
Sustainable development is development that
meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs.
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource
use that aims to meet human needs while
preserving the environment so that these needs
can be met not only in the present, but also for
future generations.
Sustainable development ties together concern for
the carrying capacity of natural systems with the
social challenges facing humanity.
Sustainable Design

Traditional Design
These architecture practices focuses on locally available,
low cost and eco friendly materials focusing mainly on
aesthetics and functionality of a building.
Sustainable Design
Sustainable design provides high energy efficiency,
insulated, eco balance designs adapting to modernized
work culture resulting with contemporary designing.
Sustainable Design

Why
Sustainable
Architecture
is Vital
Sustainable Design
W A T E R A N D E N E R G Y E F F I C IE N T
W A S T E R E D U C T I O N - P R O D U C E S L E S S T O
N O P O L L U T I O N
C O N S E R V A T I O N O F N A T U R A L R E S O U R C E S -
C O N S U M E S N O N - R E N E W A B L E R E S O U R C E S
C O S T E F F E C T I V E D U R A B L E D E S IG N IN G

Sustainable Design
Defining
ecosystems
ECOSYSTEM
An ecosystem is defined as a community or group of living organisms that live in and
interact with each other in a specific environment. An ecosystem includes all of the
living things (plants, animals and organisms) in a given area, ineracting with each
other abd also with their non-living environments (weather, earth, sun, soil, climate,
atmosphere) In an ecosystem, each organism has its own part or role to play.

Sustainable Design
Example
A pond in mid of a forest. In it, you may find all sorts of living things, from
microorganisms to insects and plants. These may depend on non-living things like
water, sunlight, turbulence in that water body, temperature, atmospheric pressure and
even nutrients in the water for life.

Sustainable Designr
NEEDS OF LIVING THING
S U N L I G H T
This is probably the
most important need
for all living organisms,
because it is the source
of all energy. It also
provides heat for plants
and animals.
W A T E R
Water is the medium
in which living cells
and tissue work.
Water is also a living
environment for
many plants and
animals .
A I R
Air is made up of
several gases, but the
two most important
gases are Oxygen and
Carbon dioxide.
Without oxygen,
animals will die, and
without carbon
dioxide plants cannot
survive.
F O O D
Living things need
energy for function.
Energy is needed to
grow, reproduce,
move, and to work.
Food is conceived as
energy.
T E M P E R A T U R E
Every living organism
needs the ideal
temperature to
survive either on land
or in water through
its life span.

SCALE OF ECOSYSTEM
M I C R O
A small scale ecosystem such as
a pond, puddle, tree trunk,
under a rock etc.
M E S S O
A medium scale ecosystem
such as a forest or a large lake.
B I O M E
A very large ecosystem or collection of ecosystems
with similar biotic and abiotic factors such as an entire
Rainforest with millions of animals and trees, with
many different water bodies running through them.
Sustainable Design
Ecosystems come in indefinite sizes. It can exist in a small area such as underneath a
rock, a decaying tree trunk, or a pond in your village, or it can exist in large forms such as
an entire rain forest. Technically, the Earth can be called a huge ecosystem.

Sustainable Architecture Primer
Levels of Organization in Ecosystem
O R G A N I S M S P O P U L A T I O N C O M M U N I T Y E C O S Y S T E M B I O M E B I O S P H E R E

An individual is any living thing or organism.
Individuals do not breed with individuals from other
groups. Animals, unlike plants, tend to be very definite
with this term because some plants can cross-breed
with other fertile plants.
ORGANISMS

A group of individuals of a given species that live in a
specific geographic area at a given time. Note that
populations include individuals of the same species,
but may have different genetic makeup such as
hair/eye/skin colour and size between themselves and
other populations.
POPULATION

LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION IN
AN ECOSYSTEM
Sustainable Design

This includes all the populations in a specific area at a
given time. A community includes populations of
organisms of different species. A great community
usually includes biodiversity.
COMMUNITY

As explained in the pages earlier, ecosystems include
more than a community of living organisms (abiotic)
interacting with the environment (abiotic). At this level
note how they depend on other abiotic factors such as
rocks, water, air and temperature.
ECOSYSTEM

A biome, in simple terms, is a set of ecosystems
sharing similar characteristics with their abiotic factors
adapted to their environments
BIOME

When we consider all the different biomes, each blending into the
other, with all humans living in many different geographic areas, we
form a huge community of humans, animals and plants, and micro-
organisms in their defined habitats. A biosphere is the sum of all the
ecosystems established on planet Earth. It is the living (and decaying)
component of the earth system.
BIOSPHERE

BIOSPHERE INSPIRED ARCHITECTURE

Sustainable Design
BIOME
D E S E R T B I O M E S A Q U A T I C B I O M E S
A biome is NOT an ecosystem, although in a way it can look like a massive ecosystem. If you take a closer look,
you will notice that plants or animals in any of the biomes have special adaptations that make it possible for
them to exist in that area. You may find many units of ecosystems within one biome.
There are five major categories of biomes on earth. In these five, there are many sub-biomes, under which are
many more well defined ecosystems.
F O R E S T B I O M E S G R A S S L A N D
B I O M E S
T U N D R A B I O M E S

Sustainable Design
They are the Hot and Dry Deserts, Semi Arid Deserts,
Coastal Deserts and Cold Deserts. Deserts makeup
about 20% of total land cover on earth and are
characterized by little (less than 50cm/yr) or no rainfall.
Desert biomes come in four major kinds— each of these
having their unique features but have similarities in
their biotic and abiotic makeup. They are the Hot and
Dry Deserts, Semi Arid Deserts, Coastal Deserts and Cold
Deserts, and within these are many deserts located in
many places of the world.
Desert biomes have very high temperatures because of
the little vegetative cover, less cloud cover, low
atmospheric moisture and the land‘s exposure to the
sun. Humidity is very low, with a few events of very little
rain in a year
Desert Biomes

Sustainable Design
Soil cover is shallow and rocky, as a result of very little weathering (breakdown) and supports
only a few plant types. Soils have very little or no organic matter, and very low in salt content.
Plants that survive here are short shrubs and cacti, which have the ability to conserve water.
Plants are also less leafy, using their stems for photosynthesis. Examples of plants are the yuccas
and the sotol.
Animals here tend to burrow, or stay in hideaways till dusk to avoid the heat. They are mainly
small carnivores, birds, insects, snakes and lizards, and are adapted to survive with very little
water. Examples of the Hot and Dry Desert biomes include the Sahara of North Africa and the
Chihuahuan of Southern USA and parts of Mexico.
Desert Biomes

Sustainable Design
X Architects design proposal for
'Architectural Constellation' for desert hideaway resort

Aquatic biomes are grouped into two, Freshwater
Biomes (lakes and ponds, rivers and streams, wetlands)
and Marine Biomes (oceans, coral reefs and estuaries).
This includes all water bodies on the earth‘s surface.
Aquatic biomes are grouped into two, Freshwater
Biomes (lakes and ponds, rivers and streams, wetlands)
and Marine Biomes m(oceans, coral reefs and estuaries).
These biomes make up about 73% of the total earth‘s
surface.
Life forms in these waters depend on the abiotic factors
such as sunlight entering the waters, temperature,
pressure, salt content and so on. Water biomes with lots
of light tend to have more flora (plant) diversity, and the
growth of algae and plankton is more. Small water
bodies that freeze during the cold seasons, or dry out in
the dry and hot seasons tend to have less diversity.
Aquatic Biomes

Examples of animals found in marine biomes include star fishes, sharks and tuna and sea
birds. Examples of animals in freshwater biomes include salmon, tilapia worms, water-
surface insects and crabs. Aquatic biomes are very important because apart from being
home to millions of water animals, they also form the basis of the water cycle and help
with atmospheric moisture, cloud formation and precipitation. One example of a marine
biome is the Great Barrier Reef (a coral reef system) of Australia.
Aquatic Biomes

Aquatic Architecture (hypothetical)

Sustainable Design
There are three main biomes that make up Forest Biomes.
These are the ,
Tropical Rainforest,
Temperate and
Boreal Forests (also called the Taiga)
Forests makeup about 30% of the total land cover on earth and are of incredible value to
life on earth. They are a store of carbon and play a very important role in climate control.
They have a watershed role and are a source of many raw materials that humans depend
on. It is believed that forests have the most biodiversity. A small portion of the
Rainforests, for example, may be home to millions of insects, birds, animals and plants.
There are three main biomes that make up Forest Biomes.
These are the Tropical Rainforest, Temperate and Boreal Forests (also called the Taiga)
Forest Biomes

Sustainable Design
There are Temperatures of forests biomes (especially the tropical rainforest)
are generally high all year though, but a lot cooler at the surface. This is
because there is very little sunlight reaching the forest floors as a result of
the heavy vegetative cover.
Humidity is extremely high with lots of rainfall, exceeding 200cm all year
though. Soils are loose and very airy, with high acidity and decaying organic
matter.
Forest Biomes

Sustainable Design
Plant types of the Tropical Rainforests are usually huge trees with buttress
roots, lots of large green leaves and shallow roots.
Ferns and palms are also common. Plants in the Temperate forests are less
dense with a bit of sunlight reaching the floors. Tree types include the willow,
basswood and elm.
Plants of the Boreal are mostly conifers with needle-like leaves.
There is very little understory and lots of light at the floors. Trees like fir and
spruce are common.
Forest Biomes

Sustainable Design
Forest Biomes

the Savanna Grasslands
the Temperate Grasslands
There are two main types of grassland biomes:
As the name suggests, these are massive areas dominated by one or a few species of
grass, with a few sparsely distributed trees.
One major savanna is located in Africa and takes up more than a third of the continent's
land area. Others can be found in India, South America and Australia. Temperate
grasslands can be found in South Africa, Argentina, and some plains in Central North
America. If the grassland is prevented from developing into a forest by climatic
conditions such as rainfall, it is termed as climatic savannas‘. If their characteristics are
kept by soils, they are termed as edaphic savannas‘.
Sometimes, large animals such as elephants can constantly disturb young trees from
taking over grasslands. Human activities such as farming or bush fires can also prevent
grasslands from developing into forests. Such grasslands are termed derived savannas‘.
Grassland Biomes

Soils in savanna are thin-layered and do not hold water. The soils contain some organic
matter from dead grass, which is the main source of nutrients for plants. Rainfall is
moderate, and not enough to cause major floods. Animals in the savannas include large
mammals such as lions, hyenas, snakes, giraffes and buffaloes with lots of insects.
Grassland Biomes

The Arctic Tundra
The Alpine Tundra
There are two major tundra biomes—
This is known to be the coldest of all the terrestrial
(land) biomes, with the least biodiversity capacity.
Tundra got its name from Tunturia‘ a Finnish word
that means barren land‘. This biome has very little
rain with freezing temperatures, and covers about a
fifth of the earth‘s land surface.
The Arctic tundra is located around the north-pole in
the northern hemisphere. This biome has
temperatures of about 2-3 in the summer and about
-35 in the winter.
Bogs and ponds are common as a result of
constantly frozen surface moisture and melted
permafrost.
Tundra Biomes

Plants in the Arctic Tundra are short and grow closely to
each other.
Examples include mosses, heaths and lichen. They are
adapted to perform photosynthesis even in the freezing
conditions.
Animals here include herbivores like hares and squirrels.
Carnivores include polar bears and artic foxes. It also has
lots of birds, insets and fish like cod and salmon.
The Alpine Tundra is very cold, located on top of high
mountains, often with very few trees and very little
vegetative cover.
They are icy for a larger part of the year Animals in this
biome include some birds, mountains goats and marmots.
There also beetles and butterflies.
Tundra Biomes

Sustainable Design
DEFINITION
The ecological footprint is a method that determines
how dependent humans are on natural resources. It is a
measure that indicates how much resources from the
environment are required to support a specific way of
life.
In simpler words, the ecological footprint simply
indicates the amount of pressure that humans put on
the natural resources available to them in their
surroundings.
ECOLOGY FOOTPRINT

Sustainable Design
ECOLOGY FOOTPRINT
cropland,
grazing land,
fishing grounds,
built-up land,
forest area
carbon demand on land
The Ecological Footprint tracks the use of six categories of
productive surface areas:

Sustainable Design
CARBON
FOOTPRINT
DEFINITION
A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases
(including carbon dioxide and methane) that are generated by
our actions. The average carbon footprint for a person in the
United States is 16 tons, one of the highest rates in the world.
Globally, the average carbon footprint is closer to 4 tons.

Sustainable Design
OVERSHOOT DAY
Every year Global Footprint Network raises
awareness about global ecological overshoot
with our Earth Overshoot Day campaign, which
attracts media attention around the world.
Earth Overshoot Day is the calendar day when
humans have used the resource-constrained
world.
It means taking individual action, and creating
the public demand for businesses and policy
makers to participate.

Sustainable Design
The world‘s ecological deficit is referred to as global ecological
overshoot.
Since the 1970s, humanity has been in ecological overshoot, with
annual demand on resources exceeding what Earth can regenerate
each year.
Today humanity uses the equivalent of 1.6 Earths to provide the
resources we use and absorb our waste.
This means it now takes the Earth one year and six months to
regenerate what we use in a year.
We use more ecological resources and services than nature can
regenerate through overfishing, overharvesting forests, and emitting
more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than forest can sequester.
WORLD FOOTPRINT

Sustainable Design
OVERSHOOT DAY
Under a business-as-usual path, demand on
the Earth's ecosystem is projected to exceed
what nature can regenerate by about 75
percent in 2020.
We must begin to make ecological limites
central to our decision-making and use
human ingenuity to find new ways to live
well, within the Earth's bounds.
This means investing in technology and
infrastructure that will allow us to operate in
a resource-constrained world.

Sustainable Design
DEFINITION
Biocapacity refers to the capacity of a given biologically
productive area to generate an on-going supply of
renewable resources and to absorb its spillover wastes.
Unsustainability occurs if the area's ecological footprint
exceeds its biocapacity.
The biocapacity for the world in 2022 is estimated at 1.5
global hectares per person. Humanity's Ecological Footprint
is 2.7 global hectares per person, of which 60% is carbon
Footprint.
BIOCAPACITY

Sustaininable Design
Three abiotic compartments on Earth
LITHOSPHERE
ATMOSPHERE
HYDROSPHERE
One biotic compartment on Earth
BIOSPHERE
Biotic factors are living things within an ecosystem; such as plants, animals, and bacteria.
Abiotic are non-living components; such as water, soil and atmosphere.

Sustainable Design
DEFINITION
The biosphere is composed of the living organisms.
―Bio‖ is the Greek word for life. The biosphere includes
all life, from the single-celled organisms in a pond to the
mighty grizzly bear, and from tiny lichens to Douglas-fir
trees.
BIOSPHERE
LITHOSPHERE
ATMOSPHERE
HYDROSPHERE
DEFINITION
The atmosphere is the air around us. ― 'Atmos' is the
Greek word for air. The atmosphere is made up of 79%
nitrogen and almost 21% oxygen: the rest is carbon
dioxide and other gasses.
The hydrosphere includes all of the water of the
earth. ―Hydro‖ is the Greek word for water. The
glaciers of Glacier National Park, lakes, rivers, and
streams—and even the moisture in the air is part of
the hydrosphere
The lithosphere includes the entire crust of the
earth. ―Litho is the Greek word for stone. From
the highest peak in Waterton National Park to the
rich soil of the Mission Valley, this is all part of the
lithosphere.

Sustainable Design
DEFINITION
Biodiveristy is all the different kinds of life to find in one
area the variety of animals, plants, fungi, and even
microorganisms like bacteria that make up our natural
world. Each of these species and organisms work
together in ecosystems, like an intricate web, to
maintain balance and support life. Biodiversity supports
everything in nature that we need to survive: food, clean
water, medicine, and shelter.
BIODIVERSITY

Biodiversity loss, also called loss of biodiversity, a decrease in biodiversity within a species, an
ecosystem, a given geographic area, or Earth as a whole.
Biodiversity, or biological diversity, is a term that refers to the number of genes, species, individual
organisms within a given species, and biological communities within a defined geographic area,
ranging from the smallest ecosystem to the global biosphere.
(A biological community is an interacting group of various species in a common location.) Likewise,
biodiversity loss describes the decline in the number, genetic variability, and variety of species, and the
biological communities in a given area.
This loss in the variety of life can lead to a breakdown in the functioning of the ecosystem where
decline has happened.
Sustainable Design
LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY

Sustainable Design
URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECTS
Cities or metropolitan areas are typically warmer with slightly higher temperatures compared to
their adjacent rural areas. This temperature difference is due to the unusual state known as the
urban heat island (UHI).
The name implies that cities or metropolitan areas are transformed into islands of heat.
Temperatures in these regions can get as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit higher compared to the
adjacent rural areas.
So, urban heat island (UHI) means any urban area which is significantly hotter than the neighboring
area. Urban heat island is highly noticeable during winter and summer periods, and the temperature
difference is often greater at night than daytime.

Sustainable Design
The urban heat island also known as Oasis effect is a phenomenon in which central regions
of urban centres exhibit higher mean temperatures than surrounding urban areas. The
reflecting power of a surface, and the increased surface area of buildings to absorb solar
radiation.
Concrete, cement, and metal surfaces in urban areas tend to absorb heat energy rather
than reflect it, contributing to higher urban temperatures.
The heat island effect has corresponding ecology consequences on resident spaces.
Cities in desert environments land shows different trend known as urban oasis effect.

Sustainable Design
ENERGY CRISIS
The energy crisis is the concern that the world‘s demands on the limited natural
resources that are used to power industrial society are diminishing as the demand
rises. These natural resources are in limited supply. While they do occur naturally, it
can take hundreds of thousands of years to replenish the stores.
Governments and concerned individuals are working together to make the use of
renewable resources a priority and to lessen the irresponsible use of natural
supplies through increased conservation.
The energy crisis is something that is ongoing and getting worse, despite many
efforts.
The reason for this is that there is not a broad understanding of the complex causes
and solutions for the energy crisis that will allow for an effort to happen that will
resolve it.

Sustainable Design
VARIOUS CAUSES OF ENERGY CRISIS
1. Overconsumption
The energy crisis is a result of many different strains on our natural resources, not just one. There
is a strain on fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal due to overconsumption – which then, in turn,
can put a strain on our water and oxygen resources by causing pollution.
2. Overpopulation
Another cause of the crisis has been a steady increase in the world‘s population and its
demands for fuel and products. No matter what type of food or products you choose to use –
from fair trade and organic to those made from petroleum products in a sweatshop – not one of
them is made or transported without a significant drain on our energy resources.

Sustainable Design
3. Poor Infrastructure
Aging infrastructure of power generating equipment is yet another reason for energy shortage.
Most of the energy-producing firms keep on using outdated equipment that restricts the
production of energy. It is the responsibility of utilities to keep on upgrading the infrastructure
and set a high standard of performance.
4. Unexplored Renewable Energy Options
Renewable energy still remains unused in most of the countries. Most of the energy comes from
non-renewable sources like coal. It, therefore, remains the top choice to produce energy. Unless
we give renewable energy a serious thought, the problem of energy crisis cannot be solved.
Renewable energy sources can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and also helps to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions.
5. Delay in Commissioning of Power Plants
In a few countries, there is a significant delay in the commissioning of new power plants that can
fill the gap between demand and supply of energy. The result is that old plants come under huge
stress to meet the daily demand for power. When supply doesn‘t match demand, it results in load-
shedding and breakdown.

Sustainable Design
6. Wastage of Energy
In most parts of the world, people do not realize the importance of conserving energy. It is only
limited to books, the internet, newspaper ads, lip service, and seminars. Unless we give it a serious
thought, things are not going to change anytime sooner. Simple things like switching off fans and
lights when not in use, using maximum daylight, walking instead of driving for short distances,
using CFL instead of traditional bulbs, proper insulation for leakage of energy can go a long way in
saving energy. Read here about 151 ways of saving energy.
7. Poor Distribution System
Frequent tripping and breakdown are a result of a poor distribution system.
8. Major Accidents and Natural Calamities
Major accidents like pipeline burst and natural calamities like the eruption of volcanoes, floods,
earthquakes can also cause interruptions to energy supplies. The huge gap between supply and
demand for energy raise can rise the price of essential items, which can give rise to inflation.

Sustainable Design
9. Wars and Attacks
Wars between countries can happens in Middle East countries Qatar. That‘s what happened
during the 1990 Gulf war when the price of oil reached its peak causing global energy
consumers.
10. Miscellaneous Factors
Tax hikes, strikes, military coup, political events, severe hot summers or cold winters can cause
a sudden increase in demand for energy and can choke supply. A strike by trade union in an
oil producing firm can cause an energy crisis.

Cradle to cradle
concept
Sustainable Design
Cradle to cradle can be defined as the design and production of products of all types in
such a way that at the end of their life, they can be truly recycled (upcycled), imitating
nature‘s cycle with everything either recycled or returned to the earth, directly or
indirectly through food, as a completely safe, nontoxic, and biodegradable nutrient.
With cradle to cradle, all the components of a product feed another product, the earth
or animal, or become fuel: products are composed of either materials that biodegrade
and become food for biological cycles or of technical materials that stay in closed-loop
technical cycles, continually circulating as valuable nutrients for industry.
It could be argued that cradle to cradle is equivalent to true sustainability – through the
biological or technical components used, all products become sustainable as nothing
becomes waste which cannot be reused.

Cradle to cradle
concept
Sustainable Design
Cradle to cradle is a sustainable business strategy that mimics the regenerative cycle of
nature in which waste is reused. In nature, when a tree or animal dies or creates waste,
that waste breaks down and becomes nutrients for another process.
This is the goal of the cradle to cradle approach: creating a cyclical process instead of a
linear one like the cradle to grave approach.
The main objective of the cradle to grave approach is to decrease waste.
The cradle to cradle approach goes a step further and attempts to eliminate waste
altogether.

Cradle to cradle
concept - initial phase
Sustainable Design
The cradle to cradle concept is not a new concept. Walter R. Stahel has been credited
with using the term 'cradle to cradle' as early as the 1980s. He also mentioned a similar
process in his 1976 research paper The Potential for Substituting Manpower for
Energy. Faced with an increasing number of their copiers ending up in the landfills,
Xerox, in the late 1990s, initiated a zero-to-landfill program, in which all parts of their
copiers could be reused. However, William McDonough, a sustainable architect, and
Michael Braungart, a chemist, were instrumental in the design and development of the
current concept of cradle to cradle in 2002. McDonough and Braungart co-authored a
book entitled Cradle to Cradle and started a firm, McDonough Braungart Design
Chemistry (MBDC), dedicated to the concept, and have become leading experts on the
subject

Cradle to cradle
concept
Sustainable Design

Sustainable development
Sustainable Design
The name sustainability is derived from the Latin 'sustinere' .Sustain can mean
maintain, support, or endure. Since the 1980s sustainability has been used more in
the sense of human sustainability on planet Earth and this has resulted in the most
widely quoted definition of sustainability as a part of the concept of sustainable
development, that of the Brundtland Commission of the United Nations on March 20,
1987:“sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.

Concepts of Sustainability
Sustainable Design
The philosophical and analytic framework of sustainability draws on and connects with
many different disciplines and fields; in recent years an area that has come to be called
sustainability science has emerged.
The United Nations Millennium Declaration identified principles and treaties on
sustainable development, including economic development, social development and
environmental protection

Sustainable development
Sustainable Design
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use that aims to meet human needs
while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the
present, but also for future generations.
Sustainable development ties together concern for the carrying capacity of natural
systems with the social challenges facing humanity.
The Term Sustainable development first came to prominence in the world conservation
strategy (WCS) 1980 Economic development that is conducted without depletion of
natural resources.

Vision of sustainability
Sustainable Design
Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present, without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainability is
related to the quality of life in a community -- whether the economic, social and
environmental systems that make up the community are providing a healthy, productive,
meaningful life for all community residents, present and future.
Principles
Reduce dependence upon fossil fuels, underground metals, and minerals Reduce
dependence upon synthetic chemicals and other unnatural substances
Reduce encroachment upon nature
Meet human needs fairly efficiently.

Sustainable Design
LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS (LCA)
Life Cycle
Assessment (LCA)
is a tool for the
systematic
evaluation of the
environmental
aspects of
aproduct or service
system through all
stages of its life
cycle.
LCA provides an
adequate
instrument for
environmental
decision support.
Reliable LCA
performance is
crucial to achieve
a life-cycle
economy.
The International
Organization for
Standardization
(ISO), a world-wide
federation of
national standards
bodies, has
standardized this
framework within
the series ISO 14040
on LCA.
Life-cycle analysis (LCA) is a
method in which the energy
and raw material consumption,
different types of emissions and
other important factors related
to a specific product are being
measured, analyzed and
summoned over the products
entire life cycle from an
environmental point of view.

Sustainable Design
Life-Cycle
Analysis attempts
to measure the
―cradle to grave
impact on the
ecosystem
LCAs started in
the early 1970s,
initially to
investigate the
energy
requirements for
different
processes.
Emissions and raw
materials were
added later.
LCAs are considered to
be the most
comprehensive
approach to assessing
environmental impact

Sustainable Architecture Primer
Levels of Organization in Ecosystem
M A T E R I A L
E X T R A C T I O N
P R O C E S S I N G
C O M P O N E N T
F A B R I C A T I O N
P R O D U C T
A S S E M B L Y
P A C K A G I N G

D I S T R I B U T I O N
U S E
END OF USE
PROCESSING

Sustainable Design

Sustainable Design
FOOD CHAIN
Flow of energy in an ecosystem is one way process. The sequence of organisms
through which the energy flows is known as food chain.
• In a food chain each organism obtains energy from the one at the level below.
• Plants are called producers because they create their own food through
photosynthesis
• Animals are consumers must eat plants or other animals Tropic levels in a food
chain
⦿Producers
⦿Consumers
(i) Primary consumers (ii) Secondary consumers (iii) Tertiary consumers
(iv) Quaternary consumers
⦿Decomposers
IMPORTANT FACTS

Sustainable Design
FOOD WEB
Food web can be defined as, as network of food chains which are
interconnected at various tropic levels, so as to form a number of feeding
connections among different organisms of a biotic community.
It is known as consumer-resource system.
A node represents an individual species , or a group of related species or different
stages of a single species.
A link connects two nodes. Arrow represent links and always go from prey to
predator.

Sustainable Design
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN IN CONTEXT OF
ANTROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES

Sustainable Design
ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES
DEFINITION
Anthropogenic effects, processes, objects, or materials are those that are
derived from human activities, as opposed to those occurring in natural
environments without human influences. The term is often used in the
context of environmental externalities in the form of chemical or biological
wastes that are produced as by-products of otherwise purposeful human
activities.

Sustainable Design
HABITAT FRAGMENTATION
Habitat fragmentation is the reduction of large tracts of habitat leading to
habitat loss. Habitat fragmentation and loss are considered as being the main
cause of the loss of biodiversity and degradation of the ecosystem all over the
world. Human actions are greatly responsible for habitat fragmentation, and
loss as these actions alter the connectivity and quality of habitats.
Understanding the consequences of habitat fragmentation is important for the
preservation of biodiversity and enhancing the functioning of the ecosystem.
Both agricultural plants and animals depend on pollination for reproduction.

Sustainable Design
NORWAY'S FORESTATION

Sustainable Design
MASS EXTINCTION
Biodiversity generally refers to the variety and variability of life on Earth, and is
represented by the number of different species there are on the planet. Since
its introduction, Homo sapiens (the human species) has been killing off entire
species either directly (such as through hunting) or indirectly (such as by
destroying habitats), causing the extinction of species at an alarming rate.
Humans are the cause of the current mass extinction, called the Holocene
extinction, driving extinctions to 100 to 1000 times the normal background
rate. The Holocene extinction continues, with meat consumption, overfishing,
ocean acidification and the amphibian crisis being a few broader examples of
an almost universal, cosmopolitan decline in biodiversity.

Sustainable Design
MASS EXTINCTION

Sustainable Design
CLIMATE CHANGE
Contemporary climate change is the result of increasing atmospheric
greenhouse gas concentrations, which is caused primarily by combustion
of fossil fuel (coal, oil, natural gas), and by deforestation, land use changes,
and cement production. Such massive alteration of the global carbon cycle
has only been possible because of the availability and deployment of
advanced technologies, ranging in application from fossil fuel exploration,
extraction, distribution, refining, and combustion in power plants and
automobile engines and advanced farming practices.

Sustainable Design
CLIMATE CHANGE - SUPER TYPHOON NORU,
PHILIPPINES

Sustainable Design
MINING INDUSTRY
The environmental impact of energy harvesting and consumption is
diverse. In recent years there has been a trend towards the increased
commercialization of various renewable energy sources.
In the real world, consumption of fossil fuel resources leads to global
warming and climate change. However, little change is being made in
many parts of the world. If the peak oil theory proves true, more
explorations of viable alternative energy sources, could be more friendly to
the environment.

Sustainable Design
MINING INDUSTRY - SILVER CITY, NEW MEXICO

Sustainable Design
TRANSPORT INDUSTRY
The environmental impact of transport is significant
because it is a major user of energy, and burns most
of the world's petroleum. This creates air pollution,
including nitrous oxides and particulates, and is a
significant contributor to global warming through
emission of carbon dioxide, for which transport is
the fastest-growing emission sector.By subsector,
road transport is the largest contributor to global
warming.

Sustainable Design
MANUFACTURING UNITS
The environmental impact of
manufacturing units is diverse. Traditional
manufacturing processes and raw
materials can have harmful effects on the
environment, including those from the use
of lead and other additives. Measures can
be taken to reduce environmental impact,
including accurately estimating mineral
quantities so that wastage is minimized,
use of packaging, processing, machineries
and techniques that are environmentally
preferred.

Sustainable Design
ENERGY INDUSTRY
The environmental impact of energy
harvesting and consumption is diverse. In
recent years there has been a trend
towards the increased commercialization
of various renewable energy sources.
In the real world, consumption of fossil
fuel resources leads to global warming
and climate change. However, little
change is being made in many parts of
the world. If the peak oil theory proves
true, more explorations of viable
alternative energy sources, could be more
friendly to the environment.

References
Green Built Alliance (2018). Importance of Green Building.
Green Built Alliance. Retrieved from http://greenbuilt.org
I M P O R T A N C E O F G R E E N B U ILD IN G
Statista (2018). Green Buildings in the U.S. - Statistics Facts.
Statista. Retrieved from http://statista.com
G R E E N B U I L D I N G S I N T H E U . S . - S T A T IS T IC S
Sustainable Design
Prof. Niveditha V
connect via niveditha.arch19@gmail.com
+919551416510
Thank you!
End of internal 1

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN UNIT 1 INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABILITY

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Similar to SUSTAINABLE DESIGN UNIT 1 INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABILITY

Similar to SUSTAINABLE DESIGN UNIT 1 INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABILITY (20)

More from Niveditha Mani Sasidharan

More from Niveditha Mani Sasidharan (7)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN UNIT 1 INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABILITY