Mr. Dubai, why not build your hotel like a termite would?
Green Prophet has written many articles on green building, and the revival of beautiful earth architecture in the Middle East. Earth architecture is certainly a more sustainable and interesting alternative solution – for those lucky enough to own some rural land, but can buildings made from earth be a viable solution for cities? Can earth architecture sustain the ever increasing urban population?
Personally I do not think so. If the entire population of New York, for example, were to live in earth buildings, the total surface area required to fit everyone would be huge. In the end the per capita carbon foot print may be even larger (more roads will be required and greater distances travelled which releases more CO2 for example).
Given that in 2008, for the first time in history, more than half of the human population lived in urban areas and that by 2030, especially in the developing world, towns and cities are expected to harbor up to 81% of the world population; how and what should sustainable architecture and living in urban areas look like?
One solution is to observe nature, and apply its solutions to “human problems”. Nature has had 3.8 billion years’ worth of evolution and trial and error to perfect solutions so that it can become self-sustaining, so learning from it seems like a clever idea.
Biomimicry essentially seeks inspiration from natures’ genius and creativity to improve efficiency and sustainability in the “human” world we have created. A perfect example is how termite mounds have inspired clever ventilation systems in architecture that reduce energy usage and costs.
Oxygen aerators at Israel’s IDF Nevatim Air Force Base are purifying sewage water for irrigation use. Photo: Trlabarge/Wikipedia
