Implementing Sustainability

Implementing Sustainability Sustainable Design Lab MSc 1/2 - 2018/19 Prof. Muck Petzet Assistants Laura Magri and Irene Tassinari Università Sustainable design / della Progettazione sostenibile Svizzera italiana Università della Svizzera italiana Accademia di architettura di Mendrisio 1 Section Implementing sustainability at AAM/USI The sustainable design LAB 2019/2020 Muck Petzet This applied research was conceived and performed in the ‚pre corona‘ semester 2019/2020 with the students of the ‚sustainable design lab‘ at the AAM/USI. Today’s perspectives have shifted under the unprecedented pressure of a global pandemic: what we yesterday would not have thought A critical summary of to be possible - is now a reality: the nearly complete suspension of air travel, the re-erection of borders inside of Europe - or the prohibition of social gatherings and the freeze and standstill of the students research* our economies with massive consequences for the whole system. In our school: the switch to online lectures / online design studios and even an online diploma. Students and teachers working together from their homes all around the globe. The virus with his infections has made global movements very visible - but also global dependencies: some stocks have crashed - some have soared, unemployment has jumped (especially in the US) - goods are piling up in the harbors, whole harvests have to be ploughed under because the supply chains cannot be adapted fast enough. Oil consumption has gone down drastically - resulting in ‚negative‘ prices for crude - and a massive storage problem. Pollution has gone down in the affected areas during lockdowns to levels that have not been measured for decades. It is very understandable that the news landscape is focused on the development of the crisis and its human dramas - still, it is not understandable why there is hardly any serious discussion on how we could see this as an occasion to implement the necessary changes towards a more sustainable future. Changes which we have been talking about when we were under the impression of another crisis: the climate emergency. It is revealing to compare the troublesome progress of this essential cause for our whole ecosystem during the last twenty years with what has been suddenly possible in the last two months by a tangible threat for public health. For sure there is a big difference for our politicians to implement painful but seemingly temporary measures as a reaction to a very real threat - in contrast to implementing the same - * the pink pages have been compiled by the Sustainable Design department of the Accademia or even weaker - measures as a precaution to an abstract threat - which di architettura di Mendrisio: Prof. Muck Petzet / Laura Magri / Irene Tassinari still nobody can really imagine. A threat that is very measurable and With support of Ing. Andrea Roscetti and Stefano Baggiolini real - but very slow compared to our hectic lives. 2 Sustainable Design Lab 2019/20 3 Introduction We will be - like the proverbial frogs - slowly cooked to our death without realizing the time when it would still be possible for us to jump out of the pot. We should take the opportunity of our forced slow down to ask the right questions and draw the right conclusions: is growth really the only direction for our systems? Do we really want to return to business as usual - now that we have seen that we can live well without many of the wasteful conditions we were so used to? In this light the research undertaken by our students and the fundamental questions they have raised become even more important and valuable. In the beginning of the semester - we had asked the students how to implement the ideas of a more sustainable behavior and practice in the everyday reality of the Mendrisio academy of Architecture. How could we as future architects achieve the most positive impact on our society and economy - while reducing the negative impact of our actions towards the environment? The students turned into ‚researchers‘ to answer these questions, studying and analyzing the daily impacts that their and their teachers activities have on the environment. As a method we were dealing with the heavy topics of mobility, economy, behavior or consumption in a light, subjective and innocent way. Collecting and evaluating data, making surveys, asking specialists and then proposing and discussing new ways of doing things inside the school. By focusing on our direct spheres of influence, discussing and negotiating responsibilities we have together just begun to learn how and where the necessary changes could be implemented. This paper gives an unabridged and unedited view on the often surprising and radical proposals of the students for a change to procedures and conditions we were so very used to take for granted - just some months ago. 4 Sustainable Design Lab 2019/20 5 goals we share the conviction of many researchers, institutions, and governmental entities that it is an absolute necessity to halve CO2 footprints in the next ten years and be CO2 neutral in 2050 if we want to stand a chance in managing the worst effects of the climate emergency. Even this ‚minimum goal‘ means that there is a need for massive action and change. The nature of an architecture school will always result in a certain ‚exess‘ in the consumption of energy and resources - this means we will have to invent and access possibilities of compensation: Can our teaching be a way to compensate? 6 Sustainable Design Lab 2019/20 7 other schools learning by doing learning from other schools is an in this course, we have been exploring important step - we had exchange with the topic of sustainability by applying ETH on their mobility program. Their practical research and experimental sustainability report includes a wide approaches in the teaching process. range of topics: 1 RESEARCH This process - involving the creativity Research environment of the students - has resulted in an Research for sustainable development Knowledge transfer outcome that may not be considered 2 EDUCATION Educational environment ‚scientific‘ by regular standards. But Education for sustainable development 3 CAMPUS it shows clearly that such a ‚bottom PEOPLE up‘ approach can lead to surprisingly Participation Employee retention and turnover Diversity realistic and promising results. Attractive employment conditions ENVIRONMENT When the semester started few data Sustainable campus development Energy were available and simple, empirical Greenhouse gas emissions Mobility Paper consumption methods had to be developed and applied Recycling and waste Food by the students to model the processes GOVERNANCE AND FINANCE Finances and impacts of the school‘s footprint DIALOG Informing the interested public in terms of mobility, consumption, and Informing decision-makers teaching culture. 8 Sustainable Design Lab 2019/20 9 we need more data the biggest impact in our school, most of the data are the research of our students revealed missing to really evaluate and assess that in terms of sustainability the what are the most important measures biggest positive impact the school can to be taken. We see that other schools have on the planet is not to develop are - at least in this field - more and apply new procedures and avoidance advanced. We think more human resources strategies to reduce the immediate CO2 are necessary to collect data and make footprint (this is a must-do anyway) it available and visible. We need to but it is the potential of spreading, simply know how big the issue is - and through its teaching and its culture an who is contributing what... implemented awareness of the climate, social and economical emergency we are living in. The greatest potential is the opportunity of contributing to the education of hundreds of future architects, developers and consultants. 10 Sustainable Design Lab 2019/20 11 how to: -implement a more sustainable mobility culture -implement a more sustainable consumption culture -implement a more sustainable model-making culture -implement a change in the use of the building 12 Sustainable Design Lab 2019/20 13 implementing a more sustainable mobility culture impact 168 Kg C02/FTE (Full Time Equivalent)* semester as part of their curriculum and producing about 130 CO2 tons each semester. Most of the students (about 80% goals halving the footprint until 2030 of the students live in Mendrisio during the semester) live within walking/biking distance from the school and use the car recommendations change of locations and general behaviour: only occasionally, in a range of about 30km from the school. Students interviewed stated that they use their cars mainly for - study / project locations that are transporting materials or goods since it is more practical and reachable by train / local transportation faster than using public transports. In order to reduce car- - introducing a carbon tax on negative impacts related emissions, on the one hand, the existing car-sharing and carbon credits for positive impacts service, as well as the cargo bike-sharing service connected - new virtual teaching formats to the Accademia, could be implemented and better advertised; - implementing new and advertise existing Anyway, because of the current journey’s length and frequency, sharing services (bike/car) mobility on daily basis does not seem to have a big impact on the overall emissions. responsibility administration, professors and staff goal / strategy / responsibility status To achieve the necessary goal to half CO2 emissions by 2030, and since in the next future air travel will still produce As many architecture schools nowadays also the Academy generates GHG emissions and technical developments are still at the very substantial mobility flows because of its role and location: beginning, a change of travel behavior is necessary. Professors, staff and students are used to moving between the However, studying at the Accademia and more generally an school and their own environments, facing different travels architectural education means also traveling and discovering and means of transportation.

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