Sustainable Architecture Discussed by CityChanger Birgit Rusten, Focusing on Pilot Initiatives
In the heart of Norway, the FutureBuilt programme is making waves in the architectural and environmental landscape. The initiative, founded in 2009 as a pilot programme for sustainable architecture within the National Association of Norwegian architects, is now a leading force in developing carbon-neutral urban areas with high-quality architecture, primarily within the Oslo region.
Birgit Rusten, the programme manager and co-founder, is at the helm of this innovative venture. Her favourite completed project, the Kringsjå student family houses, showcases the programme's commitment to sustainability, boasting wood construction, plus energy standards, solar panels, greywater recycling, and local geothermal heating.
FutureBuilt's approach is unique. The team does not sign the formal agreement before a project is complete, ensuring that the planning process is thorough and comprehensive. This meticulous approach has resulted in the completion of 56 pilot projects as of February 2021, all realized by public or private developers.
However, FutureBuilt's high standards have led to some rejections. The programme has turned down big developers and their high-profile projects due to not meeting the expected quality or public demonstration. Yet, some candidates have not been deterred, continuing to push boundaries in their quest for sustainability.
The projects under FutureBuilt's purview must meet quality criteria, including reducing carbon footprint by 50%, lowering greenhouse gas emissions, being of high architectural quality, and having an incentive to be innovative. In 2017, the programme adopted fossil-free construction sites as a minimum criterion to achieve emission-free sites.
One of FutureBuilt's most notable achievements is the new Oslo public library, completed in 2019. The library has ambitious environmental strategies and reduced emissions by 69.8%. FutureBuilt was also part of the rehabilitation of Kristian August gate 23, an office building built in 1950, which now has 50% of the original materials and building parts being reused, making the building circular and reducing its carbon footprint by 70%.
Looking ahead, FutureBuilt's vision for the next 10 years includes working with bigger city areas, focusing on turning a harbour area in Oslo into a mixed-use area with a lot of housing, and incorporating nature, water management, social sustainability, and circularity into all FutureBuilt pilot projects.
Despite challenges such as developers finding the ambitions difficult to fulfil, resulting in buildings that do not meet the expected quality or public demonstration, FutureBuilt remains steadfast in its mission. Birgit Rusten's main piece of advice is to start doing pilot projects, set high environmental targets on a few buildings, and learn from the experiences to put into other projects.
FutureBuilt is a collaboration between municipalities and other partners, with the aim of supporting urban climate-friendly development in the Oslo region. Its ongoing efforts to create nearly zero-emission buildings (nZEB) and urban developments that emphasize sustainability, energy efficiency, and climate adaptation are setting a precedent for sustainable urban development in Norway and beyond.
- Science and technology play crucial roles in FutureBuilt's work, as they help to develop solutions for carbon-neutral urban areas and nearly zero-emission buildings.
- The programme's commitment to workplace-wellness and health-and-wellness is evident in the use of solar panels, greywater recycling, and local geothermal heating in its projects.
- Sustainable living is at the heart of FutureBuilt's mission, as seen in the Kringsja
