A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Systems thinking in the built environment: Seeing the bigger picture, understanding the detail
Over the last 20 years, environmental sustainability in buildings, with its links to climate change concerns, low embodied carbon and sustainably sourced materials and energy efficiency, has grown from being a niche enterprise to a major driver of new business – a trend that Indoor and Built Environment has followed with interest. However, beyond this and with the rise of the wellbeing agenda, clients are now beginning to expect buildings to also contribute to the health and wellbeing of the people who live, work and learn inside them. This has created a new focus around the issues of healthy environments, wellbeing and increased productivity in addition to the low-carbon agenda. Therefore, with this added and important emphasis, how do we ensure that this will be more than an ephemeral trend and that in the future ‘business as usual’ will be truly both sustainable and healthy? Previous research on the impacts of energy-efficient design on the indoor environment has shown that there is the potential for numerous unintended consequences when decarbonising the built environment.1,2 How can we be certain that processes to ensure wellbeing in buildings will be positive, or do we have to accept that as with energy efficiency measures, multiple trade-offs (for example between emissions reduction and public health) will occur? This editorial argues that to ensure health and wellbeing co-benefits two changes need to occur: First, we need to move away from a purely reductionist and siloed rationale towards integrative whole systems thinking and action; second, in order to achieve this, we cannot remain closed inside our disciplinary boundaries and we need to learn how to traverse them.
Systems thinking in the built environment: Seeing the bigger picture, understanding the detail
Over the last 20 years, environmental sustainability in buildings, with its links to climate change concerns, low embodied carbon and sustainably sourced materials and energy efficiency, has grown from being a niche enterprise to a major driver of new business – a trend that Indoor and Built Environment has followed with interest. However, beyond this and with the rise of the wellbeing agenda, clients are now beginning to expect buildings to also contribute to the health and wellbeing of the people who live, work and learn inside them. This has created a new focus around the issues of healthy environments, wellbeing and increased productivity in addition to the low-carbon agenda. Therefore, with this added and important emphasis, how do we ensure that this will be more than an ephemeral trend and that in the future ‘business as usual’ will be truly both sustainable and healthy? Previous research on the impacts of energy-efficient design on the indoor environment has shown that there is the potential for numerous unintended consequences when decarbonising the built environment.1,2 How can we be certain that processes to ensure wellbeing in buildings will be positive, or do we have to accept that as with energy efficiency measures, multiple trade-offs (for example between emissions reduction and public health) will occur? This editorial argues that to ensure health and wellbeing co-benefits two changes need to occur: First, we need to move away from a purely reductionist and siloed rationale towards integrative whole systems thinking and action; second, in order to achieve this, we cannot remain closed inside our disciplinary boundaries and we need to learn how to traverse them.
Systems thinking in the built environment: Seeing the bigger picture, understanding the detail
Shrubsole, C (author)
2018-04-01
Indoor and Built Environment , 27 (4) pp. 439-441. (2018)
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
DDC:
720
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