German architect Stefan Behnisch spoke yesterday in Barcelona about architects’ increasing dependency on interdisciplinary collaboration with engineers to design and build buildings that respond to the challenges of decarbonisation and energy efficiency. “Buildings do not necessarily have to be ‘high tech’, but they do have to have a ‘high tech’ design”, he said.
Stefan Behnisch, founder of the Behnisch Architekten studio, with offices in various cities in Germany and the United States, and Lara Pellegrini, director of Cities, Building, Energy and Environment at the consultancy SOCOTEC, took part in the fourth lecture of the Foros series, organised by the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya (UIC Barcelona).
Marta García Orte, architect and lecturer at UIC Barcelona, opened the seminar. She stressed the importance of establishing a more natural relationship between people and buildings, stating that “we find low tech more familiar, but high tech allows buildings to be more efficient, and people- and nature-friendly”.
Stefan Behnisch described the construction of the new Science and Engineering Complex at Harvard University, designed by Behnisch Architekten, and built following criteria set by the Living Building Challenge, one of the most demanding sustainability certifications.
“Harvard University wanted a building that was technologically advanced and energy efficient. Any kind of toxic materials were also ruled out of the construction, limiting the kinds of materials that we could use. We also maximised the natural light that enters the Complex”, explained Behnisch.
The architects and engineers from Behnisch Architekten developed a façade system that shields the interior from excessive sunlight, while harnessing natural daylight to illuminate the indoor spaces. Made from stainless-steel screens, precisely dimensioned for minimum material use, it protects the building from the sun while allowing light to pass through and people to see out.
Behnisch also argued that “if we want to respond to the challenges facing architecture today, we do not necessarily need to build ‘high tech’ buildings, but they should have a ‘high tech’ design. The design process itself must be more complex, but with the aim of achieving buildings that are less technically complex”.
He explained that Behnisch Architekten works closely with engineers in multidisciplinary teams, adding that “the design process requires specialists in structural calculations, urban planning, sustainability and lighting from the initial stages of the project”.
Lara Pellegrini offered her perspective, pointing out that 42% of global carbon emissions come from the built environment, and argued that “we must use technology to reduce these emissions”.
Pellegrini outlined the three aspects that need to be taken into account and balanced in order to solve this problem. On the one hand, the environment and constraints on resources; on the other, science and technology, and finally, economics, society and politics.
“Over the course of the decades we’ve spent wasting the energy we generated, we have also generated a great deal of scientific knowledge. A hundred years ago, we would have been incapable of solving this problem; technique and technology play a vital role,” she concluded.
