On World Architecture Day, the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC) called on architects to lead in the fight against climate change and bring discussion of the built environment to the federal election.
In response to the 2019 World Architecture Day theme, ?Architecture…housing for all?, the RAIC is focusing on sustainable and climate-resilient design. Buildings and climate change A 2019 federal government report has found that Canada is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world. Extreme weather events damage and destroy housing and increase displacement. Climate-related disasters in Canada have resulted in billions of dollars in damage and are becoming more frequent. For example, the Fort McMurray wildfire (2016), and flooding in Alberta (2013) and QuĂ©bec (2017). The design, construction, and operation of Canada?s buildings account for nearly 40 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions which contribute to global heating. Therefore, buildings represent a significant opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. As designers and product specifiers, architects can make a big difference. Architecture addresses not only energy-efficiency but also land use, materials choice, construction waste, and water consumption. 2017 RAIC Green Building Award recipient ? Bibliothèque du BoisĂ©
Architects? declaration
Architects in Canada are already designing for sustainability and resilience, and some firms are pledging to increase their efforts by signing a declarati...