Buro Happold works with indigenous builders to develop climate resilience strategies for cities

Roofs made from living trees and floating houses on reed islands are among the urban planning concepts developed by engineering studio Buro Happold in collaboration with indigenous communities as part of an installation called Symbiocene.

The project, commissioned for the exhibition Our Time on Earth at London's Barbican Centre, presents three proposals for how indigenous building technologies could be applied to cities by 2040 to make them more resilient to climate breakdown without contributing to it.

Visualised through architectural models overlaid with video projections, each concept is based on a nature-based design strategy developed by different aboriginal communities from around the world – the War Khasi of north-eastern India, the Ma'dan of southern Iraq and Bali's Subak farming cooperatives.

Symbiocene features models with overlaid animations (top image) by Buro Happold visualisation lead Paul Eastell (above)

Through a series of workshops between the first nation builders and engineers from British firm Buro Happold, these technologies were applied to the most pressing environmental issues facing our cities – water scarcity, rising temperatures and sea levels.

"Cities all over the world are completely aware that conventional construction is very problematic in terms of the climate emergency and ongoing resilience," said Buro Happold's sustainability director Smith Mordak.

"We have solutions but we're usually looking in the wrong places. If we collaborate with indigenous communities, who have been developing technologies that are respectful of the way that ecosystems work for centuries, then we can have a vision for 2040."

One concept is based on the Ma'dan's floating reed islands. Image courtesy of Julia Watson

The first Symbiocene concept uses the floating islands made from layers of reed, on which the Ma'dan build their homes in the marshes of southern Iraq, to help retrofit coastal communities so they can survive higher sea levels.

This would involve jacking up lighter at-risk structures like single-family houses and building a structure underneath so they can be lifted onto reed islands and turned into off-grid homes with their own energy supply and composting toilets.

"When the reeds decompose, they trap air so they create these buoyant bubbles, which means that the islands are floating," Mordak told Dezeen.

"And then you can create homes on them, you can farm on them because the layers upon layers of the reeds create an island and an earth. And underneath the islands, there are these amazing bio-havens that provide habitat for water life."

Homes could be lifted onto these floating islands to protect them from rising seas

Using pontoon bridges, these floating islands could then be connected to existing infrastructure that has survived on higher ground as well as larger buildings raised up on stilts.

In this way, the project hopes to offer an alternative to common flood resilience proposals like barge communities, which would require considerable resources to build from scratch.

"We talk a lot about retrofitting rather than building new and we wanted to apply some of that thinking to existing waterfront communities," Mordak said.

"A lot of the ideas that have been put forward are kind of like concrete pontoons but we were trying to look at a bio-based approach."

The second concept creates covered walkways from interwoven trees

The second concept uses a trellising technique, which the War Khasi people use to construct bridges from living trees, to form a network of covered walkways connecting city dwellers to public transport stations.

Ficus trees with aerial roots would be planted at different levels over bamboo scaffolds and their roots and branches trained to form dense roof structures that can shield pedestrians from rising temperatures.

"This is particularly relevant in climates where it's getting hotter and actually cycling or walking for any distance is getting increasingly uncomfortable and difficult," Mordak said.

"The trees provide shade, improve air quality and lower surface temperatures through the process of evapotranspiration. That's going to make a big difference to how far people are willing and able to use those sustainable forms of transport."

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The final Symbiocene concept hopes to tackle the problem of water scarcity by moving away from a centralised "out of sight out of mind" water management system.

Instead, it proposes establishing small cooperatives at neighbourhood level, based on the Subak system used in Bali to irrigate rice terraces, which would see locals work together to distribute water according to need and encourage them to use this finite resource more responsibly

"Because water is managed at a local level with a small group of people, it's not abstract," Mordak said. "So you're going to think much more carefully about what you use, and you will be able to see the results."

This concept is based on the living root bridges of the War Khasi. Image by Timothy Allen courtesy of Julia Watson

Instead of purifying all water used across a city to drinking-water quality, the concept proposes a two-step nature-based system, in which neighbourhood reed beds are used to clean water for flushing, showering and other daily activities.

From here, local cooperatives would decide how much water needs chemical purification in order to make it drinkable for the community, with any wastewater used to irrigate nearby reed beds used for growing food.

"One of the questions that came up in the conversation was, why do we in western cities shit in drinking water," Mordak said.

"Why are we using a huge amount of energy and chemicals to create very clean, drinkable water and then we're using it for things that don't need that level of purification."

The third concept looks at cooperative local water management

To select the building techniques presented in the installations and establish relationships with the different communities, Mordak worked with Julia Watson, author of the much-publicised book LO–TEK Design by Radical Indigenism.

The installation forms an attempt at finding practical applications for some of the indigenous technologies outlined in the book within a dense urban environment.

"If we did a bit more work, you could build the concepts," Mordak said. "They're all intended to be completely realisable."

The idea is based on the Subak system for irrigating rice terraces. Image courtesy of Julia Watson

Alongside the concepts, Mordak and Watson also formulated a "smart oath", recorded on a public blockchain to set out how any kind of profits made from these ideas will be shared with the relevant communities.

"The project has been about how can we facilitate a fair and just knowledge exchange between ourselves, the engineers and landscape architects and architects, and the indigenous communities and the builders of these indigenous technologies," Mordak explained.

"If you're getting a bunch of design fees and you're using these ideas, these indigenous communities should be remunerated for their contribution. If we're not very clear about the way in which that should happen, then they could be exploited very easily."

All images are courtesy of Buro Happold unless otherwise stated.

Our Time on Earth takes place at London's Barbican until 29 August 2022. SeeDezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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Sustainable living is "not viable outside cities" says Hélène Chartier of C40 Cities

Cities are the only sustainable way to house Earth's growing population – but the importance of protecting them from climate risks has been "totally underrated", according to Hélène Chartier of sustainable urbanism network C40 Cities.

"In terms of reducing emissions, living in cities is the best option we have," said Chartier, who is head of zero-carbon development at C40 Cities.

Chartier spoke to Dezeen following the publication of the latest climate report from the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

At C40 Cities, Hélène Chartier (above) facilitates low carbon urban developments such as Milan's Piazzale Loreto (top image)

The report shows that cities are key players in the fight against global warming, Chartier said. In the countryside, people are reliant on cars and live in larger buildings that are less efficient to heat and power, she explained.

Urban areas, on the other hand, offer an opportunity to service large swathes of the population with decarbonised public transport, cycling routes and sustainable energy, waste and water management systems.

"We know that to have a more sustainable lifestyle, we need to have access to the right infrastructure," she told Dezeen. "And this is not viable outside cities, let's be honest."

"To develop this kind of infrastructure and make it efficient, you need a certain level of density."

"Architects have a huge responsibility"

The IPPC's latest report found that cities have failed to prepare for the impacts of climate change that are already touching every region of the world – not to mention the more frequent and severe heatwaves, floods, droughts and storms that are to come as temperatures continue to rise.

To fulfil their full climate potential, Chartier said cities will first need to be decarbonised and become greener, more compact and more resilient to the disastrous impacts of global warming.

"In the past, the focus of climate action was mainly on mitigation," she explained. "It is now urgent to also act on adaptation, as the effects of climate change are already here and will amplify quickly."

Studio Gang designed a block in Chicago for C40 Cities' Reinventing Cities competition

Currently, cities house 55 per cent of the global population while being responsible for 60 per cent of emissions. Unless urban areas are fundamentally redesigned, Chartier said this is only set to get worse as the number of people living in cities is set to increase to almost 70 per cent by 2050.

"The report really insists on the fact that poorly planned cities and urban growth have a very significant impact on global warming," she said.

Buildings account for around half of a city's carbon footprint, so the solution is to eliminate operational emissions from heating and energy use as well as embodied emissions from materials and construction.

"Architects have a huge responsibility," Chartier said. "The way we design our building today is going to change the world tomorrow."

Compact cities are more sustainable

C40 Cities aims to encourage a shift to low-carbon cities through projects such as the Reinventing Cities competition, which will see 49 experimental developments built in 19 different cities.

The initiative forms part of C40 Cities' wider mission to help its members, including almost 100 of the world's biggest cities, reach their net-zero goals.

Outside of buildings, the majority of an average city's emissions are down to road transport. So Chartier suggests that local governments should enforce growth boundaries to reduce travel distances and limit urban sprawl.

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Cities should also become more polycentric, so they contain self-sufficient 15-minute neighbourhoods where all daily necessities are accessible via a short walk or cycle.

This would make space to regenerate and protect forests and other ecosystems in and around cities so they can act as carbon sinks.

"We need to ban all construction that will kill or destroy nature," Chartier said.

All buildings must have climate change risk assessment

As urban areas become denser, they will become increasingly vulnerable to the disastrous impacts of climate change due to their growing populations and the urban heat island effect.

To mitigate this, Chartier said all building projects or urban developments should now start with a climate change risk assessment, looking at the hazards that a site will be exposed to under different emissions scenarios over the coming decades.

"That's really something that has been totally underrated," she explained. "A lot of cities haven't actually assessed in detail where there is a risk."

Construction in vulnerable areas such as flood plains and coastal shores should be banned or limited, Chartier said. And any new buildings should incorporate greenery as well as passive cooling and bioclimatic design strategies to protect inhabitants from heatwaves without the need for air conditioning.

Trees provide shading in this Bangkok home by Shma Company. Photo is by Jinnawat Borihankijanan

Nature-based solutions such as green roofs, greenways and belts are particularly effective, as they can both absorb rainwater and lower local temperatures.

"Allocating land-use for green spaces and permeable soil needs to be compulsory for every new project," Chartier said. "There can even be local bylaws to ensure that all roofs or walls over a certain size integrate a certain percentage of green area, which New York is considering."

Dezeen recently rounded up a number of existing projects that incorporate climate resilience strategies, including a floating villa with retractable stilts and a house in Vietnam that accomodates seven people and 120 trees.

Another key way that architects can help to fight climate change is by considering the consumption-based emissions generated by the people living in their buildings, as Chartier outlined during a talk hosted by Dezeen at Dutch Design Week last autumn.

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Overland Partners designs binational park that "serves as a prototype for border cities"

San Antonio-based firm Overland Partners has released plans for a binational border park between Mexico and the United States that will be built along the Rio Grande.

The design incorporates 6.3 miles of land over a thousand acres on both sides of the river, which is known as Rio Bravo in Mexico, connecting the cities of Laredo in Texas and Nuevo Laredo in Tamaulipas.

Overland Partners was selected to lead the project alongside Able City, a local architect studio in Laredo, through a public submission process.

The team was selected during a meeting between officials from both countries, held to facilitate tourism, trade, and economic growth for the states on both sides of the border.

"The cities had envisioned over 40 individual projects on both sides of the river that would contribute to the restoration of the site ecology, the celebration of their joint culture, and revitalisation of the economy," said Rick Archer and Barbara Warren of Overland Partners.

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Overland Partners held a three-day work session with the representatives of both nations, including the border patrol agencies, to identify key themes for the project. These themes included environment and ecology, culture, security, economy, and binational community.

Overland Partners took the suggestions for the individual projects and combined them into a cohesive plan.

Combining ecological restoration and new infrastructure

Three large areas will constitute the park. The first is a 2.5-mile-long ecological restoration area northeast of the cities.

The second is a mile stretch in the urban cores along the river that will be framed by bridges and feature an amphitheatre.

Finally, a recreation area will stretch for three miles and terminate at the Nuevo Laredo Zoo.

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"We have envisioned a shared Binational pedestrian bridge that physically connects both sides of the river as an extension of the park," said Archer and Warren. "Citizens of both nations would have a shared space for community before checking through customs".

The studio cited the symbolic Highline Bridge, a wire bridge suspended over the Rio Grande to protest border policy, as a touchstone for this concept.

Park to embrace idea of two cities as single community

"This park is a real solution to pressing challenges on both sides of the border," said Archer and Warren.

Historically, one city spanned both sides of the river and was only divided when hard national boundaries were drawn. The design is envisioned as an "abrazo", or embrace, between the two Laredos.

"The reason this park is happening is because Los Dos Laredos, the two Laredos have always seen themselves as one single community with a unique shared culture," said Archer and Warren.

The park will be a shared space along the binational river that citizens of each country could share before crossing the border.

"It is our hope that this conversation will stimulate similar conversations in border cities from Tijuana/San Diego, all the way to Matamoros/Brownsville and around the world," the studio told Dezeen.

The US-Mexico boundary drew attention during the Trump administration, which pledged to reinforce and extend the border wall between the two nations.

Several design projects challenged this idea, including a series of pink seesaws inserted between an existing fence, which was named Design of the Year 2020.

The rendering is courtesy of Overland Partners.

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Foster + Partners unveils its first city masterplan in Vietnam

British architecture practice Foster + Partners has revealed its masterplan design for a new 117.4-hectare city in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, that will include residential neighbourhoods, education, medical and leisure facilities.

Titled The Global City, the masterplan was designed by Foster + Partners to include "innovative and sustainable" design solutions and aims to combine an urban context with a focus on biodiversity. It is its first township in the country, the practice said.

Foster + Partners was selected by developers Masterise Homes to design the masterplan for the city, which will feature high- and low-rise apartments, villas, social housing and education facilities, as well as a large shopping mall, medical and administration facilities.

Design aims to "create a holistic, sustainable masterplan for the future"

The masterplan shows the 117.4-hectare city bordered by two waterways that run from the northern to the southern areas of the development.

The Global City will comprise five different neighbourhoods, with green areas, including parks and gardens, located throughout the city to improve its biodiversity.

The Global City will be developed by Masterise Homes and designed by Foster + Partners

"The Global City Masterplan is a fantastic new residential-led development, in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City," said Foster + Partners head of studio Gerard Evenden.

"The design seeks to strike a balance between biodiversity and human wellbeing within an urban context, seamlessly integrating the buildings with a range of flexible, landscaped public spaces and community facilities to create a holistic, sustainable masterplan for the future."

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According to Foster + Partners, each neighbourhood will have distinct characteristics that were developed to cater to the needs of the residing communities.

Residential buildings will be informed by the existing vernacular of Ho Chi Minh City, with brick and timber the main materials used in order to ensure that the new development complements the local streetscape.

Greenspaces will promote physical wellbeing

Its high-rise residential buildings will be located on a central boulevard which doubles as a large public park for the city, providing residents and visitors with riverside views.

Pedestrian footbridges will connect the residential boulevard with adjoining neighbourhoods, providing the city with easy walking routes to "promote physical wellbeing".

"The ambition and scale of the project is striking, and we are delighted to be working with Masterise Homes on this unique residential project, which brings together their progressive vision and our extensive experience in large-scale masterplans to create a distinct global city," said Foster + Partners senior partner Toby Blunt.

"This will be our first township in Vietnam, and we are excited to extend our footprint in the country."

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Foster + Partners is an international architecture practice that was founded by Norman Foster in London in 1967. It has recently unveiled designs for a multi-generational residential neighbourhood on the edge of Bangkok, Thailand.

Other masterplan projects that are being developed by the firm include the new state capital of Andhra Pradesh in India, which will centre a government building with a needle-shaped roof.

Visualisation is by Foster + Partners.

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Sitelab integrates commercial and public space at 5M in San Francisco

Sitelab Urban Studio has completed the first phases of a mixed-use development called 5M in San Francisco's SoMa neighbourhood with Kohn Pederson Fox (KPF) as lead architect.

The project, developed by Brookfield Properties and Hearst, includes a privately owned public park surrounded by a new residential and commercial tower along with rehabilitated historic buildings, including the SF Chronicle Building.

5M includes public, residential, and office space in downtown San Francisco

Oriented around the public spaces, which include the central park and the top of the SF Chronicle Building, 5M foregrounds "the unique alleyways of SoMa", according to Laura Crescimano, co-founder and principal of Sitelab Urban Studio.

"The goal of the overall master plan and design for 5M was to integrate the traditionally dense downtown space and the culturally rich, artistic neighborhood that is SoMa," Crescimano told Dezeen.

Sitelab planned the developement around public parks. Image is by Kathleen Sheffer

A series of towers have been designed for the four-acre (1.6-hectare) site. The first, by KPF in collaboration with House & Robertson Architects is called 415 Natoma. This 25-storey tower has stepped, interlocking masses with two primary towers that have vertical stripping on the facade.

The two towers meet horizontal massing at the lower levels, which have open space for socialising that face into the plaza, and areas reserved for dining and retail options.

KPF designed 415 Natoma to reflect the different elements of the neighbourhood

Also on the site is The George – a 20-storey, 302-unit apartment building by Ankrom Moisan – while another building called N1 is planned. In total, 5M will provide 245 residences.

Across the development, the height of the buildings is indented to be a middle ground between the lower structures of SoMa and the towers of downtown San Francisco.

415 Natoma opens up to Mary Court

While envisioning the neighbourhood as relying on the preexisting culture of SoMa, Crescimano said the design moved forward with a "fabric first" approach.

"We intentionally designed this space to support a plethora of community programming and events, including those that will be hosted by arts and cultural nonprofits and other innovators such as CAST, Kultivate Labs, Off the Grid, and the Filipino Cultural District," she said.

Office space and historic buildings coincide at 5M

The public spaces were designed by Melk and Cliff Lowe Associates, which shaped The Parks at 5M around public art and thoroughfares.

These areas form the city's largest privately owned public space.

The lobby of 415 Natoma is meant to be open for socialising

Sitelabs undertook a lengthy community engagement process during the planning.

"The open space was designed with a stage to support events like the annual Filipino Heritage Festival and aspects like the varied seating support multi-generational use," said Crescimano.

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In addition to adhering to the environmental standards of San Francisco, the project aims for "social sustainability" according to Crescimano.

"The alleyways also increase the walkability of the neighborhood and reduce the dependence on cars, which improves air quality and overall health in the area," she said.

The George is one of the residential buildings on the site. The image is courtesy of Brookfield Properties/Jeffery Mart

"Through design," Crescimano added, "5M is directly addressing the need for more diverse, affordable housing choices in sustainable, walkable neighborhoods".

Other mixed-use projects in San Francisco's downtown include a proposal from Foster + Partners to build a community in a decommissioned power plant.

The photography is byKyle Jeffers unless otherwise stated. The top image is by Brookfield Properties/Steelblue.

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David Chipperfield completes theatre and hotels in Jingdezhen cultural district

David Chipperfield Architects has built a theatre and hotel complex in Jingdezhen, China, as part of a masterplan to revive a former porcelain factory district.

The London-based studio's Berlin office developed the Ceramic Art Avenue Taoxichuan masterplan for the city known as China's porcelain capital.

The project involved transforming an entire urban block close to the city centre into a cultural district that celebrates the city's unique industrial heritage.

Taoxichuan Grand Theatre is one of several new buildings on the site

Former factory buildings on the site have already been converted to create a museum, a ceramics market and porcelain shops, and David Chipperfield Architects is also building a music academy.

With the completion of the Taoxichuan Grand Theatre and the hotel complex – which includes two hotels and an events venue – the renewal of the site is almost complete.

According to David Chipperfield Architects, the ambition behind Ceramic Art Avenue Taoxichuan is "not only preserving and converting the existing buildings for reuse, but complementing the urban quarter with new buildings to gain a contemporary presence".

The site includes a complex of four hotel buildings

The designs for the new buildings reference the industrial architecture of the old porcelain factories.

All of these buildings prominently feature brickwork, referencing the materiality of the old warehouses. But the bricks are often arranged as perforated screens, which gives them a more decorative quality.

Pedestrian walkways are a key element of the masterplan

The buildings are all linked by a boulevard and a pedestrian promenade, to encourage visitors to explore the whole site.

The Taoxichuan Grand Theatre incorporates two venues, a classical opera house and a black box theatre.

Mushroom-shaped columns characterise the theatre building

The building is characterised by huge mushroom-shaped columns that frame the main foyer. Located both in front of and behind the glazed facade, they support a monumental, projecting concrete roof.

The interior of the foyer is also concrete, with tactile details like timber-lined surfaces and a wall of glass blocks.

A wall of glass blocks frames the foyer

The curved form of the horseshoe-shaped opera house is visible from the street and also extends into the foyer. Its 1,200-seat auditorium is lined with walnut veneer and framed by three balcony levels.

"With this classical European format, the auditorium reflects the meaningful connectedness of audience and performers as one community who jointly experience an artistic performance as a singular, authentic live event as opposed to today's digital environment," said David Chipperfield Architects.

A horseshoe-shaped opera house has 1200 seats

The black box theatre has a more contemporary feel, with a flexible and mobile stage setup.

The space is lined in blackened wood and can be opened up to facilitate open-air performances.

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Located immediately south of the theatre complex, the hotel complex is made up of four buildings plus a former dormitory that has been converted into apartments.

All four of the new buildings have a similar aesthetic, with brick walls, deep-set windows and recessed balconies.

The hotel buildings are a linked by a steel and glass structure

They are connected at ground level by a more lightweight structure built from steel and glass, which ties the entrances together and makes it easier to navigate the site. This space can also be used for public exhibitions and activities.

The hotel buildings are organised around open-air courtyard gardens, while the events block contains a series of flexible function rooms.

Hotel bedrooms are organised around courtyard gardens

"The semi-transparent facades of the function rooms and the perforated balustrades of the hotel balconies act as a filter between private and public areas," said David Chipperfield Architects.

"The staggered brick columns bring the overall building volume in relation to the human scale."

The Academy of Music is due to complete in 2022

Due to complete in 2022, the Academy of Music is under construction at the southern end of the Ceramic Art Avenue Taoxichuan site.

Set to include teaching facilities, recording studios and a 350-seat concert hall, the facility is being created within two former factory buildings that are being upgraded with new tiled roofs and a bold new interior layout.

The materials palette for this building includes maple veneer, pine wood and mastic asphalt.

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David Chipperfield Architects has completed a number of projects in China to date, including the Liangzhu Culture Museum, the Xixi Wetland Estate and the Moganshan Road office block, all in Hangzhou.

Ceramic Art Avenue Taoxichuan is the studio's first project in Jingdezhen, a city where investment in culture has become a priority in recent years.

The Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum, designed by Studio Zhu-Pei, opened to fanfare in 2020, while the Sanbaopeng Art Museum, designed by DL Atelier, opened on the outskirts of the city in 2017.

---

Project credits

Architect: David Chipperfield Architects, Berlin

Client: Jingdezhen Ceramic Culture Tourism Group

Local design institute: ISA Architecture, Shanghai

Acoustics: Kahle Acoustics, TongJi Architectural Design

Lighting design: Leox

Landscape architect: Possibilism Design Studio, ISA Architecture

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Built environment must adapt to "widespread and severe" climate change fallout says IPCC report

Cities are failing to prepare for climate change and should focus on resilient design solutions such as building houses on stilts or creating floating neighbourhoods, according to the latest report from the United Nations' climate change panel.

Published this week, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report blamed cities for a "lack of climate sensitive planning" and proposed ways to redesign homes and urban areas to protect citizens from extreme weather and rising seas.

"Many cities and settlements have developed adaptation plans but few have been implemented so that urban adaptation gaps exist in all world regions," the report said.

"Exposure to climate-driven impacts… in combination with rapid urbanisation and lack of climate sensitive planning, is affecting marginalised urban populations and key infrastructure."

Above: floating buildings, like this home on Chichester Canal by Baca Architects, can help cities adapt to rising sea levels. Photo by Floating Homes. Top: Home's on stilts like Redshank artist's studio, could also help. Photo by Hélène Binet

The report found that record heatwaves, floods, droughts and storms have already caused severe damage to the health of ecosystems and people across the world, as well as to buildings and crucial infrastructure.

Although these hazards are especially compounded in cities due to their rapidly growing populations and the urban heat island effect, not enough is being done to prepare them for this new reality, the report found.

However, the UN's IPCC has also highlighted the built environment as a key area of opportunity in the fight against climate change if retrofitted, upgraded and redesigned to be greener, more equitable and renewably powered.

"Cities and settlements are crucial for delivering urgent climate action," the report reads. "The concentration and interconnection of people, infrastructure and assets within and across cities and into rural areas creates both risks and solutions at global scale."

Climate hazards will be "unavoidable"

Written by 270 researchers from 67 countries, the report marks the IPCC's most comprehensive look to date at the impacts of climate change and follows on from last year's report on its causes.

The latest report found that man-made global warming has created unexpectedly "widespread and severe" damages while displacing more than 13 million people across Asia and Africa in 2019 alone.

"One of the most striking conclusions in our report is that we're seeing adverse impacts that are much more widespread and much more negative than expected," Camille Parmesan, a researcher from the University of Texas who was involved in the report, told the New York Times.

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These climate hazards will be "unavoidable" and become increasingly frequent and intense as we approach 1.5 degrees of warming – the crucial threshold around which countries are trying to stabilise global warming in targeting net-zero emissions by 2050.

Currently, the world is on track to warm by two to three degrees this century compared to pre-industrial levels, by which point the report says some regions and small islands could become completely uninhabitable.

"Accelerated action is required to adapt to climate change, at the same time as making rapid, deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions," the report concluded.

Nature-based solutions "under-recognised and under-invested"

In the built environment, this means not just eliminating operational and embodied carbon but also making buildings more resilient.

Viable solutions listed in the report include elevating houses on stilts and creating "amphibious architecture" that can float on the surface of rising floodwater.

As global temperatures rise and heatwaves are exacerbated, homes will also need to be built or retrofitted with passive cooling technologies such as wind towers, solar shading and white or green roofs to cool interiors without relying on emissions-intensive air conditioning.

On a city level, the report says there needs to be a greater focus on combining grey infrastructure projects with "nature-based solutions", which are currently "under-recognised and under-invested" despite being more affordable and flexible.

To become more flood resilient, for example, cities should invest in pervious pavements and underground tunnel systems to absorb stormwater, while also increasing the number of urban green spaces and regenerating mangroves and wetlands along coastlines so they can act as buffers against storm surges.

Green roofs, like on RDHA's Springdale Public Library, could help absorb floodwater. Photo is by Nic Lehoux

As sea levels continue to rise, the report says small island nations and low-lying coastal cities might find "the only feasible option" is to completely avoid building on high-risk shorelines or relocate their population inland.

"We are accelerating towards a near future we neither want nor can survive, with global cities on the frontline of cascading and compounding climate impacts, threatening the lives and livelihoods of many of the world's most marginalised and most vulnerable," commented Mark Watts, the executive director of international network C40 Cities.

"If global leaders sit on their hands and let our cities fail, we will all fail. There is no time to waste."

The report is one of three being released as part of the IPCC's first major assessment of climate change since 2014.

The third and final installment, which is set to be published this spring, will explore solutions for decarbonising the global economy and halting global warming.

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Adjaye Associates designs mass-timber building covered in plants for Toronto's waterfront

Architecture studio Adjaye Associates has designed a plant-covered building called Timber House as part of a developement on Toronto's waterfront that will include buildings by Alison Brooks Architects and Henning Larsen.

Set back from the waterfront, the long and narrow Timber House will reportedly be one of the largest residential mass-timber structures in Canada, when it completes.

Set to contain affordable housing units as well as homes for senior citizens, the building's facade will be crisscrossed by narrow beams and have patios for greenery.

It has been announced as part of the Quayside development in Toronto, alongside structures by Alison Brooks Architects and Danish studio Henning Larsen.

Adjaye Associate's mass-timber building (top) will be built as part of Toronto's Quayside development (above)

Designed for developers Dream Unlimited and Great Gulf, Quayside will include five towers, urban green space, and cultural buildings dedicated to the local Indigenous nation.

It will occupy 12 acres along the lakefront of the Canadian city.

Timber House will have rooftop gardens and greenhouses

According to Waterfront Toronto, a governmental organisation leading the development of the site, Quayside will be "the first all-electric, zero-carbon community at this scale".

"We set out to make Quayside the kind of community that meaningfully improves the lives of its residents, neighbours and visitors," said George Zegarac, president of Waterfront Toronto.

An urban forest between the buildings will be a car-free zone

The proposal includes more than 800 units of affordable housing across all of the buildings.

In addition to Adjaye Associate's Timber House, Quayside will include Western Curve, an Alison Brook Architects-designed tower that rises up from slender arches. Sited directly next to Western Curve will be Dutch studio Henning Larsen's tower called The Overstorey.

Alison Brooks' Western Curve will be covered in round balconies and plants

A community forest by SLA Landscape Architects will occupy the space between the narrow Timber House and the row of towers. This two-acre space will provide "a network of car-free green spaces for residents and visitors".

The design for teh developments cultural buildings has not yet been revealed, but it will be geared towards celebrating the Indigenous community.

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"As Host First Nation, we will continue to work to ensure that Quayside will be a place that celebrates Indigenous history and presence and lays the foundation for a good future based on inclusion, respect and reconciliation," said Stacey LaForme, chief of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation.

There will also be a community care hub for healthcare and "offering a range of programs and services to support aging-in-place" as well as infrastructure for recreation for the community.

Henning Larsen's Overstorey building will be situated across from Adjaye Associates block

Previously, the site was going to be developed by Sidewalk Toronto, a project of Sidewalk Labs, the subsidiary of Google.

Those plans included designs by Snøhetta and Heatherwick Studio for a smart, mass-timber neighbourhood. The plans were ultimately scrapped in 2020 because of the pandemic.

Other projects under development in Toronto include Safdie Architect's Orca, a set of housing blocks connected by bridges as well as plans by Diamond Schmitt Architects to transform Ontario Place into a wellness destination.

The images are courtesy of Waterfront Toronto.

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Adjaye Associates proposes inverted supertall skyscraper for New York

Architecture studio Adjaye Associates has designed a supertall skyscraper in New York, which has a series of cantilevers to give it a dramatic form.

Named Affirmation Tower, the skyscraper was designed for a 1.2-acre vacant plot of land at 418 11th Avenue in Manhattan where New York State has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) in order to fill the site.

Affirmation Tower would be built in Manhattan

Adjaye Associates designed the 1,663-feet-tall (498-metre) supertall skyscraper – a building over 300 metres – to cantilever outwards five times so that the upper levels are much larger than the lower levels. This would give it an inverted appearance compared to a traditional skyscraper.

Outwardly defined by these stepped blocks, the building would include two hotels and office space, as well as an ice skating rink and an observation deck.

The skyscraper would include an observation deck

Local developer Peebles Corporation has submitted the supertall to the Empire State Development Corporation in a bid to build the skyscraper on the vacant site, which is called Site K.

It is positioned next to Manhattan's Javits Center, one block away from the city's High Line, as well as the Hudson Yards real estate development and Number 7 subway line.

Offices with terraced space would feature in the design

If built, the project would be Adjaye Associates' tallest tower to date, and would also be the second tallest building in Manhattan after One World Trade Center.

According to the studio it would be the first skyscraper built by a team of Black architects, developers, lenders and builders in New York City's history.

There are plans to house the headquarters of the NAACP's Mid-Manhattan branch within the building.

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"Unfortunately for most of New York's history, African-Americans and people of color have been rendered as mere economic tourists who gaze upward at one of the greatest skylines in the world with the intrinsic knowledge they will never be able to participate in what really makes New York unique," said Rev Dr Charles Curtis, Head of NY Interfaith Commission For Housing Equality.

"The awarding of this project to this team will send a statement across the globe that architects, developers, engineers and financial professionals of color are now full participants in this great miracle of global capitalism called New York City."

Cantilevers would define the supertall's structure

The supertall would be the second New York tower designed by Adjaye Associates following 130 William, a concrete residential skyscraper designed by the firm, which was founded by Ghanaian-British architect David Adjaye in 2000.

The building would be the latest in a series of supertall skyscrapers built in New York with buildings over 300 metres designed by BIG, Foster + Partners and SHoP currently under development in the city.

The images are courtesy of the Peebles Corporation.

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ODA proposes New York rezoning scheme to swap height restrictions for public space

Architecture office ODA has proposed a rezoning plan for New York that would allow developers to build higher in return for turning private courtyards into public space.

Called Beyond the Street, the scheme aims to address the loss of the city's traditional mixed-use neighbourhoods, where people can live, work and enjoy leisure time, due to development.

ODA has proposed a rezoning scheme for New York

ODA's proposal would allow developers to build more private spaces above street level in exchange for creating more pedestrianised areas for the public at ground level.

The practice, which was founded in 2007, has produced a video (above) explaining Beyond the Street's goals.

Private courtyards could be turned into public space

"The decline of traditional street-level retail, which typically covers the majority of the ground floor in many of the city's buildings has inspired us to seek more engaging and inclusive programming to replace it," said ODA.

"In order to level the playing field, we need to create a more democratic and accessible ground floor experience that serves everyone, not just the wealthy who live above it," added the New York-based studio.

"There's an increasing desire to live in mixed-use neighborhoods that are walkable, diverse and accessible. We need to replace big box retail with more desirable local mom and pop shops and food and beverage experiences, which have been driven out."

Developers could add height onto buildings in return for public space

ODA looked at Manhattan's Flower District as a case study. Located in the Chelsea neighbourhood between Broadway to 6th Avenue between 23rd and 33rd, the block became a hub for the city's immigrant flower sellers in the 18th century.

But by the end of the 20th century, rising rents and land values had pushed many flower wholesalers out of business as developers building high rises moved in. In 2004, the New York Times reported that the number of flower businesses in the district had fallen to just 32.

Flower District vendors have been pushed out of the area

A scheme such as Beyond the Street could revitalise the Flower District, ODA suggested, by encouraging the next wave of developers to carve out more space for vendors.

"Typical lots between 6th and 7th Avenues are 100 foot (30 metres) deep and vary in width," said the studio.

"However, the buildings, for the most part, provide required light and air at the back, creating a somewhat secret courtyard at the inside of every city block," added ODA.

"The Flower District currently has many underused parking lots, which would provide the initial infrastructure for passageways to and from the courtyards."

New cafes could open on the ground floor

These pedestrian zones would be privately owned public spaces, sometimes called POPs, similar to London's Heatherwick Studio-designed Coal Drops Yard. ODA envisages them filled with shops, eateries and open-air markets.

The Beyond the Street rezoning model could be used to revitalise many areas of New York, said the studio.

"Vibrant pedestrian attractions such as the High Line, Madison Square Park and the new Little Island show that breathing life into often unused spaces are possible with great design and a little bit of landscaping," said ODA.

"The result is a win-win, the private investor gets a taller building, while the city and the public get new more interactive public spaces."

Parking lots could be turned into access roads

ODA's proposal is not the first to suggest harnessing developer financing to try and benefit neighbourhoods.

New York's Metro Transport Authority is collaborating with the city's planning department to lobby for updating zoning regulations so that developers could gain planning approval in return for improving subway station accessibility by building more elevators.

On Billionaire's Row, developer Sedesco is seeking authorisation to add more floorspace to a proposed supertall skyscraper by OMA in return for improving 57th Street's F train subway station.

Recent projects by ODA include an apartment block in Dumbo and an office built in a converted Brookly sugar factory.

The renders are by SeeThree.

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Safdie Architects designs interconnected housing blocks alongside park over train tracks

Orca is a mixed-use development in Toronto designed by Safdie Architects that will have nine interconnected residential towers alongside a park that will be built over a railway.

Safdie Architects revealed plans to build decks over a 100-metre-wide and 800-metre-long stretch of the train line that leads to Union Station.

The decks will form a 10.5-acre public park and retail area set over multiple levels, next to nine high-rise towers. Renders show the towers being supported on large piloti.

One of the Orca towers will contain office space, while the other eight with contain 3,000 apartments. The high-rises will be connected together by bridges featuring gardens and amenities for residents.

"As the city has expanded westward, the railway lands have increasingly become a brutal barrier between the King West Community and the growing waterfront district," said Safdie Architects founder Moshie Safdie.

"Our design aspires to forge a reconnection in the community fabric by creating a lively park that is economically viable and promises a unique destination experience for Toronto," he added.

"As an isolated park is unlikely to generate the diversity of activity required to animate the neighbourhood, our design integrates amenities for city life like shops, restaurants, and offices into the park itself, drawing in residents and visitors alike."

Boxy protrusions on renders of the towers recall Habitat 67, Safdie's iconic brutalist complex in Montreal.

Safdie Architects worked with PWP Landscape Architecture, which designed the Salesforce Park on terraces over a transit centre in San Francisco, to create the park. It will feature playgrounds, walking trails and bike paths linked by ramps and elevators.

The shopping galleria area will be covered during the winter but will be able to be opened to the park in the summer during good weather.

Orca will join other upcoming developments in Toronto including as an esports stadium by Populous and a pair of twisting reflective skyscrapers from Frank Gehry.

Boston-based Safdie Architects was founded in 1964 and has offices in Singapore, Shanghai, and Jerusalem. Recent projects from the practice include the Crystal skybridge at Raffles City Chongqing and the Jewel Changi Airport in Singapore.

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Project credits:

Architect: Safdie Architects

Landscape: PWP Landscape Architecture

Engineering: Arup

Local architect: Sweeny&Co

Clients: Craft Development Corporation, Kingsmen Group,Fengate Asset Management

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