Enviro

Fig:1- Climate change has become a relevant issue today (Credits-Markus Spiske)

PREMISE

Climate change isn't any more a topic for debate, as it is a reality now. In 2020, the earth’s surface temperature was around 0.98 Celsius degrees warmer than the 20th-century average. These changes look smaller on paper but when they translate into real life, they realise as climatic disasters, from which people across the globe are scurrying. Various communities and countries are left vulnerable and exposed to these changes which manifest themselves as floods, earthquakes, increased heat, rainfall and global warming crisis. In spite of constant efforts to curb this crisis, the timescales of the earth's climatic processes are slow. 

We need a world where everyone has the ability to combat this crisis. Throughout history, humans have adapted to change. Today we are at a point where adapting is the only solution to survival. The future of humans is majorly dependent on creating architectural infrastructure that holds the capacity to meet current needs while also holding the capacity to tackle future changes. Making adaptive architecture, our only resort. 

Fig: 2 - How will architecture adapt to the environmental crisis in the future? (Credits-Marcin Jozwiak)

QUESTIONS

Building on the above premise, write an essay looking at realistic answers that we as humans need to address in terms of the climate crisis and our preparedness regarding it. 

The piece should investigate answers to the following questions; based on real-life experiences or interviews or reasoning built through research:

• Considering our current climate crisis condition in 2020, where do you think we stand in terms of architectural preparedness?
• Observing the increasing effects of the crisis, will our current architectural trend withstand the changes?
• Urbanisation and architecture are considered major contributors to the climate crisis, what measures can we take in order to curb its effects on climate?
• Do you think that there is a need for change in today's architectural philosophies when it comes to being resilient to the future? 
• What fundamental changes do you think are needed to be made in today's architecture, so that it can withstand the changes? 
• What is the current understanding of adaptive architecture, and how can it be transformed into a major architectural solution?
• How do you imagine adaptive architecture to manifest in the future? What strategies and methods of this type of architecture will help in our survival? And how? 

DELIVERABLES

Participants shall deliver an essay of about 1000 - 1500 words and less than 3 images, in a cohesive piece that answers the above questions and arguments based on them. The images need to be ensured that they are copyright-free or you own their rights.