CA49 - The Big Picture
HomebuildersCAN launch, Mass Timber Group, and seeing the bigger carbon picture.
NEWSWORTHY
THE SPONSOR
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THE TOPIC
Today’s issue of TCA is formed from two recent encounters.
To me, they are a sad picture of our culture and the root problem we need to fix.
Let’s see what you think.
Here are their stories:
A few weeks ago I had two very similar experiences.
One after an early morning hockey game, and the other at a Design Workshop.
I was casually chatting with someone in the room when they mentioned:
“Yeah, I live 100m from work and I’ve never walked or biked … not once.”
Let me repeat myself here because this blew me away.
Both of them had driven to their jobs 1 block away for decades!
Man, I was flabbergasted (do people still say that?)
Anyways, where it really got strange was the context.
Both people were complaining about how expensive life had gotten.
Seems very sad that neither thought their car had anything to do with that.
“Well, it’s a necessity!”
Now, let’s be clear - this isn’t a newsletter about griping or complaining.
Although it does allow me to vent from time to time.
It’s about helping you design buildings with less impact.
So how does this relate?
It’s simple - WE NEED TO SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE
How does the thing you design affect your community, your planet, and your health?
It is all connected, and architects have a view on a big part of the overall picture.
Among many other things, architects need to provide that larger context.
The same way we can see how a floor plan will affect the elevations which will affect the details.
We need to understand how the decisions we make affect the bigger picture.
Our car society is one of the number one reasons life is so expensive… but most people don’t connect their personal car to the cost of roads, community infrastructure, and underground parking. But that is one of the big factors that makes life expensive.
In the same way we as architects need to realize that when we hear about biodiversity loss and global warming that is a direct impact from the materials we have specified.
It’s not all our fault - but we need to do a better job of:
Educating our clients
Improving our design specifications on every project
Designing lower carbon buildings
Fighting for system change (less cars, more bikes)
Architects have massive value - let’s show the world that.
Where can you get started? Well here are a few great resources if you are just getting started:
Embodied carbon is a major and mostly ignored issue. Educate yourself and your clients on its impact on the environment.
Carbon Smart Materials & 2050 Materials
Specifying the right materials matters. That could be anything from hemp to bamboo to cork. Check out the carbon smart materials pallet or Materials 2050.
Reduce thermal bridging on your project by consulting this interactive tool that will help you quantify the impact of poor detailing.
THE PERSON
Brady is the COO of Mass Timber Group and the host of the Mass Timber Group Podcast. He recently had me on the podcast, which was a blast! Check out the full episode here. Brady also regularly posts on LinkedIn about Mass Timber and what is going on in the industry. Definitly somebody you want to follow in this space.