Talking about carbon neutrality in architecture should not be based solely on local materials and new technologies, since there are many aspects that impact the construction production chain. From design to construction, without losing sight of the context and economic system of our society, the construction industry is responsible for a considerable part of the energy consumed worldwide. In order to interfere in this reality, it is necessary to broaden the fronts of action, questioning the place of construction in our society.

The concept of carbon neutrality is about canceling or negating the amount of greenhouse gases produced by human activities, reducing existing carbon dioxide emissions and implementing methods to absorb these gases into the atmosphere. In recent years, this concept has been incorporated into some architectural practices, mainly in large corporate projects, mostly located in the richest cities in the world, which has generated a development of technologies, tools and knowledge that highlight carbon neutral architecture.

Despite being a broad debate, carbon neutral architecture tends to emerge mainly from two fronts in the discussion of architectural practice: design strategies and building technology. It seeks to reduce the impact on the environment by minimizing consumption of its surroundings and generating as little waste as possible. To this end, projects often provide strategies that address this dynamic, for example, by reducing the need for air conditioning through passive design solutions, which take advantage of natural cross ventilation and the thermal inertia of materials. In addition to passive design strategies, technologies such as energy self-sufficiency, which consists of producing what is needed from wind or solar equipment, or even rainwater retention and harvesting, are also widely explored in projects aimed at carbon neutrality.

While these strategies focus on the maintenance and service life of buildings, it is important to note that of the 40% of global energy consumption linked to construction, 80% corresponds to the processing, production and transportation of building materials. This means that, in addition to the reuse of resources and energy optimization, an important neutral architecture strategy consists of mapping the construction production chain, with a view to greenhouse gas emissions and proposing alternative solutions within the possible scales, either by changing the construction technique, prioritizing local materials and vernacular techniques, or possible local consumption, seeking suppliers and workers from places close to the territory, saving circuits with fossil fuels, for example.

It is important to note, however, that construction is one of the main economic activities in the world, playing an important role in the employment of people and in the movement of resources, and at various times represented an important ally in economic recovery in the midst of crises. At the same time, after the industrial revolution, the construction industry incorporated a logic that transformed the entire production chain in the search for efficiency and speed, not only in the works, but also in the way of extracting and transforming natural materials, to the detriment of the environment and labor relations. Today, despite many efforts and research, it is increasingly evident that this production logic is incompatible with a carbon neutral production chain and also with the maintenance of life as we know it today on the planet.

Therefore, on the one hand, the key elements of neutral architecture are in the planning and design, seeking to employ solutions that seek low energy consumption and low greenhouse gas emissions in its production chain, considering all stages, from the extraction of raw materials for the work, however, this intervention is limited by the social conditions of the construction activity in each context. The standardization of the production chain, tied to materials and techniques of high environmental impact, hinders the search for alternatives in the sector, either because of their high cost, labor difficulties or even logistical incompatibilities, such as lack of access to materials and technologies.

Thus, discussions on carbon neutral architecture need to incorporate, in addition to technology and design issues, debates on the civil construction production chain and how the context impacts the acceptance and incorporation of these solutions in projects, seeking to broaden the debate and consequently its performance.

Credits: https://www.archdaily.com/