In the second month of lockdown, many industry leaders began looking ahead to try to understand what the pandemic means for the future of green building. Here are three commentaries that rose to the top.
HOME SWEET BIOME
Researchers at the University of Oregon’s Biology and the Built Environment Center believe architecture should evolve to help manage indoor microbiomes that support occupant health. Kevin Van den Wymelenberg, Leslie Dietz and Mark Fretz are studying how to shape, modify and monitor the microbial communities present inside buildings. “Our recent research suggests that many natural systems, such as daylight and natural ventilation, don’t just reduce energy consumption and support human health—they also support more diverse indoor microbial ecosystems and reduce the abundance of potential pathogens,” they wrote.
On The Conversation (1,100 words)
Buildings have their own microbiomes – we’re striving to make them healthy places
THAT WAST THEN…
Upali Nanda, research director of HKS, says the coronavirus will fundamentally change the approach to designing buildings. Among her predictions, she said we will no longer see single-sector buildings; we will see a major shift in the future of work; and all building typologies will require hyper-flexibility and agility. “Architects are, first and foremost, public health workers. And our homes and workplaces should be the first thresholds for health,” she said in a Q&A with Ken Edelstein.
Part of a new series on the Living Building Chronicle (900 words)
Covid & Buildings Q&A: Upali Nanda
#BUILDBACKBETTER
Christiana Hageneder, who heads the French-German Programme for Energy Efficiency in Buildings (PEEB), joined the growing chorus of voices calling for economic stimulus investments to put people back to work on green buildings. She pulled the figures from successful programs put into place during the Great Recession in Germany, South Korea and the U.S. She also describes four effective program types for: energy efficiency, public procurement, equipment replacement and green energy generation. "By setting smart and effective criteria for green buildings, short-term stimulus packages can become a double tool for economic recovery and environmental sustainability," she wrote.
On the SDG Knowledge Hub, a project by IISD (900 words)
COVID-19 Stimulus Spending for Green Construction Means Building Back Better
KEEP IT REAL
When it comes to brand messaging, it’s still too early in the COVID-19 crisis for rosy, aspirational thinking. Individuals can share and embrace stories of hope, but organizations can best demonstrate empathy through a journalistic approach to uncovering and communicating the challenges and solutions that matter to their stakeholders.
From New Growth Communications (700 words)
Why Brand Journalism Matters Right Now
Free Download For You (PDF)
21 Green Building Publications That Want Your Articles
Includes descriptions, rankings and tips on submission
RESOURCE
Guidehouse released a whitepaper explaining how a shift across five core industry dimensions—customers, policy and regulation, technology, business models, and operation—is necessary to move beyond intelligent buildings to “building-to-grid” (B2G). By Mackinnon Lawrence and Casey Talon
I’m proud to announce the release of a new, free e-book on DesignBetter.com, titled Business Thinking for Designers. I edited the book for author, Ryan Rumsey, who shares strategies and practices he developed while heading design teams at Apple and Electronic Arts.
The coronavirus sidelined my next book project. So if you know anyone who wants to take advantage of the slowdown to write something big, I’d love an introduction.
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Take care of yourself,
Bart King
