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The Urban Sequoia NOW model envisioned by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) asks the question: Could buildings be like trees: capturing carbon, cleaning the air, and restoring the environment? Urban Sequoia’s core premise is that the built environment can absorb carbon, evolving from a carbon-neutral concept to a carbon-negative concept and creating regenerative cities around the world. It uses state-of-the-art materials to transform buildings from part of the carbon problem to the solution. SOM envisions urban redwood “forests” that can absorb and exchange carbon to build resilient urban environments and alter the course of climate change.
SOM observed that by taking a holistic approach to optimizing building design, minimizing materials, integrating biomaterials, advanced biomass and carbon capture technologies, Urban Sequoia achieved significantly higher carbon emissions reductions than when these strategies were applied alone quantity. It consciously integrates materials and technologies that are already available or derived from advanced research and will soon be ready to integrate them in ways that have not been done before in the built environment. Some of these, such as direct air capture, have never been used in the construction industry before, while others, such as algae and biobricks, have not yet been used on a large scale. I spoke with Mina Hasman, SOM senior vice chancellor and director of sustainability, to discuss how Urban Sequoia aims to show what is possible and what is possible when these technologies and systems are integrated into buildings around the world What an impact it can have.
What are the expected numerical results and performance figures provided by this project’s sustainability plan? How much carbon can be saved? What methods does the program use to achieve this goal?
Urban redwoods will sequester carbon from day one. The overall reduction in carbon emissions actually starts during the construction process. We aim to successfully leverage the most advanced or emerging technologies to reduce building carbon emissions by approximately 95% (the remaining 5% is attributable to current supply chains) by decarbonizing building methods and materials (including manufacturing) as completely as possible . Once the prototype is built, it will begin to absorb carbon, quickly passing net zero and becoming carbon negative. After about 10 years, buildings can absorb about 80% of typical building emissions. This number may grow to around 200% in 25 years and over 400% in 50 years.
Can Urban Sequoia’s technology be used to retrofit existing buildings?
Each building type and scale requires specific responses, but the system is adaptable to provide a unique solution for each situation and will take advantage of the local climate and locally available resources. Within existing single-family homes, we will use passive design strategies that maximize natural cross-ventilation, daylight and shading to first minimize the building’s energy needs. Where feasible for the building structure and environment, we will explore the integration of renewable energy technologies, such as solar panels or solar collectors, to specifically meet the often high hot water demand in the house. We will also look at parts of the building that need upgrading and the use of biobricks or hempcrete. We will also look at the integration of carbon capture and storage into existing ventilation installations where air flows naturally. Finally, we are also bringing nature into the building, both with plants and on roofs and walls to capture carbon naturally.
How realistic are your claims that facades can turn buildings into biofuel sources to power heating systems, cars, and airplanes, and that the captured carbon and biomass can be used to produce biomaterials for roads, sidewalks, and pipes? ?
Algae are already used in some aviation biofuels. Algae by-products have the potential to be used more widely as food supplements and/or pharmaceuticals, fertilizers or cleaning products. As part of a new carbon economy, these by-products can be fed back into district-wide or, ideally, city-wide networks, where these new “resources” can be shared and exchanged between buildings and industry.
You developed Urban Sequoia to be able to adapt to any city in the world and to buildings of all sizes and types. How do you see the urban redwood concept being used in Asia? How does the architecture there differ from that in the West?
Our vision is to build a system that can adapt to any climate around the world. These buildings can become the engine of a new carbon economy: carbon can be traded as a new currency and create a circular economy, bringing new potential revenue streams to cities as they grow. By applying these strategies in cities around the world, every building of any size can be part of the solution.
Do you foresee cities filled with urban redwoods being built around the world? Do you think Urban Redwoods can become a model for sustainable practices in other buildings around the world, influencing policy and changing industry standards?
This isn’t the first time SOM has integrated existing and emerging technologies into buildings.and Lee Wah Building For example, in the 1950s we created curtain walls that were ahead of their time and transformed architecture around the world.our Wooden Pagoda Research Launched in 2013, it has made significant contributions to the global design community, promoting the development of timber and hybrid construction and architectural design. Throughout our more than 85-year history, SOM has been a leader in building science. Our goal is to push all these new technologies forward and help change the world of architecture once again.
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