VIENNA, June 5 (Catherine Lankes, WNM) - In thirty years, the UN expects more than two thirds of the world’s population to live in cities. This change, its challenges and the solutions were the topics of this year’s The Future of Building conference in Vienna, organized by the WKÖ, the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber. More than 700 attendants from over 60 nations came to one of the world’s biggest construction and building conference to discuss questions that will shape the future of building in the coming years: How to accommodate disruption in construction? How to create more affordable living space in growing towns? How to integrate greenery in cities?
Greener cities – livable concepts of the present?
According to Thomas Schröpfer, a professor at the Singapore Institute of Technology and Design, the idea to alleviate the urban heat with greenery is everything but new: “The hanging gardens of Babylon prove that it is an age old idea to bring together lush greenery and building.” Schröpfer works with the Future Cities Laboratory trying to find solutions to recovering and rebuilding cities after disruption as well as meeting energy needs while reducing CO2 emissions, amongst others.
While the approach should remain unique to every city, Schröpfer sees in Singapore a potential role model for other Asian cities: Integrating greenery in building is taken very seriously in Singapore, says Schröpfer, providing the potential of high density of living without the negative effects. Ideas such as constructing with parks, sky-gardens and shared green outdoor-spaces on every floor of a skyscraper have been well acclaimed in Singapore and – according to Thomas Schröpfer– prove to be a path into the future of building in a megalopolis, especially in South-East Asia. Asked about the costs, Schröpfer remains positive: While the greener and integrated buildings are slightly more expensive to build, “the return on investment is worth it. Just consider the earnings in rent and the added beauty of the building.” Taking this into account, also alternative construction materials such as mushrooms, bamboo and waste seem to become ever less of a tale of the future than one might think.
Where tradition and innovation meet: Timber and going Far East
Yet, another more traditional material in construction also witnesses a revival: timber. Most recently, the Austrian company Rubner Holzbau completed a terminal at the MactanCebu International Airport made from – timber. The rooftop of the terminal features arcs alluding to inverted boat hulls in the classical warm, yellow-ish timber color. According to Anton Wanas with Rubner Holzbau this choice is to display the warmth, hospitality, culture and the lifestyle of the Philippines. Taken into account an entry-statement from Patrick Sagmeister, deputy director of Advantage Austria, it is of little surprise that Rubner Holzbau was tasked with the construction: “Austrian companies are not in a price competition, it’s always about quality.”
Timber in construction is a recurring issue in Korea as well, a country with a long-standing tradition in wood building. However, according to Shim Kug-Bo from the National Institute of Forest Service, one of the major challenges in creating daunting, higher and more innovative buildings out of timber is rather basic: Timber can’t really be used for high buildings since there still is no sufficient proof of timber being fire- and sound-transmission resistant, amongst others. Shim Kug-Bo says that this is an issue they still work on resolving. Also Japan’s W350 plan, a wooden skyscraper, seems to be struggling with similar issues.
However, Anton Wanas says that for Rubner Holzbau, the innovative or more challenging thing was not to build the structure out of timber, adding “that’s what we know how to do.” The real innovation for the Austrian-based company was to take on a project in Asia. The airport is one of the Philippines’ prime infrastructure buildings – but with huge differences in logistics and commercial issues, RubnerHolzbau was concerned about corruption, crime and contractual misunderstandings in the country. However, this has been overcome: The company now is on a second project on the Philippines.
Going Far East certainly is a challenge for other Western companies as well. Dawid Michulec with NEUBAU best energy encourages to the take the leap: “In China, for example, there is a different scale of construction, it’s a huge opportunity. Try it, make it. If you get copied in China, you’re good. Different cultures, different experiences.” This is a sentiment also Laura P. Spinadel from BUSarchitectureshares: “If we all work together, we can build cathedrals and airports and change the world.” Also KF Tsang from the City University of Hong Kong particularly lauded the functioning cooperation between Austria and Hong Kong.
Africa: Faster, cheaper, more
Africa, meanwhile, takes on a different struggle: Faced with outlooks such as Lagos, Nigeria, to become the world’s largest city by the turn of the century, the challenge is to build fast – and cheap. Fitzgerald Umah with the Nigerian Institute of Architects sees one of the biggest issues in diffusing the population to other parts of Lagos, where the center will not be able to hold the incoming population. This growth in other parts of the city highlights challenges in rail, road and waterways, he says. Health and transportation will have to be tackled over the coming 25 years as well as the fast creation of affordable buildings in the outskirts.
Stefanie Theuretzbacher with STUDIO ELEMENTALS architecture and design in Nigeria adds to this the prevalent issues in the construction sector in the country, inhibiting the pace that would be required to match the demand. “It is challenging to build high quality buildings with local – often unskilled – workforce”, she says. According to Theuretzbacher, tackling the population growth will have to entail creating education in building as well – not only creating the buildings.
Rosmary Orthner with orthner orthner & associates in Ghana warns to stay small, simple and local when creating solutions for future megacities such as Accra: “We just don’t have the service and the necessary support when it comes to repairing electronics.”
To prevent making these cultural and potentially cost-worthy mistakes, Ekkehard Redlhammer with Dynaxity Consulting suggests really taking the time to learn about the people and the country before venturing to Africa. “Think about what they always say: You have the watches but we have the time. Take your time, too”, Redlhammer advises. – cal.