Architectural innovation supporting the energy transition ?
Within a context marked by an increased awareness of challenges in the field of energy transition, the transformation of cities has become a major stake. In order to address this issue, the interdisciplinary research program "Ignis Mutat Res: Looking at architecture, the city and the landscape through the prism of energy" (IMR) and the World council for renewable energy (WCRE) have organized an international forum on July 10th and 11th in Versailles. Sophie Lufkin, scientist at the Laboratory of architecture and sustainable technologies (LAST), participated in one of the round tables, entitled "Is the metropolis to trigger its sustainable development through renewable energies ? Taking advantage of the integration of solar issues into urban design".
The 21st century sets unprecedented challenges to human inventiveness and creativity. The sustainable development concept and its strategies appeal and apply and to all disciplines, professions, and technologies. They are challenged to engage with renewable energy, a one of the critical tools in helping humankind and it future generations to live better, with respect to safeguarding nature and its resources.
Much of humanity’s global ecological footprint can be traced to conventional energy systems - and related decisions, activities and consumption patterns connected to cities and urban environments. We know for example that 75% of national fossil fuel consumption in OECD countries are related to cities. Consequently, sustainable resource management, especially renewable energy production and sustainable forms of consumption, is the top priority in all governments, NGO, and industry agendas.
Urban, architectural and landscape design are amongst those disciplines that are especially asked to innovate construction methods and built form in response to the new demands of overcoming and the modes of life.
Entitled "City - Energy : Innovations in Architecture, Planning and Landscape", the forum brought together research teams of the IMR program in order to present and discuss the outcome of their work with key personalities in the field of urban development and energy, local and regional stakeholders as well as representatives of the academic community and civil society.