Sustainable Architecture Advocate Birgit Rusten Discusses Pilot Projects in Urban Development
In the heart of Norway, the FutureBuilt programme is making waves in the sustainable construction sector. This pioneering initiative, which began in 2003, has evolved from focusing on energy, material, and mobility to encompass nature, water management, social sustainability, and circularity.
FutureBuilt's key achievements are evident in projects like Vollsveien 9–11 in Lysaker, a 20,000 m² low-emission office building targeting FutureBuilt ZERO and BREEAM-NOR v6.0 certifications. This project showcases FutureBuilt's commitment to carbon capture, reducing emissions in concrete production, and addressing climate impact in construction materials.
The Oslo public library, completed in 2019, is another testament to FutureBuilt's success. Designed as a community meeting hub, it reduced emissions by 69.8%. The Kringsjå student family houses, a completed project, are made out of wood and comply with plus energy standards, equipped with solar panels, greywater recycling, and local geothermal heating.
FutureBuilt's future plans revolve around expanding carbon-neutral architecture. Projects will emphasise material circularity, adaptability, and disassembly, promoting sustainable urban development and climate innovation aligned with national climate targets by 2030.
Birgit Rusten, the programme manager and co-founder of FutureBuilt, advises starting with pilot projects, setting high environmental targets on a few buildings, learning from the experience, and applying the lessons to other projects. FutureBuilt works with both private and public developers over a period of time, acting as a facilitator organisation.
As of February 2021, FutureBuilt has concluded 56 pilot projects. The programme, owned by six different municipal authorities - Oslo, Bærum, Asker, Drammen, Nordre Follo, and Lillestrøm - aims to be a learning arena for cities everywhere, improving all construction business and city developments, not just limited to the Oslo region.
One of FutureBuilt's challenges is developers finding the ambitions difficult to fulfil, resulting in buildings that do not meet initial expectations. To address this, Birgit Rusten and her team are now requiring preliminary FutureBuilt candidates to go through the planning process before signing formal agreements.
FutureBuilt is also planning a project to turn a harbour area in Oslo into a mixed-use area with a focus on overall structures contributing to a lack of sustainability. This project, like many others, underscores FutureBuilt's commitment to transforming the Norwegian construction sector into one that is sustainable, innovative, and forward-thinking.
References:
- FutureBuilt
- Vollsveien 9–11
- Oslo Public Library
- Kringsjå Student Family Houses
- FutureBuilt Criteria
- Birgit Rusten
- FutureBuilt, a pioneering initiative in Norway, is not only making strides in sustainable construction but also expanding into carbon-neutral architecture, aiming for material circularity, adaptability, and disassembly in future projects.
- Lifestyle choices are considered in these future plans, as FutureBuilt aims to promote sustainable urban development and climate innovation aligned with national climate targets by 2030.
- Education and self-development play a crucial role within FutureBuilt, with the programme acting as a facilitator for both private and public developers over a period of time, providing valuable lessons and experiences from pilot projects.
- Data and cloud computing are essential tools for FutureBuilt, helping to monitor project performance, evaluate sustainability metrics, and provide feedback for continuous improvement.
- Sustainable living is the ultimate goal for projects such as Vollsveien 9–11, Oslo Public Library, and Kringsjå Student Family Houses, which showcase energy-efficient designs, carbon capture technologies, and the use of local, renewable resources like wood and geothermal heating.
