With the growing demand for sustainable accountability, the European Directive 2014/24/EU (EU 2014) pushes architects to deliver Building Information Models (BIM) as a part of procurement processes for public buildings. In the Netherlands, BIM model data is relevant to the building permitting process, which involves an environmental performance calculation (MPG). This assessment takes into consideration the embodied carbon of materials in a building. Although this analysis is performed by a qualified expert in late design phases, architects benefit from integrating carbon data in early design decision-making. Design methods supported by Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) values are needed before involving expert collaborators, and not only when applying for a building permit. The existing carbon assessment tools require detailed data from BIM models, which are often not available at early design phases. Simplified tools have been discussed in theory, and explored in their potential applications, however, there lacks scientific literature discussing the hurdles designers face in their attempt to create such tools in practice, for their internal use throughout early design phases. This paper focuses on the architecture professional practice and design methods supported by digital and computational technologies, regarding embodied carbon data. It investigates the challenges in integrating embodied carbon data in the design workflow, through the development of a digital tool made by designers, for designers. This paper conducts an empirical investigation within a Rotterdam-based architecture office, with a broad portfolio in BIM usage and public building projects, to identify and categorize the factors affecting carbon data integration into the design workflows. It proposes a taxonomy of challenges within the architecture office, to better communicate the designer's needs to the data providers and software developers with architects as a target user. Amongst the bottlenecks encountered are: access to data (data inclusiveness), data literacy and connecting data usage with design decision-making.@en

With the growing demand for sustainable accountability, the European Directive 2014/24/EU (EU 2014) pushes architects to deliver Building Information Models (BIM) as a part of procurement processes for public buildings. In the Netherlands, BIM model data is relevant to the building permitting process, which involves an environmental performance calculation (MPG). This assessment takes into consideration the embodied carbon of materials in a building. Although this analysis is performed by a qualified expert in late design phases, architects benefit from integrating carbon data in early design decision-making. Design methods supported by Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) values are needed before involving expert collaborators, and not only when applying for a building permit. The existing carbon assessment tools require detailed data from BIM models, which are often not available at early design phases. Simplified tools have been discussed in theory, and explored in their potential applications, however, there lacks scientific literature discussing the hurdles designers face in their attempt to create such tools in practice, for their internal use throughout early design phases. This paper focuses on the architecture professional practice and design methods supported by digital and computational technologies, regarding embodied carbon data. It investigates the challenges in integrating embodied carbon data in the design workflow, through the development of a digital tool made by designers, for designers. This paper conducts an empirical investigation within a Rotterdam-based architecture office, with a broad portfolio in BIM usage and public building projects, to identify and categorize the factors affecting carbon data integration into the design workflow. It proposes a taxonomy of challenges within the architecture office, to better communicate the designer’s needs to the data providers and software developers with architects as a target user. Amongst the bottlenecks encountered are: access to data inclusiveness), data literacy and connecting data usage with design decision-making.@en

The LCS DATA-HUB is an interactive report for the LCS (Low-Carbon Stations) Workshop. The workshop held in March 12th of 2024, in TU Delft, gathered experts from academia, industry and public authorities to exchange knowledge and experiences pertinent to the integration of data (embodied carbon) in design of the built environment.

The event “Low-Carbon Station Workshop: A roadmap for integrating carbon data in cross-scale station design" was organized by PhD Candidate Halina Veloso e Zarate and Assistant Professor Dr. Manuela Triggianese, as methodological support to one of three empirical investigations of Zarate's PhD research.

The workshop aimed to explore the integration of data about embodied carbon in construction materials through low-carbon design methodologies for architecture and urban design, with a specific focus on stations and station areas.

In this platform, you can find the documentation of the event and navigate through the data that supported the hands-on design case of Lombardijen Station.@en

The Karbon Tool aims to streamline design decision regarding material choices, raising awareness about CO2 impact in early design phases.

A dashboard shows values of carbon impact per material choice, visualized as an architectural diagram colored in green when impact is lower than a established threshold, and red when higher.@en

For the past three decades, the shift toward digitization propelled the implementation of data-supported design into contemporary practices and research in Architecture and Urbanism. The growing availability of data and broader accessibility to software and skills are introduced to designers and city makers as enablers of sustainable design solutions, aiming to address the global challenges of rapid urban growth and climate change. This brings an opportunity to explore the use of a specific type of data – geospatial data – in design methods. This paper focuses on understanding the relationship between the process of digitization and the use of data to support design in Architecture and Urbanism, through a literature review and case study. Adopting transport nodes as a type of project for the investigation of such methods, the paper brings in the case of the Sustainable Los Angeles 2050 project to explore how the use of geospatial data can influence the design of transport nodes.@en

Preparing our response to disruptive events is crucial to use their power as accelerators towards a sustainable future. MVRDV's "White Swan Resilience" calls for an optimistic approach, turning vulnerabilities into opportunities and highlighting the importance of a desirable, positive vision of the future.@en

Resilience needs consent to reach scale. Bold, audacious, and daring design can be a powerful tool to motivate stakeholders to engage in building resilience and ensure their commitment and participation in long-term adaptation. When we think of resilience, we think of pragmatism, and restraint. However, we believe that “beauty and wonder” are crucial ingredients of every successful urban adaptation strategy, as they catalyse the will to change. Using six principles, MVRDV endeavours to transform vulnerabilities into drivers for optimistic, robust and daring designs, challenging communities, investors, developers, and stakeholders to co-create an adaptive urban future that works in concert with nature. The Case Study illustrates several lessons from the comparison of two projects. These inform our practice, and commitment to creating scalable solutions for resilient environments that foster consensus through surprising and intriguing solutions using “wonder” to motivate adaptation towards a sustainable future.@en

With Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP, Gunnar Hand and Halina Zarate co-led the research initiative RegenCities, a 2018 American Planning Association Smart Cities Award-winning research initiative by SOM.
The Web-series is composed by 5 videos: 1. What is a Regenerative City, 2.Building a Regenerative City: Equity, 3.Building a Regenerative City: Access, 4.Building a Regenerative City: Nutrition, 5.RegenCities: Economic Regeneration in South L.A.
@en

With Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP, Gunnar Hand and Halina Zarate co-led the research initiative RegenCities, a 2018 American Planning Association Smart Cities Award-winning research initiative by SOM.

The Web-series is composed by 5 videos: 1. What is a Regenerative City, 2.Building a Regenerative City: Equity, 3.Building a Regenerative City: Access, 4.Building a Regenerative City: Nutrition, 5.RegenCities: Economic Regeneration in South L.A.@en

99% preservation and 1% densification: a case for urban density along the Wilshire Corridor as a strategy to
preserve the urban character of the city, improve the quality of life, and protect the environment for LA’s
current and incoming 1.5 million people by 2050 @en

An accessible primer to the most important architectural touchstones of our time by today’s leading architects and teachers of architecture.

Over fifty internationally renowned architects and educators—from Peter Eisenman and the late Zaha Hadid to Rafael Moneo and Cesar Pelli—were asked to list the top 100 twentieth-century architectural projects they would teach to students. The contributors were encouraged to select built projects where formal, spatial, technological, and organizational concepts responded to dynamic historical, cultural, social, and political circumstances. The capacity of these buildings to resist, adapt, and invent new typologies solidifies their timeless relevance to future challenges.
The result is presented here in this unique volume: a master list of the top 100 “must-know” built works of architecture designed and completed between 1900 and 2000. Ranging from houses and apartment buildings to museums and buildings for education and government, the book offers a wealth of extraordinary works of design and construction and is an essential edition for anyone with an interest in architecture and design. @en

The Grand Challenge: in 2050, Los Angeles County will have 1.5 million more residents and two to three times as many extreme heat days. If LA is to thrive in the next century it must strive to achieve 100% renewable energy, 100% local water and enhanced ecosystem health by 2050.@en

99% preservation and 1% densification. A case for urban density along the Wilshire Corridor as a strategy to preserve the urban character of the city, improve the quality of life, and protect the environment for LA's current and incoming 1.5 million people by 2050.@en