Part III
Focus: Regenerative Architecture
Photo: Ivar Kvaal, Jonathan Hillyer, Gregg Willet
In the first two parts of the series, we looked at how regenerative architecture differs from sustainable architecture and which materials it can be made from. In the final part, we look at what happens before and after construction: how future building needs are calculated, how a building produces energy, manages water, supports ecosystems and adapts to changing conditions.
Let’s start with energy. Powerhouse Brattørkaia by Snøhetta in Trondheim works like a solar power plant: almost 3,000 m² of panels cover the sloping roof and upper part of the facade. As a result, the building produces more energy than it consumes, while the surplus is supplied to neighbouring buildings and electric transport.
In regenerative design, working with energy directly influences the architecture of a building. We have already explored this approach in the example of Endesa Pavilion in Barcelona: the position of the solar panels and the geometry of the facade were calculated according to solar exposure, and the authors described the principle with the formula form follows energy.
The next resource is water. If, in the case of energy, a building can produce more than it consumes, water requires a different approach: collect it, use it and return it to the natural cycle. The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design at the Georgia Tech campus is designed for a positive water balance: rainwater is collected in an underground cistern and managed on site, while greywater is treated and returned to the ground.
The landscape in this project functions as a complete ecosystem. The roof of Kendeda Building contains beehives, a pollinator garden and a small agricultural area. In the concept of Rotterdam ROCKS!, we saw the same approach: architectural elements are designed from the outset to create new habitats for plants, birds and other living organisms.
Working with energy, water and ecosystems requires calculations at the design stage. This is where artificial intelligence begins to play a noticeable role: it helps compare options for a building’s form, orientation and placement more quickly and assess their consequences. For example, the cloud-based Autodesk Forma platform can analyse solar exposure, wind, daylight, microclimate and carbon footprint. For specific tasks, including rapid wind analysis and carbon-footprint assessment, the platform uses AI models.
Focus: Regenerative Architecture
Photo: Ivar Kvaal, Jonathan Hillyer, Gregg Willet
In the first two parts of the series, we looked at how regenerative architecture differs from sustainable architecture and which materials it can be made from. In the final part, we look at what happens before and after construction: how future building needs are calculated, how a building produces energy, manages water, supports ecosystems and adapts to changing conditions.
Let’s start with energy. Powerhouse Brattørkaia by Snøhetta in Trondheim works like a solar power plant: almost 3,000 m² of panels cover the sloping roof and upper part of the facade. As a result, the building produces more energy than it consumes, while the surplus is supplied to neighbouring buildings and electric transport.
In regenerative design, working with energy directly influences the architecture of a building. We have already explored this approach in the example of Endesa Pavilion in Barcelona: the position of the solar panels and the geometry of the facade were calculated according to solar exposure, and the authors described the principle with the formula form follows energy.
The next resource is water. If, in the case of energy, a building can produce more than it consumes, water requires a different approach: collect it, use it and return it to the natural cycle. The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design at the Georgia Tech campus is designed for a positive water balance: rainwater is collected in an underground cistern and managed on site, while greywater is treated and returned to the ground.
The landscape in this project functions as a complete ecosystem. The roof of Kendeda Building contains beehives, a pollinator garden and a small agricultural area. In the concept of Rotterdam ROCKS!, we saw the same approach: architectural elements are designed from the outset to create new habitats for plants, birds and other living organisms.
Working with energy, water and ecosystems requires calculations at the design stage. This is where artificial intelligence begins to play a noticeable role: it helps compare options for a building’s form, orientation and placement more quickly and assess their consequences. For example, the cloud-based Autodesk Forma platform can analyse solar exposure, wind, daylight, microclimate and carbon footprint. For specific tasks, including rapid wind analysis and carbon-footprint assessment, the platform uses AI models.
FlectoLine Facade | University of Stuttgart / ITKE | Freiberg, Germany
The adaptive facade changes the position of its elements in response to daylight, temperature, wind and weather forecasts.
After construction, AI can move from prediction to building management. In the completed FlectoLine Facade project, researchers at the University of Stuttgart developed an adaptive facade covering 83.5 m² and consisting of 101 movable elements. A digital twin receives data on temperature, daylight, wind and weather forecasts, while the control system adjusts the position of the elements to balance natural lighting, thermal comfort and solar energy generation.
Regenerative architecture goes beyond "green" technologies. Its task is to bring materials, energy, water, ecosystems and building management together into a single system that operates throughout the building’s entire life cycle. The goal is no longer simply to reduce harm, but to make the building support the environment of which it becomes a part.
Part I: What Is Regenerative Architecture
Part II: What Is Regenerative Architecture Made From
@gorkjournal · GORK
3D · Photo · Render · Ai
The adaptive facade changes the position of its elements in response to daylight, temperature, wind and weather forecasts.
After construction, AI can move from prediction to building management. In the completed FlectoLine Facade project, researchers at the University of Stuttgart developed an adaptive facade covering 83.5 m² and consisting of 101 movable elements. A digital twin receives data on temperature, daylight, wind and weather forecasts, while the control system adjusts the position of the elements to balance natural lighting, thermal comfort and solar energy generation.
Regenerative architecture goes beyond "green" technologies. Its task is to bring materials, energy, water, ecosystems and building management together into a single system that operates throughout the building’s entire life cycle. The goal is no longer simply to reduce harm, but to make the building support the environment of which it becomes a part.
Part I: What Is Regenerative Architecture
Part II: What Is Regenerative Architecture Made From
@gorkjournal · GORK
3D · Photo · Render · Ai