CLIMATE JUSTICE AND ARCHITECTURE

Society, sustainability and system

A preponderant and strongly debated issue in recent years is that of the relationship between man and nature, in particular we focus on the consequences that anthropization phenomena have meant for the global stability of the planet. The exploitation of resources beyond reasonable limits, the use of toxic substances and the consumption of the soil are just some of the burning arguments of this historical period. The theme concerns all the fields in which man works and fits; surely architecture is also active in the discussion, praised or guilty, it is the actress of a change that involves all sectors.

For years now we have been talking about sustainable architecture, green architecture and considering the use of recyclable materials to build buildings. Many European countries already plan with a view to recreating a dialogue with nature in a process aimed at the construction of buildings and cities with an environmental impact tending towards zero. In Italy we are moving in this direction but certainly in a less convinced way.
An approach that until a few years ago could have been a free choice will become, from 2021, an obligation dictated by the new European directives expressed in the EPBD 31/2010, which set the objective of reducing energy consumption by providing that all new buildings construction, or subject to major renovations, must meet certain energy performance requirements.
However, it would be erroneous and simplifying to limit the problem to the issue of energy efficiency; certainly the definition of a regulated standard constitutes a valid starting point, but the complexity of an architectural intervention requires a more complete analysis, which includes an assessment of waste throughout the building’s production cycle until its disposal.

In response to the growing demand for climate justice, which calls not only environmental but also ethical and political issues to debate, how can we change the direction of the contemporary development model? What are the critical issues and difficulties in implementing a model of sustainable society? Can we also transpose these ideologies into architecture to deal with a global emergency?

The Number 06 of AGORÀ magazine focuses its attention on these issues. The problem is certainly social, architectural and strictly connected to a socio-economic system which should consider it essential to bring attention to the symbiotic relationship between man and planet, the only way to be able to safeguard the present and guarantee a future.

Editorial: Morgana Nichetti and Lucia Arrighi
Cover: Morgana Nichetti, “Invasion”, 2019