Architecture Reacts to the Changing Climate

It is no secret that the climate has not only changed in the last few decades, but that it will continue to change in upcoming years. This forces cities and architects alike to rethink the way we create and structure the buildings we live in. This means more than simply rethinking the architecture and final creation of buildings in major cities. It also means finding new, more sustainable ways to build and create throughout production. Instead of constructing buildings from materials flown across the world, people are exploring technologies that could transform one group of substances into another on a building site. For example, Markus Kayser is transforming sand glass using a solar sinter, which focuses on the sun's rays to create obsidian. Other transformative processes include Ginger Krieg Dosier's printed sandstone bricks of bio-manufactured masonry grown using bacteria.

While these practices may seem obscure, life is all about adaptation. Architecture and the way we live our lives will continue to adapt as the world around us continues to change. 

French architects Vincent Callebaut propose ‘algae airships’, using hydrogen-creating seaweed which allows the structures to float above the ground. (Copyright: Vincent Callebaut)