Rotterdam-based architecture office GROUP A first launched its internal think tank, CARBONLAB, in 2022, to investigate how it might reduce the carbon footprint of design and construction projects.
CARBONLAB recently conducted useful and enlightening research into how the Dutch Green Building Council's commitment to meeting the Paris Proof building carbon budgets set for 2030 can already be achieved, using materials and construction tools available today. 'Paris Proof Block' is an investigation into the technical and architectural potential to realize a complex, high-rise multifunctional building.
Two concepts were designed to prove that large-scale developments can already be realized today according to the stringent Paris Proof standards. The study was completed in partnership with consultancy and engineering firms Aveco de Bondt, DGMR, ABT, Lüning as well as the office for urbanism and landscape architecture De Urbanisten.
Integral prototype
Situated in Rotterdam’s mixed-use port area Merwe-Vierhavens, 'Paris Proof Block' is a proposal for a prototype high-rise urban building. This urban block is intended to be Paris Proof, climate positive, energy neutral, and designed with a minimum of complex technical installations.
The building is programmed with easy-to-change functions, to be healthy for both humans and animals, and to encourage social interaction through sustainable design. This study has been developed according to two different concepts, titled 'Built to Last' and 'Footloose'.
'Built to Last'
The 'Built to Last' concept is a building designed to remain on the site for at least 300 years. Solid and heavy materials were used in the design, and the resulting thermal mass plays a key role in creating a comfortable indoor climate. The materials can be sourced and produced within a radius of 100 kilometers from the site. This is one of the reasons for the proposed use of rapid-growth fibers such as hemp and for maximizing the reuse of existing waste streams.
This concept, with the knowledge, data, and market products of today, will have life-cycle carbon emissions of 131 kg CO2 eq/m² GFA, a measurement slightly below the Paris Proof target set by the Dutch Green Building Council for 2030. The 'biogenic storage' is calculated to be 221 kg CO2 eq/m² GFA, resulting in a net of 90 kg storage/m². This refers to the amount of carbon sequestered within bio-based construction products throughout the lifespan of the building.
Footloose
A second concept, titled 'Footloose,' is for a building system that will last at least 150 years and is fully demountable and remountable. It is designed according to the 'Shearing layers' concept discussed by Stewart Brand in his book How Buildings Learn, which categorizes a building into six layers: Site, Structure, Skin, Services, Space Plan, and Stuff, each with varying longevity and impact. Understanding these layers helps to enhance a building's circularity potential from the outset, allowing for more sustainable and adaptable design.
Such considerations allow a building to be constructed in various locations. The beneficial properties of wood and other bio-based materials are maximized to enable a comfortable indoor climate with as little technical support as possible. The materials used are determined to be sourced and produced throughout Europe.
This concept, with the knowledge, data, and market products of today, will have life-cycle carbon emissions of 128 kg CO2 eq/m² GFA, which is slightly below the Paris Proof target set by the Dutch Green Building Council for 2030. Here, the biogenic storage is calculated to be 348 kg CO2 eq/m² GFA, resulting in a net of 220 kg storage/m².
