Technology and tradition: A Paper on behalf of the Richard Rogers Partnership by Andrew Wright

Abstract

Nature orientates itself to specific environmental situations and when challenged develops devices that allow plants and animals to live in very extreme climates Traditional urban form has needed to make the most of its topology. Traditional buildings when necessary, have developed technologies that achieve additional comfort levels. Mechanisation however, has allowed building to drift away from its natural science base, to a free stylistic repertoire. This tendency has, over a period of time, caused some fundamental problems of performance Consequentially the discipline of architecture needs to broaden, to allow it to recover its natural science base. To achieve this the design team must be more integrated from the earliest stages of design. Clients must give the team additional support during these first stages. Most importantly government must enact clear legislative requirements to ensure that energy efficient solutions are built. This paper aims to describe how the practice's concern with developing low energy buildings and evolving so called ‘sustainable strategies’ has and is informing it design approach and to illustrate the extent of the energy savings and reductions in pollutive emissions that are reasonably achievable. It is important to realise that, although 20 – 30% of these energy savings can be made by utilising recent advances in component technology, approximately 70 – 80% of possible affordable improvements are achievable by good orientation and clear concept design. This paper aims to highlight the importance of good conceptual design in achieving low energy buildings and balanced ecological planning.