As a result of the climate crisis, the architectural profession is on the verge of a paradigm shift and sustainability has also become one of the primary considerations in planning. Compared to other industries however, the building industry changes more slowly, even though forty percent of energy consumption is related to the built environment. Hungary’s oldest architectural office, KÖZTI, also wants to contribute to sustainablearchitecture with its own green architectural practice.
Green aspects
According to certain researches in Hungary, 35-40 percent of the total energy used is utilized in our buildings, and about 2/3 part of that is for heating and cooling. Sustainable ideas and solutions have an important role in architectural design as well. The use of thermal water in the V.30 Belvárosi Sports Center in Budapest, for example, makes it possible to heat the facility and the pools without gas consumption, while the glass surfaces and light corridors on the roof provide almost the entire building with natural light, significantly reducing electricity consumption. The thermal water of V.30 has been recently classified as medicinal water.
The Green City Project, built in Veszprém last year, has created a continuous green island in the heart of the town, which offers recreation and meeting opportunities for several generations; while the Balatonfüred Congress Center blends organically into the landscape thanks to its green roof, which helps decentralized rainwater management as well.
In the case of the PPKE Campus, however, it was the client’s expectation to obtain the BREEAM Excellent certification, so the KÖZTI team had to deal with a lot of sustainability aspects, from the functional layout to the choice of materials and products to the local production of renewable energy. “At KÖZTI, which is 75 years old this year, sustainability, that is, rationality and common sense, is a basic requirement when designing a building. Green solutions play an important role in our work, from building design through future operation to maintenance.” said Tima Zoltán, design director.
Measurable responsibility
Architecture is part of a much larger system, which interacts with its immediate and wider surroundings. In terms of sustainability, a building is not an individual unit but the junction of several networks (e.g. energy network, traffic network, information, social and economic networks, networks having an effect on the microclimate, etc.), and so its existence and operation modify the interaction of the above network systems. At KÖZTI, the network connections and their operation are summarized in a so called Sustainability Matrix, which is elaborated and optimized for each project.
Are we already in the 24th hour?
It has been estimated that absorbing the environmental damages caused by the global economy would require almost two Earths. According to experts, it is no longer only worthwhile to design sustainable buildings, but rather necessary. “We have no other choice. And compromise cannot be interpreted in this context. We could talk about compromises only if we insisted on continuing with our previous construction practices. However, this is not possible.” emphasized Zsófia Szulágyi, sustainability project manager.
There are already several architectural good practices, such as climatic analysis or the research of the urban, transportation and social contexts of the construction site. At the same time, there are many untapped opportunities awaiting the profession, such as more innovative use of materials, reducing the carbon footprint or increasing the willingness towards professional cooperation.
Building in an environmentally conscious way
Professional advocacy groups can also do a lot for a greener future. For example, the Hungary Green Building Council, or HuGBC for short, works to promote and implement environmentally conscious design, construction and operation. The association is also a member of the international organization World Green Building Council, which maintains partnership with numerous domestic and international professional organizations. “By joining HuGBC, we hope for closer and more direct relations with other participants in the sector and profession, opportunities for cooperation, and national, regional and international interactions in order to promote a more sustainable construction industry,” said Zsófia Szulágyi, sustainability project manager at KÖZTI.
75 years of experience
KÖZTI is Hungary’s oldest architectural design office; they have survived many economic, social and historic crises, thanks to their flexibility and adaptability. They stick to this philosophy even today, when the architectural profession is on the verge of a paradigm shift as a result of the climate crisis.
Founded in 1949, KÖZTI had employed outstanding figures of Hungarian architecture in the past decades, such as Zalaváry Lajos and Jánossy György. Even today, there are several Ybl Miklós, Kossuth and Pro Architectura prize-winning architects working at KÖZTI, and its references include countless projects, from educational buildings to residential ones, both in Hungary and abroad (for example in Africa and the Middle East).
Photos: Hlinka Zsolt, Bujnovszky Tamás
