GREEN ARCHITECTURE: SUSTAINABILITY IS NOT RENUNCIATION

07. Oct 2022
Photo: Nemanja Ćurčić (Lela Alempijević, Zabriskie)

The demands of the real estate market have been changing rapidly in recent decades, posing new and increasingly complex challenges to today’s architects, one of which is designing according to green building standards. We spoke with Lela Alempijević, Partner and CEO of Zabriskie Studio, which signs some of the most representative domestic examples of contemporary architecture, about what green architecture looks like in practice in Serbia, how architects and investors complement each other in green visions, and how important state incentives are in affirming the importance of green standards. 

There would be no green buildings without green architectural designs. How much have green building standards been implemented in architectural practice during the last few years and what do they most often imply?

It is true that green projects are necessary for green building. However, there is no green building without a business plan that recognizes it as an investment. Together with our clients, we create products that meet their wishes and needs, with the awareness that by fine-pushing the boundaries, we create new customers every time. It seems that those boundaries have been pushed in our market as well, but not yet enough to call it a trend. My impression, from our practice, is that if the investment remains in the possession of the client, the more often the business plan includes long-term consideration of savings through sustainable energy systems (heating, cooling, insulating properties, water consumption, etc., as well as efficient facility maintenance systems through its life cycle) regardless of whether it is commercial real estate for rent, and all the more so, if it is an investment in living spaces.

MIA DORĆOL: FACADE MADE OF RECYCLED BRICKS / PHOTO: RELJA IVANIĆ

Is designing a green building a bigger challenge for architects than a classic design, if such a thing even exists anymore?

The century we live in requires architects and offices to specialize in certain niches more than ever before, because no matter how dedicated, hardworking, and talented you are as an individual or a company, today you can no longer be an expert on all topics in architecture. The requirements of the real estate market have been changing rapidly in recent decades: new technologies, the influence of marketing and branding, the legality of sales, cost management, etc. And because the challenges faced by humanity globally are of an environmental nature, sustainability is thus a topic for the survival of the planet. It is necessary, more than ever, to think systematically, to create automation processes, and to use modern technologies and software so that the results in this century are visionary, as were some architectural aspirations during the 20th century.

THE REVOLUCIJA OFFICE BUILDING: VISUAL CONNECTION WITH THE PARK / PHOTO: ZABRISKIE

On whom does it depend more whether a building will comply with green standards – the architects who design it or the investors – given that this area is not legally regulated in our country?

Customers are the primary focus of investors and architects, and solutions are developed with their consideration. The state must not be left out, as a client that finances and builds public facilities, but also as a legislator and controller of laws. First, politics, and then the state, is the initiator, and most often also the implementer of planning and implementation of green standards or standards in general. I think that the biggest problem in Belgrade is not inadequate city development and planning but uncontrolled execution and implementation, so the reality is often worse than the worst plan. On the other hand, if the state gave incentives through minimum tax relief, at least for large developers, regarding the use of green materials, technologies, or the implementation of sustainable energy systems, it would significantly contribute to creating awareness of the importance of green standards. Unfortunately, there is no such thing in our environment yet.

Over time, the so often used term “sustainability“ has become detached from its meaning in such a way that in its subtext there is an expectation of making some kind of sacrifice for the sake of the future, both on the part of politicians and the state, as well as developers. Sustainability does not mean renunciation, and it is not an irreversible investment of money in the future, but above all, it means long-term reflection, planning, and budget management. If the question is what is the biggest challenge for architects in green architecture, I think it is still a change of approach in the understanding of the concept of sustainability by all actors.

The Granit Invest office building Mia Dorćol, designed by your studio, is a multi-award winning example of modern green building. Its attractiveness, among other things, is reflected in the recycled facade brick...

No matter how perfectly thought out the house is, if there is no client, it will not happen, and I would add that a house without a client cannot be perfectly thought out. Our projects are therefore a confirmation of this thesis, and Mia Dorćol is the best example.    

The initial idea was for the facade to be made of brick in a natural color, and the client accepted it right on. We moved on to market research, import possibilities, keeping in mind a certain budget for the facade. The process resulted in the decision that the facade should be made of already used bricks. This facade met all the requirements, from the lower cost of the materials to fitting into the industrial heritage; the reused bricks created an identity based on the feeling of belonging to the community. Above all, the most important long-term environmental benefit was realized: a reduction of the CO2 footprint by 12 tons was achieved on the facade of this building alone. Therefore, seemingly small decisions can have a big impact on the environment.

There are high expectations for the new Revolucija office building, which you also designed for Granit Invest, and there is a lot of talk about the Mia Dorćol 2 project. What new will these two projects bring?

With the Revolucija building's architecture, it was intended to infuse the spirit of the present into one of Belgrade's oldest streets. The users were the main driving force behind this design. One of Belgrade's most beautiful parks, Ćirilo i Metodije, which lies across the street, brings the experience closer to the users and, in a way, integrates with the workspace thanks to the transparent facade. Because of this, the curtain wall has been pulled back from the main facade, leaving room for small green gardens that are high enough for employees to enjoy a view. This will be one of the most modernly equipped class A office spaces currently available in Belgrade, but what essentially makes it luxurious is the visual connection with the park and the integration of greenery and plants both on the facade and in the interior.

As for Mia Dorćol 2, the project is being developed, so many decisions are not final. Granit Invest is a company that, throughout its decades of existence, has set a high level of general quality as its standard, striving for innovation in every facility and we are excited and grateful to be participating in another such project. For now, we can announce the use of a material that is new to our market. The facility will be interesting and unusual, and completely different from the first building.

MERIN HILL: UNIQUE ROOF DESIGN / PHOTO: RELJA IVANIĆ

Two ongoing residential and commercial construction projects with your signature are Kennedy Residence and Merin Hill. What are their main qualities?

Both projects represent unique, tailor-made solutions in our market, in which we participated from the first sketches and ideas to the contractor projects. In addition to the numerous requirements regarding efficiency and utilization of space, as well as the standards required by sales, there was also a request from the client to achieve a unique designAt Merin Hill, a special roof design was developed in an effort to find a solution that would enhance the appeal of the attic as a living area. This design subtly interacts with a highly diverse environment. Together with the client, we demonstrated at both buildings that careful planning, good design, and effective branding can greatly increase the price per square meter set by the location.

THE PROJECT OF THE FACULTY OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING EXPANSION / PHOTO: ZABRISKIE

This year, you worked on a project to expand the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, and it received a lot of attention because it was a unique challenge with cutting-edge solutions…

It is a public facility, so we recognized this as an opportunity for innovation that has the potential to be realized. On the one hand, we located the challenges of modern academic institutions in the context of general public interests. We have offered a comprehensiveness in understanding of customer needs through a talent retention strategy and an environmental concept that reduces CO2, the implementation of digital tools at work, we have created a solution that is more than a campus, a new platform, so to speak. That platform respects heritage both spatially and meaningfully. A green training ground for new ideas has been designed on the roof, and the entire building has been structurally very rationally thought out, with the introduction of CLT wooden construction for the above-ground floors. Throughout the construction and life cycle of the facility, this solution foresees an energy saving of 75%. Also, the noble character of the wood contributes to the overall recognition of the building and to the creation of its identity, with which the community is easily associated. This is one of our most proud projects because it is truly oriented toward a more beautiful, sustainable, and feasible future. 

THE NEW CONCERT HALL OF THE BELGRADE PHILHARMONIC / PHOTO: ZABRISKIE

Zabriskie Studio is signing two current domestic projects with British colleagues – Ložionica within Belgrade Waterfront and the future building of the Belgrade Philharmonic Hall. What does it look like when local and world architectural brands cross?

The conceptual layout for Ložionica was developed with the London office Egret West, with whom we easily agreed in the approach that truly innovative spaces should emerge from a narrative rooted in the environment. Cooperation with the London-based Amanda Levete Architects office, with whom we participated as local partners and won the international competition for the building of the Belgrade Philharmonic Hall, is probably the most significant thing that has happened to us in our practice so far. For me personally, it is the best illustration that overnight success requires 20 years of work and a little luck. I consider it our success that we have the opportunity to be part of an international team that carries out such a serious, significant and inspiring project from start to completion. We are focused on gaining new knowledge through this experience and implementing it in our work processes and methodology. Apart from the fact that we understood each other very quickly with AL_A, because we speak the same language of architecture, it helped us to see how domestic and foreign architectural firms differ. Our conclusion is that opportunities for references make the biggest difference, since there has not been such a significant and complex project in our community in the last fifty years.

Zabriskie Studio is one of Serbia's leading design-consulting companies when it comes to contemporary architecture. What makes your product special and recognizable?

Two elements of our approach, in my opinion, have been key to our up to date success. One is “don’t dream of success, but train“, and the other is to use every opportunity to overcome challenges by creating innovative optimal solutions within the given time and budget frames. Our product is not only the final architecture and project, our service includes the full process of working with the client. Our facilities are the product of a conscious investment in research to identify our customers' needs as well as the needs of end users, through a true understanding of all the economic and social mechanisms that have an impact on those needs.

ARCHITECT AS A “PROBLEM-SOLVER“

BIG, as a major world architectural brand, has in many ways globally changed the understanding of the role of architecture. The architect is no longer a visionary, as in the novel La Source Vive by Ayn Rand, whose vision was to save the world through the struggle with clients and capital, but the architect is a "problem-solver," who enthusiastically and without fear leaves the field of his current expertise, ready to learn quickly and to understand new social mechanisms in order to solve problems. I think that Bjarke Ingles, communicating in this way the role of architects in the new age in a simple pop language, not only through his branding, but also through his projects, has done a lot for architecture and for the global community. He has created a new platform that we will all reach. It’s just a matter of how long that journey will take.

By: Petar Dobrosavljević

2024. © All rights reserved. RealEstate-Magazine.rs. Developed by Creative Web
We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our site. If you want to block cookies, please set your browser.