In this era of climate change, sustainability in design has become a necessity rather than just a novelty. Modern design focuses on space optimization, but compact living requires a sustainable design approach to create well-ventilated living spaces. Designers are striving to build sustainable buildings by using natural elements and resources in their material palettes. With a focus on the effects on human health and the environment, sustainable interior design encourages recycling and the use of energy-efficient building techniques. They are increasingly using a life-cycle approach while developing plans and material sections for interior spaces. The sustainable design encourages recycling and the use of energy-efficient construction techniques. We have curated a list of sustainable projects or sustainable design projects that are contributing to creating a greener world for us!
25+ Sustainable Projects that Show us what the Future of Eco-friendly Interiors Looks Like
01. Olympic House at Lausanne, Switzerland, By 3XN Design
The Olympic House was built on five fundamental principles: mobility, transparency, flexibility, sustainability, and collaboration. The façade, a signature design element of 3XN’s design, pays homage to the Olympic spirit by replicating an athlete’s fluid movements. Due to the dynamic and undulating façade of the building, it appears different from all angles.
The structure boasts three of the most rigorous sustainable construction certifications, making it one of the world’s most environmentally sustainable projects. According to the U.S. Green Building Council, the Olympic House has received the highest score (93) of any Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design V4 (LEED) certified new construction project to date. LEED is a popular green building program in the world that denotes that a building is reducing carbon emissions and conserving resources, while the main priority lies in creating a healthy environment through sustainable practice. It is also the first international headquarters to receive the highest level of the Swiss Sustainable Construction Standard. It has also received the Swiss Standard for energy-efficient buildings award.
About 95 percent of the materials from the previous IOC office, which it replaced, have been reused in the Olympic House. Olympic House makes the most of its stunning setting in Louis Bourget Park, on the shores of Lake Geneva. Olympic House is located inside a public space that attracts diverse users. It becomes an architectural landmark for the region, displaying transparency and hence making it one of the best sustainable architecture projects.
02. Winter Park Library and Events Centre, Florida by Adjaye and Associates
This civic and cultural hub is meant to be a site of community empowerment and education, in harmony with the principles of the park’s name. The new core, which is a significant component of the park’s revitalization, is envisioned as a micro-village of three pavilions, each of differing scale and purpose but having a common design language. The Winter Park Library was created to be in harmony with the site’s unique tropical ecology. Arches inspired by both native biodiversity and the region’s vernacular architecture define the design of the pavilions. The vaulted rooflines and arching windows create a porous interplay between the inside and outside, allowing natural light to penetrate the structures.
Locally sourced materials, energy production through solar panels, and a storm water irrigation system form the core of the sustainable design. The installation of a storm water irrigation system has been centralized under a permeable parking lot structure. The mechanism is such that it allows water to pass through porous parking, a sub-base of granite, and then eventually towards the lake. The water is reused and fed to the campus’s landscape.
03. Salvaged Brick Extension House of London by Vatraa Architects
One of the best sustainability project ideas is the Salvaged brick extension house in London. The design, focused on recycling, has been built as an extension to a Victorian mansion in north London using bricks reclaimed from the demolition of an existing partition. Reclaimed bricks are an eco-friendly option that cuts down on the negative environmental impact. This house seeks inspiration from the original house’s traditional Victorian architecture. The pitched roof was based on the original building’s roofline. A blue circular window preserves the antiquity building’s pattern of stained-glass insertions.
04. A Waterfront Oasis of Washington by Charlie Hellstern Interior Design
This landmark mid-century residence from the 1960s was refurbished and is set on a cliff overlooking Washington’s Puget Sound. Charlie Hellstern Interior Design went beyond aesthetics by incorporating Red List-free materials into all the home’s furniture and furnishings, permanently removing chemicals of concern from a broader range of craftsmen, assemblers, suppliers, and distributors.
05. California State University in Los Angeles by ZGF Architects
ZGF Architects redesigned this campus into an energy-efficient educational space. This original construction has been transformed into a sustainable building on campus, from environmental effects to energy use, to create a healthy indoor atmosphere. Excluding the concrete brise-soleil, inner columns, and slabs, the whole structure was dismantled to make room for an entirely new program that is well suited to the building’s new function. Glass walls were demolished behind the concrete brise-soleil and a new efficient storefront system was installed. Through improved communication across administrative divisions, interior modifications successfully reduced departmental silos and integrated student-focused services. The project is LEED Gold with the potential for Platinum, giving the term ‘back to school’ a sustainable restart.
06. 16 Minetta Lane, New York by Kushner Studios
16 Minetta Lane’s design gets its inspiration from the historical context of the famed Minetta Brook. Interior designer Robert Isabell previously owned it. A new interior and vertical extension were created, retaining the existing structure. This new extension was made with respect to the original historic insertion, giving it a unique urban fabric.
Another distinguishing feature of the tower is the freshly erected façade. The gothic arches of trees along Minetta Street served as the inspiration for the façade. A wood pile was reintroduced into the design as a means of filtering light through the facade and weaving itself into other inside components.
07. American Geophysical Union, Washington headquarters by Hickok Cole
The designer’s goal was to provide an ecologically friendly facelift for the American Geophysical Union’s Washington Headquarters. For the 84,000-square-foot project, which has two underground levels (the lowest parking garage), five above-grade floors, and a rooftop penthouse and terrace, the company created a complete approach for energy reduction, reclamation, absorption, and generation. Over 900 windows were replaced with electrochromic glasses that use sensors to monitor light levels and tints to minimize glare and heat transmission. The facade system is connected to the structure’s interior lighting, controlling the artificial lighting. The building’s regular operations include:
- recycling and composting,
- energy saving equipment,
- purchasing reusable compostable and recyclable materials and restrict materials that negatively affect human health
- educational efforts on the best practices to eliminate waste.
08. Annapolis Residence, U.S. by Bates Masi + Architects
The designers opened up this panelled wooden home in Annapolis by using sliding doors, terraces, and balconies. The design language of the coastal setting inspired the material palette. The exterior screen comprises of fixed ipe slats that complement the spaces that require seclusion. Marine canvas curtains are hung inside on a seamless stainless steel track that surrounds the second level. This level also houses the open living cum dining area and kitchen. The home has been conceptualized as an upside-down structure for the best bay views.
09. Cowboy Modern Desert Retreat, California by Jeremy Levine Designs
Cowboy Modern Desert Retreat has been built on relatively flat land to avoid grading, which would have resulted in significant environmental damage. The house has been built with three goals in mind: to gather natural breezes, to frame the breath-taking views so that each room has a unique view, and to position the building to minimize solar heat absorption. To reduce the disturbance of the desert’s delicate ecosystem, the house’s structure was designed with a zero-waste system.
10. Wren Urban Nest, Ireland by BDP Architects
The Wren Urban Nest, designed with cutting-edge sustainable technology, reduces carbon emissions and allows the building to function entirely on renewable energy. The hotel’s design emphasizes minimalist elegance and energy efficiency, with small bedrooms ornamented with the best contemporary Irish craft, acting as a showcase for Irish design. The Wren’s design emerged as a result of contemplating how future visitors might interact with the city of Dublin.
11. Office for Associated Press in New York by TPG Architecture
The Associated Press envisioned a facility that would consciously complement its workers’ evolving work patterns while also effortlessly accommodating AP’s diverse programming demands. The project has received LEED Gold certification. The workplace includes a 24/7 broadcasting studio, green rooms and supporting facilities, and a data center, among other things. TPG’s design solution combined the brand’s fundamental basis with new adjustments for the industry’s future.
12. UCL Bloomsbury Campus, London by Nicholas Hare Architects
In the center of the Bloomsbury campus, this main building provides a contemporary and adaptable environment for students, supporting their interests and education. It aims to accomplish excellent sustainability goals. The structure built on the remaining undeveloped plot has a massive circumferential stair with functional landings, a terraced through-route at ground level, and a double basement.
Most of the structure on the Bloomsbury campus was recycled using GGBS concrete and recycled aggregates. The building fabric is highly efficient in regulating temperature and reducing energy usage. Additionally, there are other sustainability features like ground-source heat pumps, natural ventilation, solar panels, and a roof garden.
13. Tsingpu Yangzhou Retreat, China by Neri and Hu Designs
The design is centered on the adaptive reuse of various historic buildings on the site by giving them new roles, as well as the addition of new structures to meet the hotel’s capacity demands. Yangzhou Hotel has a grid of dark-brick walls around a variety of courtyards, gardens, guest rooms, and service spaces. This optimizes natural ventilation. The reused grey-toned brick walls of the transition areas provide framed views of the countryside and sky. The different brick-laying systems, including an open-air ‘lattice’ type of building, allow foran interesting play of light and shadow.
14. The Centre for Fiction, Brooklyn by BKSK Architects
The Center for Fiction honours authors and the art of storytelling. The building also has meeting spaces, a performance space, a private library, and a shop section with unique Rakks shelving systems. The vision is to provide a locally anchored foundation for a timeless narrative. It highlights transparency and human scale, which are both classic and contemporary. The design which is governed by sustainable practices, surpasses LEED Silver specifications.
15. Nixon Peabody Office, New York by Perkins and Wills Architects
The design seeks to foster cooperation and transparency while referring to the setting of metropolitan New York. A prominent stair connects the office’s three levels, providing spectacular views of the city. The reception area has concrete floors, and the floor-to-ceiling glass walls encourage teamwork across operating spaces. The area can be modified easily as requirements change. It also received LEED Gold certification. Overall, the workplace strikes a balance between utility and style.
16. Mortenhals House, Norway by Stinessan Architects
The design not only features stunning aesthetics but also meets all the criteria for being eco-friendly. The wood used in the construction came from nearby forests. Water was used sparingly, and hydropower supplied the majority of the electricity. Separate volumes with in-between spaces naturally provide distinct temperature zones for an optimized internal thermal atmosphere.
17. The Netsch Residence, Chicago by SOM
This Chicago house is an example of intricate geometries that establish subtle connections between functionality and design. The basic exterior form is a brick box with a triangular protrusion. This simple exterior conceals a complex, multifaceted interior. The original home was sustainable because it had a small surface area and an effective external wall made of concrete block with a brick face. The window-to-wall ratio is relatively low, which contributes to the building envelope’s high level of efficiency. Thanks to LED lighting and new energy-efficient air-conditioning and water infrastructure, the house is now even more ecologically sound.
18. The Ledge, India by the Wallmakers
The structure appears to emerge into the air as an extension of the mountain. The designers used a sustainable material palette. The roof and external wall made of treated Casuarina posts blend seamlessly with the natural landscape. What needs to be noted is that Casuarina wood is otherwise used exclusively for scaffolding and fencing. These trees have been planted in the house’s central courtyard at the outset of the building to provide additional support for the long-span Casuarina-ferrocement composite roof.
19. San Vicente 935, U.S. by Lorcan o’ Herlihy Architects
The design attempts to promote deliberate design by adopting the courtyard housing typology. The central courtyard serves as the focal point for all activity, including the major outdoor sculpture stair, which encourages sociability and a sense of community among residents and visitors alike. One can access all units from this central open area, which contains benches, a water element, and a native plantation, which lowers the need for artificial climate-control systems.
20. Cantilever House, Ghaziabad, India by ZED Labs
The Cantilever House is a blend of traditional vernacular components and a contemporary perspective. The driving principle of the design was to create an exciting interplay of private and living spaces, allowing certain family members to enjoy solitude. The living spaces, patios, and bedrooms are all intended to withstand inclement weather. As a result, the house is tranquil and rejuvenating, while also being adaptable to a hectic lifestyle.
The Cantilever house employs varied mechanisms that reduce resource consumption and the building’s environmental impact, improving the resident’s thermal comfort.
21. Ben Ridley’s Home in Muswell Hill by Architecture for London
This project entails renovating and expanding a three-story Edwardian mansion that was vacant for over 40 years. The concept was derived from sustainability initiatives and also dictates aesthetics. For instance, the lime plaster applied to the walls creates an airtight layer on the structure when it is 10mm thick, but it may also serve as the final layer. The studio retained a few structural walls on the ground-level kitchen to avoid supporting frames made of energy-intensive materials like steel.
22. Tech HQ Amsterdam by Studio Rainknop
These new offices have been designed to meet the needs of the 100 employees, with a spacious café and the freedom to work and congregate both officially and informally in teams of 2 to 10 individuals. Instead of ceiling-high rooms, the team designed standalone blocks in the space. This generates openness and ventilation while keeping the industrial shed roofs exposed. Repurposed bricks make the floor of the café, which is one of the design criteria.
23. Salamander Resort & Spa, Middleburg, Virginia by WATG
The designers wanted to safeguard the rustic yet exquisite essence of Middleburg, Virginia. The design’s aim was to minimize the external impact on the historic town by complying with the town’s scale and architectural character. In the initial planning stage, framed views of the surrounding landscape were chosen from both within the resort and from the premises. It was vital to incorporate the natural surroundings into this new, elegant rural hotel. It is the first luxury destination resort and spa in the United States to receive LEED certification. The building’s characteristics also include extensive waste, water, and energy management programs.
24. Ehrlich Retreat+, U.S. by John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects
Green strategies have been seamlessly incorporated into a one-of-a-kind sculptural design. The wide frame of the construction embraces and provides significance to the yard, while also shielding the house’s southern face. A dramatic form has been created by the office’s triangular cut-out, which also lets in a lot of natural northern light. The steel and wood trellis offer shade for the yard while also housing a photovoltaic system that powers the home and swimming pool.
25. The Circular House, London by A-Zero architects
A-Zero Architects transformed this terraced house into a setting that captures the fundamental usage of sustainable materials with a streamlined degree of refinement. The designers intended to highlight repurposed materials, and they actively picked materials with a narrative to express. Scaffolding planks, for example, were reused in a ground floor kitchen expansion to the rear of the building, resulting in an open-plan kitchen-dining area.
This is simply a Glimpse of an Eco-friendly Future!
Designers are coming up with innovative techniques and materials that will help us create sustainable buildings. These techniques have become the new norm. There are many misconceptions about what it means to design an ecologically responsible building, but as all of these diverse examples demonstrate, a sustainable building can be both visually attractive and useful.
In addition, sustainable development projects involving harnessing solar energy, wind energy, water treatment plants and so on contribute to making an architectural project sustainable, while sustainable project management ensures that a project stays sustainable, making it a goal from the beginning of the project. On a larger scale, sustainable city project initiatives are being taken up to make an entire city sustainable and liveable. Basel (Switzerland) emphasizes green roofs, Bristol sets net-zero emissions for 2050, Medellin for better air quality with green corridors, Dubai for a sustainable city etc. are some examples of city plans.
FAQs
01. What is Sustainable Architecture?
Sustainable design aims to reduce the adverse environmental effects of buildings by increasing efficiency and regulation in the use of materials, resources, and the ecosystem in general.
02. What are the Three basic Components of Green Construction?
Green building components or elements are water, energy, and well-being.
03. What is the Necessity for Sustainable Architecture?
Sustainable building design is critical to assisting building owners in conserving resources while providing a higher-quality interior environment for their customers.
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Author Bio
Saili Sawantt – She is an Architect and Interior Designer by profession. Writing is what she treats as her passion. She has worked as an Architectural Writer, Editor, and Journalist for various design as well as digital portals, both national and international. Formerly she has also worked with Godrej Properties Limited (GPL) Design Studio, Mumbai, due to her keen interested in learning about Sustainability and Green buildings. Apart from this, she runs her blog ‘The Reader’s Express’ and is a practicing Architect & Interior Designer.
