speaker 

Dipl.-Ing. Arthur WEI

Co-Partner of REGEN Tech

Throughout the history, mankind has sought to live in a state of “poetic dwelling” (dichterisches Wohnen). From industrial revolution to present day, building hygienics has repeatedly provided people with several seemingly contradictory visions of healthy and comfortable living. Thanks to the optimistic alliance of architecture and machine during the modernism era, devices that regulate the indoor environment have become an integral part of architecture. However, along with the increasing trend of global warming and the rise of carbon-neutral initiatives in various countries – at least from the perspective of architects committed to innovation – the essential role of environmental conditioning devices in architecture is becoming questionable, while renewable energy devices that can be used in buildings are thriving. Contemporary sustainable architecture is struggling to develop under multiple requirements of low carbon emission, health and comfort, and cost effectiveness. Technical systems of sustainable architecture with different focuses have been invented and universally applied – nevertheless, they don’t seem to fit everywhere. The debate between “passive” and “active” measures constitutes a core issue of technical solutions for sustainable architecture. Could the “poetic dwelling” be ever realized through a rational top-level planning? How should architects act in the era of striving for carbon neutrality?

Host 

JIANG Jiawei

Assistant Professor, CAUP, Tongji University