Renovating Carbon

Carbon is everywhere — in the soil, in the air, in life. Carbon is the foundation of architecture and the built environment. Carbon is also infamous for intensifying the climate catastrophes around us. And architects — by the nature of their education and practice are transforming this carbon into the built environment. Twelve critical essays in this book present a constellation of voices surrounding carbon and its relationship with architecture, renovation, material, form, and design pedagogy. The renovation of two buildings on the Equator — at the School of Design and Environment (SDE), National University of Singapore — serve as the protagonists for these reflections. The essays raise key questions on the values embedded in the architecture of architecture schools. What principles might a low-carbon future embody? What do renovations mean for rapidly urbanising Asia? How can they transform the relationship between climate and architecture on the Equator? Do they demand new equatorial forms? How can material innovations influence their design? How can the design of architecture schools influence a new generation of architects towards a sustainable future? These and other questions are set forth within while illustrating the models of thought that have shaped the architecture of SDE 1 & 3, offering ways to sustainably transform carbon in the context of our warming world.