Rising to the challenge of our times

Campus buildings – perhaps more than others – must rise to the challenge of our times. The way they perform or how they are experienced should reflect the lessons taught to the students who use them. Today, walking the talk means setting (and meeting) climate targets, and framing aspirations for well-being and inclusivity.

Two winners at the Holcim Foundation Awards 2023 – Asia Pacific Bronze winner, NUS Yusof Ishak House (Singapore) and North America Bronze winner, Kaiser Borsari Hall (Bellingham, Washington, USA) – are campus buildings in two very different settings, bound by a desire to decarbonise and enhance well-being.

Framing aspirations for higher education in Singapore and the USA

The NUS Yusof Ishak House is a retrofitted heritage building within the National University of Singapore campus. Here, the decision to conserve an existing building is the first step to lowering (embodied) carbon. The second is reducing operational energy use with reliance on passive design strategies, and technology that minimizes waste and maximizes onsite production of renewable power.

The Kaiser Borsari Hall is a purpose-built facility in Western Washington University’s campus – designed as a collaborative teaching space that advances the university’s ambition to become US’s first carbon net-neutral campus. The project uses a cross-laminated timber structure to minimize embodied carbon, and on-site energy generation and storage to reduce operational emissions.

What you’ll learn in this webinar

• What are the challenges of net-zero design? What is hardware and mindware needed to achieve this goal?
• What will raise the performance from net zero-energy to low-carbon or net-zero carbon?
• What is the design process needed to attain these goals? How are targets set and stakeholders aligned?
• What is the symbolic or pedagogic value of high-performing buildings in a campus setting? How can a building advance community engagement and informal learning?

The conversation will be followed by a Q&A round, where you will get the opportunity to ask your most pressing questions about realizing sustainable architecture to the Holcim Awards winners.