The importance of eco- friendly architecture

Research has proven that 35% of the world’s carbon emissions are created by the building sector. There has been a clarion call for eco- friendly methods of construction, which more often than not remains a pipe dream. The lavish, luxurious households of our times almost never adhere to the traditional methods of construction and boast of being environmental friendly with commonplace practices such as scientific waste management or planting a couple of trees around the construction site. Quite often the industrious digging and piling at the site causes the deeper layers of soil to lose cohesiveness. Therefore the trees or plants that are planted remain stunted and fail to spread a canopy because they have not been rooted well due to destabilization of the soil.

Truly eco- friendly architecture would not just limit itself to an amount of greenery in the landscape but make sure that the building processes are “green” too. Applying traditional methods of construction and using green architectural elements such as wood panelling, mud, tree trunks, bamboo, etc, can go a long way to help regulate the temperature inside the house. Villas in Kochi are increasingly depending on environmental friendly materials combined with designs inspired by antiquity. Using natural fibres and recycling old building material can also contribute to a greener home environment. Architects and engineers must also take care to ensure minimal water runoff by cutting through natural soil only sparingly. Local labour, transportation services and low cost but sturdy materials also help to drastically bring down the construction costs while enhancing eco- friendliness.