Net Positive Sustainability: A Higher Aspiration
As a climate-conscious citizen, I recycle religiously, abstain from using single-use grocery bags, and still feel guilty about that steak I ate last week. Yet as a professional in the AEC industry, I know that the climate impact of my steak pales in comparison to the impact of the very things we devote our careers to designing and constructing. Buildings account for nearly 40% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide (source), and despite advances in energy efficiency, their net emissions continue to rise (source).
Yet we need buildings and cities — people must have quality spaces to live, work, learn, and thrive. And the demand for urban housing will only increase in the coming years: The UN predicts nearly two out of three people will live in cities by 2050 (source). And as cities struggle to adequately house their growing populations, they also increasingly come under threat from climate change-induced natural disasters like rising seas, wildfires, and severe storms.
Both climate change and housing problems demand solutions now, and neither of them can be solved without addressing the other. Given its central role in both housing development and building-related emissions, the AEC industry must confront this paradoxical challenge: how to house swelling urban populations while simultaneously combating the climate crisis?
“…the AEC industry must confront this paradoxical challenge: how to house swelling urban populations while simultaneously combating the climate crisis?”
These interdependent issues clearly demand innovative multi-faceted solutions that support both substantial climate action and quality, livable buildings and cities. For decades, environmental experts and regulators have responded to this dual challenge with increasingly stringent energy codes and building performance standards that aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Recently, many organizations and communities have even adopted commendable goals like net zero energy or carbon neutrality.
Although these goals have significantly helped mitigate climate change to this point, they also reflect an attitude of “do less harm,” or in the case of net-zero, “do no harm.” Why should we stop there? The tremendous and volatile pressures of climate change and rapid urbanization demand an equally tremendous aspiration: to have a positive impact on people and the planet. Simply put, why not strive to construct net positive buildings, communities, and cities?
“The tremendous and volatile pressures of climate change and rapid urbanization demand an equally tremendous aspiration: to have a positive impact on people and the planet.”
While most will acknowledge that net-positive is worthy aspiration, it is often couched as impractical and dismissed as uneconomic. My team and I challenge that assertion. Net positive is achievable through existing technologies, will quickly become economical through technological and financial innovation, and can serve as a guiding philosophy that transcends just a focus on carbon emissions. Bio-based construction materials that sequester carbon in their fibers, gray and blackwater recycling that reduces strain on watersheds, or even the creation of urban pollinator habitats could all help achieve net positive buildings that draw down carbon, regenerate life-sustaining ecosystems, and support a high quality of life. As a philosophy, it pushes us to think beyond doing less bad and could unlock new design possibilities: How can buildings and cities be transformed from harmful actors to positive ecological contributors? How could a net positive attitude drive us to design and construct more consciously of our holistic impact on the environment?
“How can buildings and cities be transformed from harmful actors to positive ecological contributors?”
Although net positivity may seem daunting, the work we are doing at Assembly OSM is moving the AEC industry forward to achieve this goal. The Assembly business model is designed to overcome the systemic barriers, fragmented solutions, and avoid the greenwashing which has prevented the AEC industry from achieving meaningful progress on climate change. From the earliest phases of design to execution on our initial projects, we monitor our carbon footprint and performance on key sustainability measures throughout our value chain and across the full lifecycle of the building. We employ data-intensive strategies that are designed to drive iterative innovation based on actual performance and prioritize comprehensive solutions with the most impact.
Intrigued? Skeptical? Making a steakhouse reservation? In any case, we will continue to share on this platform more about the what, why, how of achieving net positivity along with many other great posts from the Assembly OSM team on the state of the industry, our innovative “post-modular” practices in designing and making, and how we are leveraging the latest technology to achieve our company mission “to make urban growth scalable, sustainable and inclusive.” If any of this piques your interest, subscribe to read more! (And also please eat steak sparingly).
Allison Bernett is a systems designer at Assembly OSM. She leads the design of the bathroom and kitchen products and is one of many team members driving Assembly’s mission of making urban growth more sustainable. She has several years of experience as an architectural designer and a sustainability consultant. Allison holds a M.Arch degree from Cornell University and a B.A. degree from Washington University in St. Louis with a double major in architecture and biology. In addition to an obsession with countertop edge profiles, she is passionate about sustainability, DfMA, building performance simulation, and ecological design.
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