What sustainable architecture means to us

Eco-architecture, bio-architecture, eco-bio-architecture: among all these labels that often create some confusion, we have chosen to refer to sustainable.

Eco

The prefix eco is generally associated with the concept of recycling: recyclable or recycled materials help reduce energy consumption, but often these are synthetic materials, derived from petroleum, which still have an environment impact and do not always ensure the healthiness we aim for in our projects.

Bio

Bio, on the other hand, refers to the use of natural materials. Unfortunately also when are natural materials their productive processes (or extraction, processing and transporting) are not always sustainable.

For example, wood is the natural building material par excellence but a massive extraction and without respect can cause serious harm to the natural and landscape context.

Sustainable

Archingreen is inspired by the sustainable concept, a concept that allows for a broader perspective and, at the same time, greater adaptability to context. To us, sustainability means designing for the present, taking care of the well-being of today’s inhabitants, while also protecting the environment for future generations.

A room is only as good as you feel when you're in it.

Philip Johnson

To make this possible, our perspective must embrace three fundamental integrated dimension: social, environmental and economic, that must always be kept in balance.

While environmental sustainability is increasingly discussed, thanks also to stricter regulations year after year on energy savings, and economic sustainability has become a central topic in assessing the feasibility of any project, social sustainability has become mentioned less and less, despite once being a cornerstone of good architecture.

A space, whether open or closed, public or private, is socially sustainable when inclusive, accessible, designed to improve the quality of life to its users.

To achieve this, it is essential to focus not only on the design of spaces, but also on the design comfort, through careful technological choices that ensure all levels of well-being: thermal, acoustic, visual, environmental. Well-designed comfort is the foundation for psychological and social well-being.