With construction accounting for more than a third of global emissions, sustainable architecture is central to the world meeting its climate targets. The following five creations from around the world exemplify how \u201cgreen\u201d buildings can also be beautiful.<\/p>\n
Children\u2019s Village, Tocantins, Brazil<\/p>\n
In Tocantins, central Brazil, the Canuan\u00e3 school is a boarding school whose pupils come from remote farming communities across the region. In 2017, architects gave the school\u2019s 540 boarders two new \u201cvillages\u201d of dormitories, one for girls and one for boys.<\/p>\n
The Children\u2019s Village. Photograph: Leonardo Finotti\/Rosenbaum Arquitetura<\/p>\n
The buildings<\/a> are made from locally sourced timber and earth bricks. A vast canopy shades the complex, and perforated brick walls let air pass through, so the bedrooms stay comfortable without air conditioning even when temperatures reach 45C. Under the roof, rooms open on to shady, landscaped courtyards and airy verandas.<\/p>\n Open-air walkways and shaded areas ensure comfortable spaces for pupils at the Canuan\u00e3 school. Photograph: Leonardo Finotti\/Rosenbaum Arquitetura<\/p>\n David Mikhail, the co-founder of Mikhail Riches, a UK practice specialising in sustainable design, says: \u201cIt is absolutely fantastic. So beautiful. It does a lot with little resource, which is the essence of a sustainable approach.\u201d He adds: \u201cI love the economy of it, and the huge sense of place they managed to evoke through such elegant and limited means.\u201d<\/p>\n The architects have said their biggest challenge was convincing pupils and teachers that earth, brick and timber could feel modern rather than old-fashioned. They managed to do so by listening to students through 10 days of workshops to understand what they wanted from the design.<\/p>\n The Arc, Bali, Indonesia<\/p>\n The Green school in Bali is surrounded by jungle and promotes sustainability through learning in a natural environment. Since it opened in 2008, it has been built almost entirely in bamboo. Its gymnasium, the Arc, was completed in 2021.<\/p>\n Sweeping bamboo arches support the roof of the Arc gym at Bali\u2019s Green school. Photograph: Institute of Structural Engineers<\/p>\n Inspired by a mammal\u2019s ribcage, the Arc\u2019s bamboo arches span a 760 sq metre sports court without a single column interrupting the floor space. The arches support an undulating canopy, and natural ventilation comes from breezes that flow in at the base, while warm air escapes through vents at the top.<\/p>\n Bamboo is a highly sustainable building material because of how quickly it can regrow; large varieties reach building strength in just three to six years. \u201cIt is so fast-growing and sequesters a lot of carbon dioxide very quickly, so using it for building is a bit of a no-brainer if you can make it work,\u201d says Mikhail. \u201cAnd not only have they made it work, they\u2019ve done it absolutely beautifully.\u201d<\/p>\n Sara Kulturhus, Skellefte\u00e5, Sweden<\/p>\n