Buildings we live in

-campaign

The You Tell Me Collective has launched a campaign to share information about the environmental impact on the built environment.

 The aim of the campaign is to stimulate a wider debate on the topic and to raise awareness among non-professionals as well. We question the general construction method and describe the problem areas related to construction. The idea for the campaign was born at the first You Tell Me Symposium on November 30th at the “Lapinlahden lähde,” the Centre for Culture and Well-Being in Helsinki. The implementation of the idea was inspired by Elissa Eriksson's “I want to see more” art performance. At first, the idea of ​​our campaign was art-oriented, but with the group discussions it turned into a campaign. We decided to apply for a Climate Change Force grant, which was awarded to our group in May. We worked throughout the summer, during which the themes of the campaign were refined to focus, as the name of our campaign suggests, on the buildings we live in.

Before the beginning of the campaign on November 2nd Helsingin Sanomat published our opinion piece: “The current way of building spends money, health and natural resources: Finland's goal of being carbon neutral is impossible to achieve with current construction methods.” With this, we emphasize the importance of the topic: “Buildings cause 30% of all emissions in Finland, and the construction process itself always causes a carbon spike. (…) In addition to emissions from buildings, the building materials used can affect the health of residents and the environment. People spend much of their lives inside buildings. Why don't we demand the same transparency about the materials contained in buildings as we do about food?”

The campaign is also part of the You Tell Me Collective’s goal of understanding sustainable design practices through peer learning. With the help of the project, the group’s understanding of itself also grew and became more precise. Through the campaign, we hope that the topic will receive more publicity and oblige universities and decision-makers to act. Sustainable development should be the starting point of our education, not an added feature. Sustainable development should be the starting point for our society and economy, as sustainability is a condition for their survival.

Why do we think the topic is important?

1. Construction plays a major role in tackling climate change.

2. There are problems with the environment and human health in current construction methods. Read more on our blog.

3. There are solutions. We do not want to mourn mistakes, but to work together towards a better future!

For example:

1. The use of non-renewable materials shall be significantly reduced or eliminated where possible.

2. Reuse solid structures and develop, for example, wood construction.

3. The starting point in the life cycle of buildings shall be 100 or 200 years.

4. Legislation is based not only on energy efficiency, but also on carbon footprint, life cycle and carbon budget.

5. Let’s not demolish, but repair!

6. Construction projects should be conditional on a carbon budget.

7. Design buildings with gravity ventilation whenever possible. Develop skills and solutions for gravity ventilation.

8. Before embarking on a project, consider: is the building necessary, if so, how could it be implemented as sustainable as possible and with the least possible impact on the environment?

9. Sufficient resources shall be set aside for design and construction and shall be carried out in multi-professional cooperation.

10. The main theme of education in architecture and construction is the construction of a sustainable society.