Sustainability and Resiliency Meet in
Eco-Homes of the Future by Sue Markgraf
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The sober reality of what resiliency in home architecture is and why it matters is played out regularly in news broadcasts and weather reports, locally and around the world. Tornados, hurricanes, blizzards, ice storms, wildfires, droughts—natural disasters are exacerbated by weather and have very real effects on built environments. “In the Chicago area, we know climate change includes heavy rain and high wind events, big snowstorms, drought and flooding situations,” Kipnis says. “We want homes to have what we call ‘passive survivability’ designed into them, so if the power goes out, for example, the house will still be able to function and keep its inhabitants safe, well and comfortable.” Ideally, sustainably designed homes do not harm the environment and use materials and resources in a responsible manner. Resiliency in residential architectural design is about understanding current and future weather patterns, Kipnis says, but it is primarily about anticipating the changes those weather patterns may create. It is also about complementing the lifestyle needs of the occupants with the ability of their home to react and perform sustainably. This includes keeping homes running on battery backup systems, but is also about designing passive strategies into them, including natural ventilation and daylighting, proper overhangs above windows to manage the sun
Photo by James Caulfield Studio ©2021
athan Kipnis has been designing sustainable homes with an eye on the future since he built his first solar house at age 22. But it is his dedication to the symbiotic relationship between residential sustainability and environmental resiliency that now defines his work as an architectural pioneer. “We know the climate is changing. We want to make sure we are designing sustainable homes that can withstand the current environment, but are also designed to manage future weather extremes,” he says. This is Kipnis’ mantra and his success. As principal of Kipnis Architecture + Planning and a founding member of NextHaus Alliance (NexthausAlliance.com), both in Evanston, he coined and trademarked the term “High Design/Low Carbon”. That philosophy qualifies him to predict what the future of eco-homes may look like. Kipnis is a fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA, AIA.org) and a past national co-chair of the AIA 2030 Commitment Working Group, which helps architectural firms evaluate the environmental impact of their design decisions on energy performance. He currently serves on the AIA Committee on Climate Action and Design Excellence.
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