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Architecture: Cause or Cure for Eco-Anxiety?
Matti Kuittinen1, Sanna Lehtinen1, Panu Pihkala2
1Aalto University.
Studies in Health Technology and Informatics
|December 2, 2024
Summary
The construction industry drives resource depletion and emissions, contributing to eco-anxiety. Architecture can mitigate these impacts and foster a healthier relationship with the environment, addressing eco-anxiety through conscious design and value discourse.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Psychology
- Architecture
Background:
- Construction significantly drives global raw material extraction and greenhouse gas emissions, pushing planetary boundaries.
- The environmental impact of new buildings is linked to rising eco-anxiety among stakeholders in the construction sector.
- Eco-anxiety, a form of distress related to environmental crises, requires novel coping mechanisms and societal engagement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the connection between the environmental impacts of construction and the prevalence of eco-anxiety.
- To explore the dual role of architecture in both causing and potentially mitigating environmental damage and associated eco-emotions.
- To advocate for a value-driven discourse in architecture to foster sustainable practices and address eco-anxiety.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and conceptual analysis of the relationship between construction, environmental impact, and psychological responses.
- Examination of architectural theory and practice concerning cultural values and emotional responses.
- Discussion of potential architectural strategies for mitigating environmental harm and supporting emotional well-being.
Main Results:
- Architecture plays a dual role: it contributes to environmental degradation and eco-anxiety, but also offers potential solutions.
- Regenerative and empathetic architecture can shift values away from unsustainable practices towards building within planetary boundaries.
- Architecture can serve as a medium for processing eco-emotions and fostering a more constructive engagement with environmental concerns.
Conclusions:
- A stronger value discourse in architecture is essential for addressing the environmental crisis and eco-anxiety.
- Conscious design decisions, awareness-raising, and skill-building are crucial for designers and educators.
- Architecture has the potential to be a powerful tool for promoting environmental awareness and mitigating negative emotional responses to ecological challenges.
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