Pitch
Promoting a quite abstract topic with activities many people like: Architectural photography and sightseeing at day and at night.
Description
Summary
Workshops like these will allow better descriptiveness provided with reference examples that successfully combine architecture and energy efficiency. So they address people’s hearts and minds: Capturing curiosity on whats going on in the environment.
The active and direct experiences of people ensure the attention of local, positive contributions towards global sustainability. It is a motivation for people to achieve high-quality pictures and in the same time they get memories of what they have seen and can share them with others.
By showing a variety of successful examples of energy efficiency and sustainability, the workshops illustrate good practice. This should help to open open up people for new solutions for their homes, which combine effiency and comfort. To build or buy a new home is often a once in a lifetime decision that is rather made by heart than by mind. Therefore you have to convince people in an emotional way.
My point is making a rather complex topic - energy efficiency and environmental protection – comprehensible and promoting its relevance to many different realms with actions many people like to do: Architectural photography and sightseeing. Workshops like this will enable easy access to the topic. Furthermore it could be a motivation for cities and organisations to show their results of environmental protection at day and night.
My idea is about creating attention for successful commitments:
- First with guided tours.
- Second with extension modules, for example books and brochures, internet mapservices or an online photo community where people can share their impressions of green buildings.
Category of the action
Mitigation/Adaptation, Changing public attitudes about climate change
What actions do you propose?
The workshops will adress the public and all stakeholders from building occupants to architects and engineers, developers, legal authorities, NGOs, ... So that the discussion about green buildings, architecture and behavioral norms will gain more importance in the whole society. Various reference examples will show, how the environmental protection can be reached and will create awareness of the actions of any person and encourage adoption.
The workshops are also an opportunity for organisations to present their commitment to the public, so that a transparent discussion of the facts and results can take place. This will be based on direct communication and exchange of experiences, like visits on-the-spot. In addition events like these could be used by media of all kinds.
So everyone can become an advocate of green buildings, which would ultimately have an impact on climate change. But first people have to be involved in an emotional way, so that they, consequently, will change and improve their behavior and set the right priorities towards innovation and sustainability.
Information should invite people to think about the important theme of green buildings and convince them to start acting in an energy efficient way. Getting ideas about what and how could be done in their own homes and environment could motivate to realize them and work together to achieve a sustainable life style.
My idea could be either one activity or the first step to create other events around it.
Who will take these actions?
Everyone, who is interested in architectural photography and (modern) buildings, the energy of cities and the design of the locations, we will visit, can become a supporter. At the same time the local players involved in the environmental protection can show their commitment.
Thus the public is to adress, such as architects, engineers, citizens and tourists, but also the local authorities, companies, NGOs and the public sector. Media of all kinds could be inspired to report about the activities.
Where will these actions be taken?
Everywhere, where people want to support the idea. I already realized four workshops like these with a photographer - during the "Luminale 2014", Biennale Lighting Culture - in the city of Franfurt/Main, Germany. There you find for example the largest number of passive houses and certified buildings in Germany.
The sightseening on foot will start at local public transport connections.
I live and work in Germany, in the state of hesse, so I would suggest
- Darmstadt - a city of science, where many relevant institutions are,
- Heidelberg - just building the world's largest settlement of passive houses or
- Bensheim - wants to achieve a fully energy supply of renewable energies
as follow-up projects. These cities also offer historical and touristic sights. But I have to work on this to realize the next workshops.
How much will emissions be reduced or sequestered vs. business as usual levels?
This depends on the motivation of people, their actions which are being taken and the (new) legal requirements. So I'm not able to show you scientific calculations here, but the goal in Germany is to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions until 2050 to 20% of the amount of 1990. In this context the energy supplies shall be shifted to renewable sources: green electricity to 80% in 2050.
Lower energy consumption and raising energy efficiency will also have a role, such as lower primary energy demand for heating and that the new and the existing buildings would be green. In addition we have to think about the way of mobility in the future.
The first challenge is, to gain interest and individual concern to motivate people to join the way of sustainability. The citizens are necessary to achieve the ambitious targets in Germany and all over the world. So they have to be involved in this development - by heart and mind. I think with growing enthusiasm and understanding people will contribute more.
What are other key benefits?
The idea includes:
- to continue to the destination on foot (environment-friendly and healthy)
- to explore new sides of a city/region and the local activities to corporate social responsibility
- to encourage creativity, cooperation and exchanges to achieve the goal.
The idea should show an alternative/ sustainable approach to life, construction and technology - so everyone can create a benefit with an action towards green buildings, technologies or consumption. In particular, people see their neighbours and organisations in the immediate environment to do different things. This should drive and motivate them to do the same. A nice architecture and feeling fine are no contradictions to sustainability. When you know, what you could do, and are convinced of it, you are able to do so.
What are the proposal’s costs?
An advantage of my idea is that for example an organisation does not need to carry out the project alone. The only thing required is the building itself. If we could visit a roof-top terrace we will pay the costs of the security personnel. I will explain the particular characteristics of place, history and energy efficiency. My colleague, photographer Erich Mehrl, will give ideas and instructions how to create impressive pictures. The organisation can use the workshops for their public relations, for example for their customers too. So the workshops, if successfully made, will pay back for itself and will even generate profits and new business relationships.
Indicator for costs: 800 Euro per workshop. The final costs depend on the individual options, advertising and working hours. Indicator for prize: 139 Euro per participant.
As well various organisations and green building councils can extend their work in public relations or generate profits from selling the book to finance other projects and ideas.
Time line
The program will take over six months to create. A special campaign and impact will start over 2 months before the date of the first event. Then the promotion should be done continuously, as the occasion arises: fairs and events for buildings, technology, tourism; for residents and visitors alike and so on.
After one or two years the concept could be revised and updated, extended or complemented by new ideas, such as new local buildings and initiatives, which will be visited; a game through the city of Frankfurt or a photo competition/exhibition.
With this awareness, motivation and demand for green solutions will start to build up. The professional "green players" will get more and more involved and can fulfil the demands. Other organisations will try to join.
So it depends on the providers on the market, how the events will be phased in over the medium and long term. My idea can either be a first and only step, realized in the short term. But it offers space for extension modules as well.
I think we have to act now to achieve the targets: Buildings remain one of the key producers of greenhouse gases contributing to global warming.The implementation of measures will take time, even when individual persons are rapidly convinced. It is important to turn the theme with many kind of actions into a mass movement - as soon as possible.
Related proposals
The proposal could be related/combined with my idea of Travel-Guides: Explore cities/regions with perfect examples of energy efficiency.
Both depend on special places to visit. So a photographer could become more curious about learning of the local activities and organisations, which are engaged for energy efficiency. The other way around an area, mentioned in the book, could have a charming ambiance to be photographed.
From my point of view my idea also could related/combined with:
- National Surveys and Public Communications Strategy / neerada
- 3D Printing Hempcrete - The People will know what they want once they see it ... / Order of Treemasons
- Making a Hollywood movie that addresses the subject, with follow-up tours / Ziad Haddad
References
Individual documents and samples are necessary for each city and region. If requested, I could add some references to the city of Frankfurt or the german goals to energy efficiency and environmental protection - but they are all written in German.
By:
BGS + EM
