Can traditional architecture help build a ‘more resilient future’?

Suva, Fiji – From the Arctic to the Pacific, Indigenous communities have used unique design and building techniques for millennia to help them survive in some of the most challenging environments on Earth.

Now, as the UN World Meteorological Organization confirms that 2023 is ‘almost certain’ to be the hottest year on record, traditional architecture’s potential is gaining international attention – for its potential to allow humans to live in a hotter world but also because it has less impact on the planet.

Australian architect Peter Rankin has managed the architecture firm, AAPi Design in Fiji’s capital Suva, since 2007.

“Climate change is having a major impact on the built environment,” he told media. “From more frequent and severe natural disasters to rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns. The construction and operation of buildings account for a significant portion of global energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, making sustainable building practices a critical component of efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change.”

That is not an exaggeration.

C40, a global network of mayors of the world’s leading cities that seek to lead climate action, reports that the construction sector alone is responsible for more than 23 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and consumes more than 30 percent of global resources. By 2050, an additional 2.5 billion people are expected to live in the world’s cities, making the need for environment-friendly urban infrastructure more urgent than ever.

The rapid urbanisation has also led to the adoption of modern building practices and materials that often ignore or override traditional knowledge that was linked to the climate.

The dominance of high-rise buildings, air conditioning and artificial lighting has created a significant demand for energy and resources and disrupted traditional social and cultural patterns in countries where people once relied on natural ventilation, shading and outdoor spaces. The result? A built environment that is contributing to average temperatures of 1.43 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and sea ice in the Antarctic at a record low.

A United Nations Environment Programme report released last month highlights that the 55 most climate-vulnerable economies alone have experienced losses and damages of more than $500bn in the last two decades. These costs are expected to rise steeply in the coming decades, particularly in the absence of forceful mitigation and adaptation.