For many people, it may seem that green architecture is a new trend, which came to us after the boom of the 2000s when many people began to think about more sustainable life. However, this is not entirely true; in fact, green architecture began to take interest in the Middle Ages. For example, in 1602, Campanella developed the so-called "City of the Sun", and in 1755 Morelli proposed the concept of the city, based on the "Wheel of Nature", and a little later in 1841, Owen created the project green city.

  The choice of building materials, which largely determine the functional and aesthetic qualities of the buildings constructed of them, used to depend almost entirely on the characteristics of the environment. That is why the architecture of Mesopotamia was primarily associated with clay, ancient Hellas and Georgia - with stone, Finland - with wood, etc. Today, of course, the situation has changed dramatically with the advent of a variety of fabricated materials and the possibility of transporting them to other regions.

There are several criteria, which should meet the "ideal" green architecture:

Proper location - a "green" building should not be built in unstable areas such as wetlands, groundwater zones or old-growth forests.

Energy efficiency - using energy resources that minimize negative environmental impact.

Waste-free design - adapting a building for reuse, such as turning an old warehouse into housing, is just one example of how proper engineering and design can reduce not only the amount of construction waste but also the amount of waste generated while the building is in use.

In addition, here are a few examples of “ideal» green architectural features:

A house with vertical greenery - Lausanne, Switzerland. 

"Garden houses" improve the ecological situation in the city; allow the preservation of biodiversity by providing a refuge for local animals and birds. Finally, scientific studies have proven that living surrounded by nature makes people happier.

Cork residential house - Berkshire, UK

The idea behind this house is based on the concept of "form obeys life cycles", which connects architecture with the environment. The house was built from a set of parts and assembled by hand without cement mortar or glue. The structure can be disassembled and each cork block can be reused or returned to nature.

Triodos Bank Building - Riesenburg, the Netherlands

In September 2019, Triodos Bank officially acquired a new resource-efficient office building consisting of several round-shaped buildings. The structure has become a kind of wooden "temple" that sets the tone for other resource-efficient projects, as the Triodos office is the world's first large-scale convertible building made entirely of wood and leaving a minimal carbon footprint.

The hierarchy of values in architecture is constantly changing. It is no longer just about providing people with functional buildings. In the face of growing environmental problems, architecture is acquiring a new mission - to be friendly to nature and people.