What if the way we build our homes and cities is part of the problem and the solution is already around us?
Architect Robert Bourke joins me to explore how we can rethink the way we build, from the materials we use to the relationship between buildings, nature and the communities around them.
With construction contributing significantly to global carbon emissions, Robert questions why concrete, steel and glass have become the default and why we should look at existing buildings before building new ones.
But sustainable architecture isn't just about materials. It's about seeing buildings as part of a much bigger system: how water moves through our cities, how our streets affect rivers, and how we can design places that work with nature rather than against it.
From a tiny three-square-metre extension that won two national awards to a community rain garden designed to help absorb rainfall and reduce flooding, Robert shows how small, thoughtful interventions can make a difference.
What would our towns and cities look like if we stopped treating buildings as isolated objects and started designing for the systems we all depend on?
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Website: https://www.harrisongardner.net/
Bookstore: https://www.harrisongardner.net/bookstore-1
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https://www.harrisongardner.net/heat-shelter-water-food
Robert Burke Architects: https://www.rba.ie/
Act Now Collective: https://actnowcollective.org/
Chapters
00:00 — Teaser
00:00:55 — Intro
00:02:41 — Why We Need to Rethink How We Build
00:11:27 — What Traditional Buildings Can Teach Us
00:17:50 — Building with Light, Space and Nature
00:25:55 — The Three-Square-Metre Extension That Won Two Awards
00:31:05 — The Value of Working with an Architect
00:39:05 — Building for Permanence and Longevity
00:46:10 — From Architecture to Landscape Systems
00:50:15 — Learning to Think in Systems
00:55:39 — Restoring Rivers and Working with Water
00:57:00 — The Knocklyon Sponge Scape and Rain Garden
01:03:00 — Moving from Protecting Nature to Restoring It
01:08:05 — Learning from Communities and Farmers
01:12:13 — Advice for Young Architects
01:20:30 — How Small Changes Add Up
01:22:10 — Final Thoughts and Where to Find Robert
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