For the second year running, I had the honour (and great challenge) of taking part as a speaker at Cidade do Zero and talking about a topic that is very important and special to me: the role of Architecture in sustainability.

For those who don’t know, Cidade do Zero is an initiative that this year celebrated its 3rd edition and took place at the Escola Superior de Agronomia in Lisbon. It’s a space where, over the course of a weekend, various brands and projects come together to bring the best of what’s being done in Portugal in favour of a more sustainable world. Between workshops, talks, showcookings and a market, we can have a range of experiences and acquire knowledge on the subject.

I was already a fan of the project’s concept and of the Do Zero team that has been working for months to organise it, but having the opportunity to be part of it was an indescribable experience.

Anyone who follows me on social media knows that I try, as far as possible, to adopt behaviours and make small changes in my day-to-day life in order to reduce our ecological footprint at home, but they also know that this concern has become transversal to my profession and Homestories projects. So to talk about this topic and share what I know with an audience full of people interested in learning more about sustainable homes was a real honour for me!

Since I know that many of you didn’t have the opportunity to attend, but are also interested in the subject, I decided to give you a flavour of what I shared.

I began by talking about the first questions that arise when we think about a more sustainable home, namely what type of construction is more environmentally friendly, what materials have a lower impact or what equipment is more efficient; and how, all things being equal, what actually has a bigger footprint on our planet is not the construction itself, but the use.

I pointed out that, as we all know, there are many homes in Portugal with serious problems and high air conditioning needs, including new homes, which are the result of poor construction. As a result, when we live in these houses, we spend a lot of resources to achieve comfortable temperatures, both in summer and winter, to solve problems related to humidity and to feel at least minimally comfortable.

It was in this vein that I discussed my training as a Passive House Designer and how I got here. I realise that this is a subject that is still unknown to many, but that for me it is the future of sustainable architecture and the path I have found to reduce our impact a little through my profession.

I also spoke about how, after completing this training in 2021, I felt I knew nothing about architecture, not on an aesthetic level, but on a technical level, because in fact thinking about a house from this point of view is highly demanding and challenging and makes us rethink everything we know as architects and how it’s more important to design efficient buildings than works of art. This doesn’t mean that one can cancel out the other, as we can continue to make works of art, but with a different awareness and above all responsibility.

I finished by presenting the five principles on which the Passive House concept is based, which define a high performance standard and which can be implemented with any construction system: thermal insulation, thermal bridges, air tightness, mechanical ventilation and efficient windows.

With this, I explained that the Passive House concept is not a style of architecture, nor a building system, but rather a set of five standards that we apply to any Passive House project and that must be considered from the plant development stage.

You can find more detailed information about these principles and the concept in general here.

It was a great challenge to speak to so many people, but it resulted in a relaxed sharing for so many people who share a common desire to do better and know more.

I’m genuinely grateful to Cidade do Zero for giving me the chance to talk about this very important topic and I’m very happy to be part of this very special project that aims to raise awareness of a series of ways to minimise our carbon footprint and thus contribute to a more sustainable and healthy world.