Buildings 2.0
In this episode of Buildings 2.0, Jose speaks with George Kontaroudis, Principal Architect at kw/h architecture, to explore his journey from growing up in Greece to becoming a leader in sustainable architecture. George shares valuable insights on the critical role of sustainability in reducing global CO2 emissions, emphasizing the need for near-zero environmental impact designs, including becoming an advocate for passive house design.
He also dives into the transformative impact of AI on architectural workflows, explaining how it streamlines initial design phases while still requiring human oversight. Additionally, George highlights the importance of effective communication and humility in successful project collaborations.
Topics discussed:
- How early mentorship and internships can shape a young architect's understanding and appreciation of design.
- The importance of reducing CO2 emissions through sustainable design principles and creating buildings with near-zero environmental impact.
- How AI is revolutionizing architectural workflows by streamlining initial design phases, such as massing studies, while still needing human oversight.
- George's philosophy on using materials authentically and how this influences his design approach and project outcomes.
- The value of humility and continuous learning when working with diverse teams on architectural projects.
- How AI can provide multiple options for massing studies, saving time during the early design stages.
- Approaching conversations with clients to discuss long-term benefits and sustainable design choices.
- The evolving role of technology and AI in architecture and what young architects should consider for future success.
Guest Quotes:
#1.)
“So many of the buildings that I've worked on have their, you know, even the outside of the building, the facade of the building is very sculptural because I like the lights, the way that the lights and shadows play all over the facade, and then how you, how you touch it. I'm also very particular with material honesty. Like, especially in places where you can touch the building. I like something that looks like wood to be wood. I like something that looks like stone to be stone. I like that that honesty.” (5:14-5:53)
#2.)
“An integral part of passive house design is continuous mechanical ventilation. If you don't have that, you have mold, you have high CO2 levels inside buildings, and many of the retrofits that are happening that are not taking that into account have those problems.” (15:54-16:16)
#3.)
“I can't stress enough how important it is to never think that you know everything. You don't know everything. None of us knows everything. We can always learn from other people.” (25:37-25:48)
#4.)
“The first thing that I tell my students is that you need to know, you need to understand, how buildings perform to ask the right questions. If you don't ask the right questions, you're not going to get back the right answers. So I think it's the same thing with AI as well. You got to ask the right questions.” (33:20-33:41)
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