{"id":6078,"date":"2025-01-28T15:02:54","date_gmt":"2025-01-28T15:02:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/glowblogs\/academy9\/?p=6078"},"modified":"2025-01-28T15:15:13","modified_gmt":"2025-01-28T15:15:13","slug":"designing-sustainable-infrastructure-learning-from-the-past-and-nature","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.glowscotland.org.uk\/glowblogs\/academy9\/2025\/01\/28\/designing-sustainable-infrastructure-learning-from-the-past-and-nature\/","title":{"rendered":"Designing Sustainable Infrastructure: Learning from the Past and Nature"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Imagine a world where buildings, bridges, and cities aren\u2019t just eye catching, but also work in harmony with the Earth \u2013 that is the power of sustainability in infrastructure. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sustainable design means planning things in a way which meets our needs today without harming the planet, so future generations can enjoy clean air, water, and energy. But where do we get the ideas to make this happen? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Surprisingly, we can learn a lot from ancient civilisations and even nature!<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Learning from the Past<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thousands of years ago, ancient cultures built impressive structures using simple, but clever methods that helped them live sustainably. For example, the Ancient Egyptians used the sun\u2019s power to heat and cool their homes. The Romans designed canals to carry clean water to cities without losing any on the way. Even though these civilisations didn\u2019t have the same climate considerations we are faced with today, they were already practicing sustainability and protecting their environments by making the most of natural resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Petra, Jordan<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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One interesting example is the city of Petra in Jordan. Built by the Nabateans over 2,000 years ago, Petra\u2019s engineers and inventors created water systems that collected rainwater and stored it in cisterns to help the city survive in a desert. This design saved water, an essential resource, and helped the city thrive in a harsh environment. Today, modern engineers look at ancient designs like these for inspiration when creating water-efficient systems in cities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Turf House<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Another example of sustainable design in ancient cultures is found across Northwest Europe and Scotland, where prehistoric communities used locally available and renewable resources in the form of turf, to build their homes. This turf was grown on or near to the building site, and over time, as sections became weaker and decayed, they could be replaced with new turf, while removed materials could be composted. This process is an example of \u2018circular economy\u2019, which means that materials are not simply used and abandoned, but repurposed and reused. Today, researchers have created an experimental project to see how prehistoric techniques can be used to create modern sustainable turf building practices.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Nature as a Teacher: Biomimicry<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, let\u2019s look at how nature itself can guide and inspire us to create more sustainable designs. Biomimicry is the practice of studying nature\u2019s designs and using them to solve human problems. After all, nature has had millions of years to come up with efficient ways to do things!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Termite Mound<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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One example of biomimicry in action is the Eastgate Centre in Zimbabwe. This building, designed by architect Mick Pearce, was inspired by the self-cooling design of termite mounds. Termites live in hot climates, but their mounds stay cool thanks to the way they let air flow through. The Eastgate Centre uses similar principles\u2014natural ventilation and cooling\u2014to keep the building at the right temperature without relying on air conditioning, which needs a lot of energy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Red Kite bird in flight<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Another example is how researchers have studied the way birds fly to design better wind turbines. Birds use their wings to catch wind in the most efficient way, and engineers have taken these ideas to create turbines that produce more energy from less wind. This shows how we can combine creativity with nature\u2019s wisdom to make a cleaner, greener world.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Modern Innovations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As our understanding of the environment has gotten better, many new technologies have been invented by scientists. These are improving the way we build new structures like buildings, bridges and roads, and reducing harm to the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These days, more and more sustainable materials are being invented and used in building works. Asphalt is a material that is similar to Tarmac and found in almost all roads, pavements and footpaths across the UK. However, using this material comes at a cost to the environment, since the process used to create asphalt releases large amounts of harmful gases and uses lots of water. A special type of asphalt has recently been developed, which can take these gases that harm the environment out of the air and trap them safely. This means that over a road\u2019s lifetime, the asphalt will remove more harmful gases than were created when it was produced. While this is currently a very new technology, it is starting to be used and will soon become more widespread around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another interesting example of innovative materials is the development of a special type of concrete that can clean up the air. Concrete is the most widely used construction material in the world and if you look around, nearly every modern building contains concrete, in some form. We can take advantage of this to help us deal with air pollution, which is an increasing problem in places like cities which have a lot of buildings and a high concentration of people. This special concrete can convert harmful substances in the air into  harmless ones  that can simply be washed away by the rain. If this technology becomes popular, it could lead to improved air quality, protect plants and animals, and also lead to benefits to all of our lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Future of Sustainable Infrastructure<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As we continue to face challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, we\u2019ll need to keep learning from the past and from nature to build smarter, greener infrastructure. Whether it\u2019s designing energy-efficient buildings, creating water-saving systems, or inventing new ways to make transportation more eco-friendly, young people like you will play an important role in creating the ideas and shaping a sustainable future.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

By looking back at the work of ancient civilisations and pulling inspiration from the natural world, we can design a future where human-made structures help protect, not harm, the planet. The journey to a sustainable world is relying on you – so dream big, think green, and be part of the solution!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Want to test your Sustainable Design knowledge? Take our Sustainable Design quiz!<\/p>\n\n\n