Architecture craftsmanship can contribute to sustainability in several ways:
1. Using sustainable materials: Craftsmanship can be used to explore new materials and ways to use existing ones that are environmentally friendly and renewable, like bamboo, reclaimed wood, and recycled materials.
2. Efficient use of resources: By utilizing craftsmanship skills in design, structures can be built to optimize the use of natural resources like daylight, ventilation, and rainwater to reduce energy consumption.
3. Promote traditional building techniques: Traditional techniques like adobe brick making, thatching, and earthen building methods can be employed, encouraging localized and cultural approaches to construction with low embodied energy.
4. Building longevity: Employing skilled craftsmanship with attention to detail can increase the longevity of a building, lowering the need for energy-intensive maintenance, repair, and replacement.
5. Return to scale practice: Craftsmanship opens new doors for scale architecture that emphasises bespoke, one-off design with an eye towards financial and environmental sustainability through the use of local labour and material sources.
Overall, the role of craftsmanship in architecture could be significant in responding to the sustainability crisis. Genuine commitment to environmental, social, and economic sustainability will potentially sustain traditional building techniques, informed designs and materials that harness natural resources and impact carbon emissions.
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