Abstract
The construction industry is composed of the entirety of our built environment, from small houses to apartment buildings, to bridges and offices and as such, it serves as the basis on which our society develops, providing context for our world. Since late 2019, with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic the world as we know it has suffered from a social, economical and political shift, as activities have halted in an attempt to stop the spread of the virus. Restrictions and regulations meant to guard our livelihood have had lots of unpredictable and unwanted consequences, and industries from across the globe, especially the building industry have deteriorated, devolved or diminished, resulting in a decrease in quality of life overall. This, combined with the effects of global warming accumulating over the years makes us really consider the importance of building sustainable and minimizing the impact of our lives over the medium we design and thrive. In this regard, the legislative bodies governing the European Union have given guidelines and suggestions on how and why everyone should build with efficiency in mind and trying to lessen the waste that the process of building produces. As such, from 2021 all new buildings must comply to the nZEB standard, meaning they have to be designed with sustainability as a key element. As new technology and engineering feats commence, how can architects adapt to this shift in the design paradigm? And how can this be achieved in underdeveloped countries, where there are many other factors which can be detrimental in the outcome of the built project?