Sustainable Architecture 2025

The Decisive Year for Sustainable Design: Get the Insights Before They’re Revealed

“Sustainable Architecture 2025” is coming, and your chance to transform your career through sustainability has a set date and time: January 27th, 29th, and 31st at 03 PM UTC.

The planet's future is in our hands—and you can be one of the key players in this change.

From January 27th to 31st, join us for Sustainable Architecture 2025, our free, 100% online event that will revolutionize how you view sustainability in construction.

What is Sustainable Architecture 2025?

This live event combines innovation and sustainability to shape the future of the built environment. If you don’t yet see sustainability as a growth strategy, soon you’ll realize it’s the future of design.

Take the lead: embrace groundbreaking practices, position yourself at the forefront of architecture, and stay relevant in a rapidly changing landscape.

What You'll Get:

✅ Three knowledge-packed lessons
✅ A Personalized Action Plan to apply in the real world
✅ Networking with a global community
✅ A Certificate of Participation

Classes are starting soon! Secure your free spot before they fill up.

This event is for everyone—architects, engineers, students, sustainability advocates, and innovators who want to make a difference. Don’t miss out!

Green Building Day 4

Sustainability and Innovation in Landscaping

Transforming Spaces with Nature and Innovation

Today, we welcome Bruno Watanabe from Grupo VG, who inspires us with stories and insights on how nature can transform spaces and mindsets. Let’s explore the impact of landscaping in the construction industry and how innovation is shaping a more sustainable future.

Why Are Plants More Than Just Decoration?

Who doesn’t love plants? It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t. But caring for plants isn’t always simple—it can be a challenge for many. That’s why Bruno advocates for nature being at the center of all decisions, especially when creating more human and connected spaces.

Grupo VG has been leading projects that go beyond aesthetics. A great example is their work at Cidade Matarazzo, where native plants and sustainable structures have become part of a living ecosystem.

Landscaping: The Cherry on Top (or Should It Be More?)

In Brazil, landscaping is often treated as an afterthought, but it should be an essential part of architectural projects. In other countries, landscape professionals are trained in disciplines like botany, engineering, and design. Here, they are often brought in at the end of a project to “make it look pretty.”

Bruno emphasizes that landscaping can offer practical solutions, such as:

• Reducing indoor temperatures with green facades or roofs.

• Increasing productivity and well-being in corporate spaces.

• Implementing smart irrigation systems, such as self-watering pots.

Practical and Sustainable Solutions

One highlight of the presentation was the use of wetland systems to recycle water for vertical gardens. In a project at Cidade Jardim, Grupo VG treated water from restrooms (including waste, urine, and soap) and reused 100% of it in gardens, eliminating potable water consumption.

Other innovations include:

• Self-watering pots: Designed for iFood, these pots ensure up to 120 days without manual watering, inspired by natural groundwater systems.

• Green roofs and natural shades: Solutions that promote thermal and aesthetic comfort in buildings.

Inspiring Change Through Work

Bruno believes impact starts in the workplace. When companies incorporate nature into their spaces, employees bring that mindset home, fostering large-scale cultural change.

Interesting fact: Less affluent areas have less tree cover, contributing to higher temperatures and lower quality of life. Landscaping solutions can help reverse this scenario, promoting well-being and inclusion.

How Can You Apply These Ideas?

• Invest in green roofs and vertical gardens. They not only improve thermal efficiency but also reduce resource consumption.

• Use technology to make plant care easier. Self-watering systems and wetland gardens are great examples of integrating innovation and sustainability.

• Include greenery in your projects from the start, making it an integral part of the plan rather than an afterthought.

How do you incorporate landscaping into your projects?

Free Salmon in the U.S.

Restoring Rivers, Revitalizing Lives

ugreen_us

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Removing dams offers benefits far beyond salmon!

Did you know that restoring the natural flow of rivers not only reopens migration paths for species like salmon but also has positive impacts on entire ecosystems?

By removing barriers, rivers regain their vitality:

• Improved water quality: Freer circulation reduces the spread of toxic algae, as seen in the Klamath River.

• Natural revegetation: Riverbanks become fertile ground for native species, strengthening ecosystems.

• Wildlife attraction: Birds and other animals return to restored habitats, boosting local biodiversity.

  

Why Does This Matter?

Preserving rivers means preserving life as a whole. It’s a reminder that sustainability lies in actions that protect not just one part of nature but the entire balance that sustains us.

Have a great weekend,

Filipe Boni,
UGREEN