ABSTRACT
The conflicting criteria of a design project should always be thoroughly explored, and it is true that some of the most interesting architecture of the past was often closely aligned with a strong technological paradigm in the use of a new material of material process for its realization. The Eastgate Centre is a shopping and office complex located in central Harare, Zimbabwe, which opened in 1996. Architect Mick Pearce’s ambition was to create a building that was as comfortable as a building with air-conditioning, but without using air-conditioning. The structural timber carcass of the cabin is built around a 3D-printed concrete platform and chimney. Batty’s retrofit project aimed to retain the period features of the house, update it to a more open-plan internal layout, while optimising environmental performance. In a recent pilot scheme, the UK government announced the Green Homes Grant to fund home improvements including insulation, windows, doors and low-carbon heating systems such as heat pumps.
