The most challenging aspect of this endeavour is not the technicality of choosing materials and building systems, but the industry-wide cultural change that is required to move forward. “If we don’t change our culture, there’s no way to change our world,” Cucinella says. “I see the new generation of young people, who are very concerned about how we design, how we can preserve nature and build what we really need, not create something we don’t. [They’re] less financially driven.”

While we now consider dialogues on sustainability essential to any successful design festival, these were not on the agenda even just a few years ago, and represent a monumental step forward. However, Cucinella finds that these conversations still lack depth.

“It’s necessary to get contributions from many points of view. The paradox of our time is that we have access to so much information, [and yet] ideas are not a major part of the story. We need more dialogue and ideas.” But where does one begin to ideate for the future when looking back? To this architect, it’s rather simple: “It’s really about knowing where you are. You [want to build] something here, but you don’t know the sun’s angle and height. You don’t know the wind direction, and you don’t know how much it’s going to rain. So, I think the starting point, like in the past, should be knowing the forces around you.”

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“It’s exactly the opposite of what is done today,” he continues. “We design any building anywhere. We don’t want to know anything about the [surroundings].” Instead of implementing expensive thermal solutions, he opines: “Why don’t we come back to using that natural energy, as we did for many, many years? When there wasn’t any other energy available, we had to use everything around us.”

Of course, Cucinella’s approach is not against using modern technology altogether, just more considered applications. He states that we need to find a “balance between what is around us and what we can contribute with technology. Technology will be a part of the solution, but not the only solution.”

Beyond the efforts of individual architects and small firms, is the industry at large changing in this context? He tells us that larger companies have started employing sustainability managers, driven by the demand for more environmentally friendly projects.

Peripheral stakeholders also significantly impact this cultural shift. “In Europe, banks don’t give you an investment loan if you don’t explain your [sustainable] approach. It’s good because building regulations are far from sustainable. Everyone is talking about sustainability, but it’s not embedded in the building regulations. That is one of the problems.”

As Cucinella goes on to explain, the architectural and environmental comprehension level in governmental positions must be improved. “Building regulations come from the government, and there is a problem with the level of competence [across] many governments,” he says. “They can’t create new regulations because they don’t know [enough].”

But he doesn’t believe that architects and developers are simply at the mercy of these regulations, positioning them as dynamic and influential agents of positive change. “We are in a transitional time, which is interesting because it’s a space for new ideas, rules and examples,” he says. “As professionals, we can show that another way [to build] is possible, and that can help to adapt the regulations.”

Drawing from centuries’ worth of creative architecture, Cucinella’s exhibition highlights nature not just as something to protect, but also as a well of inspiration. Termite nests, beehives and various animal and plant structures have served as the blueprint for countless ingenious human-made projects throughout history. These include the stepwells of India, the ice houses of the Iranian desert and the city of Hyderabad in Pakistan, which implemented one of the earliest forms of natural ventilation by harnessing the wind.

Even in the present day, buildings around the world can serve as a rich source of inspiration for sustainable, vernacular architecture. “In many different countries, I see effort [poured] into smaller community projects,” he tells us. “There’s a lot of experimentation in many parts of the world, like Africa, South America and Europe.”

Circling back to his earlier point, he reminds us that truly sustainable architecture should be driven by a social requirement, not by profit. “Some community buildings are small, but these [principles are] embedded in them because they’re an investment in the community. Sustainability is not top-down, but bottom-up. The smaller projects tell a deeper sustainability story than the big buildings.”

Cucinella’s own work is a testament to his words, exploring ground-up sustainability initiatives and ways to build essential structures in places with very limited resources. “Years ago, we built the Green School in the Gaza Strip. It showed that even in a challenging context like Gaza, [in which access to energy and clean water can be limited], we could implement sustainability. It showed that caring about ventilation and collecting water can be a solution.”

The school piloted an off-grid building project, relying exclusively on “locally available and renewable resources”. It also made an important statement, underscoring the mark architects leave on the places they touch, and the responsibility inherent in this level of impact.

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