You might have enjoyed one or many of those disastrous dystopian movies, right? Have you ever thought about what would happen if any of those events took place in the real world? Nature has its way of healing itself. But we, as humans, what can we offer to our environment to help?

Imagine it’s 2023, and you are in the middle of the Turkey earthquake area. What do you see? How many people died from the earthquake? You might say, a lot. But let me correct you. A lot of people died from the fallen buildings due to the earthquake. The earthquake did not cause any deaths; the buildings we built to protect ourselves did.

Do you understand now where the humans’, more precisely speaking, an architect’s duty lies towards nature? Architecture has such a huge impact on people’s lives and the environment they live in. A century full of uncareful architectural designs can make the following centuries a hell for the earth.

The world of architecture became more and more lifeless after the development of modern architecture. Commercial use of built forms increased. Indoor activity increased. With a growing population, cities became densely populated by buildings. Unthoughtful, selfish architectural development created problems like the heat island effect, water and air pollution, ecological imbalances, destruction of natural resources, and waste generation during construction and after demolition, and all these combined created a huge climatic impact. 40% – 50% of carbon production is caused by Architecture solely, which has a huge effect on climate change.

If architects all over the world do not start changing their architectural approach right now, the world will see its end quickly. Designing energy-efficient buildings is one direct way architects can help with the climatic problem. The use of natural light and ventilation in a building needs fewer mechanical solutions, hence causing less carbon emission. An architect should be very careful with urban design. An urban area with a proper transportation system, with most people having access to public transportation, is necessary. Promoting eco-friendly designs and sustainable materials should be taught in architecture schools and practiced in architectural firms. Vernacular solutions should be made global trends by architects.

How humans behave mostly depends on their environment. And an architect must create such space so people are influenced to change their behavior towards nature. And if architects understand their duties and change the wheel of design, the next century will be the best time for every living being to live.