March 8 Foundation and the UN Sustainable Development Goals
- Feb 4, 2024
- 3 min read
How Do We Understand Sustainable Development?
At the 8Marca Foundation, we believe that sustainable development is an approach that asks us, as humans, to take care of our own needs while also remembering the needs of future generations. Acting today, we strive not to destroy what our children and grandchildren may need tomorrow.
Sustainable development is about continuing to grow and use the resources of our planet – water, minerals, materials, forests, animals – in a way that does not deplete them. In short, we want our actions today to not prevent future generations from meeting their own needs.
What Does This Mean in Practice?
We need to be much more aware of our decisions and their consequences. How can we waste less? Do we really need everything we buy? Where do the products we use come from? Can we recycle what remains after use? These are just a few of the questions that should guide us in everyday life.
These questions lead us to a concept we are all familiar with: closing the loop, or product circularity. It is based on a few simple steps from creation to disposal:
Design wisely – to save resources during production and use.
Produce consciously – saving energy and materials, and respecting the health of your workers.
Reduce and reuse – use items again if you don’t need them, or don’t buy unnecessarily.
Be creative – many items can be repurposed for something other than their original function. For example, a Japanese architect reuses cardboard tubes discarded by printers and advertising houses to build temporary homes, churches, and buildings for people affected by natural disasters or war.
Recycle, sort, and separate – from our waste (paper, plastic, glass) new products can be made.
This closes the loop: materials from recycling can be used to design new products.
How Does This Apply to Monuments?
Historic buildings are also a resource, and in Poland, we have plenty of them – especially those owned by municipalities and private owners. Many were well-designed and constructed using natural materials, which makes them suitable for conservation or reuse. Their biggest advantage is that they already exist!
Giving new life to historic buildings is the best form of recycling and improving an already existing product. By giving them new functions, we cleverly make use of what is already available to us.
Our activities are connected with rural local communities, where access to basic services, education, and cultural events is limited. The 8Marca Foundation combats social discrimination by promoting equality and ensuring the sustainable economic development of the region.
Just like the environment, a building's interior design and spatial planning also impact people's mental health. Our Foundation aims to positively influence people's well-being in accordance with the principles of architectural psychology.
We strive to provide easier access to culture and education in rural areas. We want the local community to participate in our project activities. We also aim to create craft schools where we will support forgotten professions, such as local crafts.
The goal of the Innovation Manor® concept is to reduce the carbon footprint. We plan to not only use technology to optimize resources through a building management system, but also educate about sustainable solutions related to the circular economy.
We are committed to providing new jobs for the local community. We plan to not only recruit local staff and team leaders to work at Innovation Manor®, but also engage regional and international partners to provide knowledge, mentoring, career advice, and digital skills.
We strive to create a sustainable and inclusive space that connects rural and urban environments around the ideals of learning and well-being. By utilizing sustainable strategies, new technologies, and a respectful approach to heritage, we will create places that foster a sense of community and well-being.
We aim to regenerate 100% of the green spaces and utilize the area's modern water and sewage systems to reuse water through rainwater harvesting and natural filtration. Our priority is to reuse and preserve as much of the original fabric and building materials as possible.
The Innovation Manor® concept can be replicated anywhere in Europe with the involvement of a diverse community, a strong network, and dedicated funding. The goal is to create relationships inspired by the quintuple helix of innovation: university-industry-government-environment-society.
Comments