Sustainable architecture is the architecture that seeks to minimize the negative environmental impact of buildings through improved efficiency and moderation in the use of materials, energy, development space and the ecosystem at large.

Italian architect Mario Cucinella presented his design philosophy at the Imagine a Sustainable World exhibition, which opened at the Nur Alem Museum of Future Energy in Astana on February 24. The exhibition, initiated by the Italian Embassy in Kazakhstan with the support of QazExpoCongress company and ICE Agency, is part of initiatives related to the Italian Design Day. 

The exhibition, curated by architect Dario Curatolo, aims to highlight Italian achievements in the field of regenerating space. At its opening, the Italian Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Marco Alberti, noted the special role of culture as a driving factor of peace, development and reconstruction.

Qazaq Green magazine took an interview with the Ambassador of Italy to Kazakhstan Marco Alberti and the exhibition's author, famous architect Mario Cucinella.

QG: You know that the President of Kazakhstan approved at the beginning of February the strategy for achieving carbon neutrality, which is the first step. So do you think that it's possible for Kazakhstan to make a great transformation strategy from the energy sector, which 70% depends on coal, and which has to diversify all of the economy?

M.A.: I think it's possible. The challenge is transforming the targets, objectives and commitment into action. That's the point. Climate, as I declared in the previous Qazaq Green interview, does not react to what the government, the organisation or the people say. It reacts to what they do. So the first step is to have a framework, have a new strategy. The second more important step is to implement the strategy and to have a serious transformation. In renewable energy, you need to act on the entire value chain. When you go green, you go electric. When you go electric, you go digital. So the structure is fundamental. The new concept and the new design on the demand side are necessary to educate the consumer to move from aspiration to execution of projects. That's very important too. Kazakhstan and Kazakh governments took the first step. Now, it's a question of cooperation, because I think that as long as sustainability is not rewarding, economically speaking, the transition will be difficult. So the transition is a question of the government, but also companies. And companies move when they believe in something, but also when they know that it can be profitable.

QG: We know that Italian companies are very proactive in Kazakhstan in the energy sector, especially in renewable energy as well. So, I think currently, Kazakhstan is a very good leader in making strategies and making those good steps. What practical steps, in your opinion, can Kazakhstan take within the framework of the strategies it has developed?

M.A.: If you assume that for the rational and effective transition, you need to consider the power sector, I would say that the weak point, not only for Kazakhstan but for the entire world, is not adding the renewables, but preparing the entire system for the transition. For example: what about the distribution of transportation, and distribution of infrastructure quality? Or how digitised the infrastructures are? How much is ready to absorb the additional quantity of renewables? I have noticed that when people talk about energy transition, 95% of people talk about renewables. They are very important. Last year, the world record investment in renewables was 495 billion. But renewables alone don't solve the problem. What I think is important is not to focus on all the investment, all the commitment, on the generation, but to consider the entire value chain, which also includes new services for people who are educated within and prepared for the transition risk, sacrifices and costs. The question that I ask myself, the question I ask my kids, the question I ask my government and the question I ask the Italian companies is "How much are you ready to invest or sacrifice, or have you something better for transition?"

QG: Good. Today is a very nice exhibition opening. Can you tell me what kind of other initiatives of the Italian embassy in Kazakhstan we have on the green agenda?

M.A.: Yes. Who would like me to have some initiatives to emphasise the commitment to it? Today we are talking about something that is not generational with energy, something that includes and supports the transition. Then we will participate in some workship in Kazakhstan dedicated to renewable energy. And last but not least, at the end of the year, I would like to bring to Kazakhstan some companies in the sectors of our nation, particularly in transportation and distribution of energy. Because I strongly believe that that's the key point in enabler. For the transition on one side and the other side, we have tons of top-notch technology from Italian companies that can partner in Kazakhstan in order to accelerate and expedite the transition, to reach carbon neutrality by 2060.

Architect Mario Cucinella emphasises that his mission is to design buildings to make people's lives better.

QG: So the first question. Why is sustainability the main topic of the exhibition?

M.C.: Because there are no options. Because I think the agenda of the next 30 years is all about using better energy and reducing the impact of CO2 in the world. I think that is the topic of this study. I think this exhibition sends a positive message: we can make a better world, we can make better buildings, and focus on one fundamental thing – we design buildings for people design buildings for others, we design schools, towers, offices, and residential buildings. Architects build buildings and don't destroy buildings and don't destroy cities. Our aim is to build a better world.  We can make beautiful sustainable buildings

QG: Yes, many philosophers and culturologists say that there is a gap between human and nature, especially in the 20th century, because of the industrial revolution, because of the wars and many outer states. What kind of model of relationship should be between human and nature? And how architecture could help to build these relationships?

M.C.: The relationship between human and nature is a long story. I think in the last century we lost because we believe more in technology than nature. But then what's happened then with technology? We cannot save the world, but that's the point. I think within the last 10 years, especially young generations realised, that we cannot save nature. There's no money, there's no technology that can save this. So I think these are kinds of questions now that come more, more strong. There's no way to have a broken electronic nature. We believed that for too many years, we can live without nature. But then nature is presenting the bill. Besides, we can, although expensive, we can do it. So I think we need to rebuild this kind of friendship. And see, then we are not the only ones in the class. We are not the biggest. Maybe the most intelligent. But in terms of numbers, we are not the big numbers. The animals, the plants, they're much more than us. In the last century, it was the human being in the center of the universe. We understand we are not the center. We are only a part of it. Be kind. We need time to change this kind of philosophy. Sustainability is not about numbers, kilowatts, or CO2 emissions. It is about beauty. I consider myself deeply Italian by combining technology with beauty. I am very confident that the new generation will become more and more aware. You need maybe 20-30 years to change the generation. That is the process. There are no options.

QG:  The topic of your exhibition is Imagine the Sustainable World. How do you imagine it?

M.C.: The exhibition called “The Imagine a Sustainable World’ is a wish, because the best thing we can do is not imagine, but do it. The point is we cannot imagine too long. I think we need to make it. We need to do a change. If you don't make something of a very good change, you don't deserve the change. That's all we need to do there is no option on the table.

Mario Cucinella was born in Palermo in 1960 and graduated in Architecture at the

University of Genoa in 1986.

In 1992, in Paris, he founded MCA – Mario Cucinella Architects, an architecture and design firm that has now headquarters in Bologna and Milan, and of which he is also the creative director.

Mario Cucinella Architects is an architectural and design firm. With an international team of one hundred professionals including architects, engineers, designers, model makers and visual artists, the firm was established in Paris in 1992 and has offices in Bologna (from 1999) and in Milan (from 2018). With projects around the world, the firm has received several national and international awards over the years, especially for its focus on environmental issues. MCA has extensive experience in architectural design that combines environmental and energy efficiency strategies and relies on an R&D (Research & Development) department that carries out research on sustainability with a holistic approach.

The design with BIM (Building Information Modeling) methodology is developed internally thanks to a process management team composed of BIM Manager and BIM Coordinator. The studio can also boast a product, interior & industrial design department. All projects have in common a focus on technological integration with environmental and climate strategies to build buildings that can reduce their environmental impact in view of the 2030 European objectives.