Now that the effects of climate change are visible and indisputable, consumers are more environmentally conscious than ever. In fact, as a United Nations 2021 study suggests, 85% of them reveal that sustainability plays a key role when making their purchase decisions, motivating businesses and manufacturers to respond accordingly. This explains the rising demand for electric vehicles and products made of renewable or recyclable materials. However, architecture – and especially traditional housing – seems to be several steps behind compared to other industries. Although there are numerous efforts to move towards a greener built environment, the way most buildings are made today continues to be outdated, creating tremendous amounts of waste and significantly contributing to the global carbon footprint.
Like Sasha Jokic, founder of building startup Cosmic, points out, “homes count for roughly 45% of all the U.S CO2 emissions, with the vast majority of those emissions (87%) attributed to fossil fuel-fired heating, cooling, and hot water.” The necessary response from the housing sector is therefore clear: it must aim for carbon-neutral, energy-efficient homes that, unlike many cases, must be affordable to be accessible at a massive scale. Once that is prioritized with the necessary urgency, we can begin to dream of really tackling the devastating effects of the ongoing climate crisis.
To reshape the housing sector, the first step is to question the way today’s homes are being built. The second is to adopt an entirely new approach and allocate resources accordingly. With this in mind, Cosmic has developed the first end-to-end housing development chain for fully electric, self-powered homes. Their first product is an innovative ADU (accessory dwelling unit) prototype that brings extra living space and pays for itself by self-generating clean energy. Also referred to as an autonomous backyard home, it produces zero emissions and avoids the irresponsible depletion of natural resources, seeking to improve people’s health and wellbeing.
