Comments on: Sustainable Architecture: Style vs. Substance

By: dpinto

dpinto — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:25:01 +0000

A fabulous and useful sight that was required from the long time which give the information about the environmental behavior, that is a responsibility of every person.

By: Robie J. Wood

Robie J. Wood — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:42:22 +0000

While I agree that there should be some role of the government to create incentives for efficient design and construction, sustainability will not “sustain” itself for lack of a better word, without operating in the free-market. People are not going to respond to limits being put on the size of their houses or their comfort. The technology should be driven by innovation on how market demands can be met in a sustainable way.
I have a bit of trouble with your notion that green architecture should be “weird.” For one, that’s a pretty subjective notion and secondly, if I understand by weird you mean non-traditional in design, well, again that’s going to make the acceptance of sustainable homes to be an uphill battle. In fact, many traditional styles and homes are, by their nature, contain sustainable elements (e.g. less glass, functional pitched roofs, and porches). Vernacular forms have responded to local climates for centuries.

By: Jonathan Hujsak

Jonathan Hujsak — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 04:45:56 +0000

The NaturalStep sustainability initiative, for example, has taken root around the world and provides a solid systems science approach to sustainability that transcends art, industry, science, and culture. Instead of stressing present day “point solutions” as LEED does, it focuses on establishing a continuous path from where we are today to full sustainability in the future. NaturalStep doesn’t conflict with the basic needs of business and in fact often leads to cost savings over current non-sustainable practices. The NaturalStep framework could provide the foundation and continuity necessary to prevent sustainable architecture from becoming another fad. NaturalStep provides a clear, systems based, structured theory of sustainability that echoes the earlier thinking of Buckminster Fuller and Paolo Soleri. I highly recommend reading “The Natural Step Story,” by Karl-Henrik Robert, ISBN 978-1-897408-14-8 for a thorough introduction into this initiative.