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Sustainable Design - Why?
Why? Because people need something to believe in. We are living in a time of abundance and prosperity. Most of the things our parents' generation were striving for have been achieved. So the question then becomes one of what can we work towards? We are also living in a post religious period. There are no big political agendas. People are generally pretty happy. The Environment is a cause that most everyone can focus on as a worth while concern. These larger trends in society have a direct impact on architecture.
Changing ideals and innovations in technology shape architecture. The International Style was about making a better world. Art has historically been about serving a higher purpose. In the middle ages architecture and the decorative arts were about celebrating the glory of God and the power of the ruling classes.
During the twentieth century we saw the creation of "Art for Art's Sake." Conceptual Art was born. The art world became divided into fine art, commercial art and the avant garde. Real artists were of course the avant garde. With "Art for Art's Sake" the avant garde quickly became an "Emperor's New Clothes" phenomenon for the intellectual elite and the totally cool - not a problem for painting and sculpture. When conceptual art moves into the world of architecture and begins to affect the design of hospitals and schools costing hundreds of millions of dollars, we begin to see the search for a new direction.
The Sustainable Design movement is a return to traditional values in building. That's all. It's a methodical restatement of what goes into responsible professional practice. Sustainable Design is the antidote to two forces affecting architecture - building as cheaply as possible and doing capricious conceptual art.
The danger of the Sustainable Design movement is in reducing professional practice to elaborate rating systems, political agendas and marketing boondoggles. Sustainable Design should be about making better buildings.
Practical Sustainability
Right now we are at the point where as a community we are creating awareness and a demand for products that do not yet exist, or if they do exist are not yet in the main stream. An architect can specify anything. A contractor can only buy what is available in the marketplace. We believe in "Practical Sustainable Design."
Practical Sustainability is about making good buildings. Good buildings are resource efficient. What makes a building good? A good building is primarily a building that people enjoy using that fulfills it's mission. Such buildings are less likely to be demolished and are hence sustainable by definition. Good buildings are also efficient to operate and maintain. The whole question of looking down the supply chain to environmental responsibility is problematic. These kinds of judgments are of a political nature and can be based on incomplete erroneous snapshots of much more complex situations.
What does our office offer in terms of Practical Sustainability?
Creative, functional and appropriate design
Energy usage modeling
Pay back scenarios for various energy saving system options
Specification of Energy Star equipment
Indoor Air Quality strategies
Competent design and detailing of building envelope
Green specifications
Design for multiple chemical sensitivity
Sustainable site planning, site conditions permitting.
Copyright Juniper Russell
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