{"id":12017,"date":"2019-03-07T08:45:00","date_gmt":"2019-03-07T13:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/architizer.wpengine.com\/sense-and-sustainability\/"},"modified":"2022-05-31T05:11:20","modified_gmt":"2022-05-31T09:11:20","slug":"sense-and-sustainability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/architizer.com\/blog\/practice\/details\/sense-and-sustainability\/","title":{"rendered":"Dear Architects: Stop Using the Word “Sustainability” Until You Know What it Means"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Against the backdrop of an increasingly eco-conscious population \u2014 not to mention media-fueled paranoia over global warming \u2014 there is a general consensus<\/a> within the architectural profession that the astronomic rise in the use of the word “sustainability” is \u2026 well, unsustainable.<\/p>\n

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Via xkcd<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n

There was a time when this word was valuable and in vogue, but it has fast evolved into an overused buzzword, an all-encompassing term associated with so many aspects of architecture \u2014 environmental, social, and economic \u2014 that its impact has been diluted beyond recognition. The opening quote in the preface of Phaidon\u2019s in-depth compilation Vitamin Green<\/a> succinctly sums up the issue:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is sustainable design? It\u2019s a notion that is everywhere, but no one seems to know exactly what it means.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

Aiming to put an end to this lack of clarity, the book comprises a list of 100 cutting-edge projects \u2014 chosen from a huge pool of work by leading architects, designers, curators, critics, writers, and theorists \u2014 which are considered truly sustainable works of architecture. A close examination of these projects dispels skepticism over the use of the word “sustainability” by reexamining its meaning in relation to problems pertaining to climate change, resource consumption, and waste.<\/p>\n

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Vitamin Green<\/i>\u2019s exemplars span an extraordinary range of scales, typologies, climatic conditions and geographic locations. At the smaller end of the spectrum is \u201cA Forest for a Moon Dazzler<\/a>,\u201d a poetic title for a beautifully pragmatic structure designed by Benjamin Garcia Saxe<\/a> in Guanacaste, Costa Rica. The architect\u2019s sketches reveal a thoroughly considered approach to passive solar shading and water management, and, while the material palette (primarily bamboo) and construction method is low-tech, the resulting residence is rich with sustainable details.<\/p>\n

While these ideas have been explored by many architects across Central and South America \u2014 as well as Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand and the Philippines \u2014 the Moon Dazzler home illustrates how stylish aesthetics need not be surrendered despite sustainable requirements and a limited budget.<\/p>\n

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While Saxe\u2019s project taps into many of our preconceptions about sustainability \u2014 designing shading and ventilation for a tropical climate, utilizing vernacular materials, and so on \u2014 other selected projects better illustrate how advanced technologies can offer their own environmental advantages.<\/p>\n

The aptly named Green Lighthouse<\/a> is Denmark\u2019s first CO2-neutral building and is home to the University of Copenhagen\u2019s Faculty of Science, achieved with a holistic design approach that optimized energy efficiency. Christensen and Co Arkitekter<\/a> incorporated a combination of technological features such as photovoltaic panels and adjustable louvers but also employed passive techniques \u2014 recessed doors and windows and a cylindrical form in response to the Sun\u2019s path \u2014 to achieve net carbon emissions of zero.<\/p>\n

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In case there was any suspicion that these kinds of results are only possible within well-funded institutions, Brooks + Scarpa Architects<\/a>\u2019 private residential project in Los Angeles provides proof of the contrary. Taking inspiration from Paul Rudolph\u2019s 1953 Umbrella House, the Solar Umbrella<\/a> is also carbon-neutral thanks to a wealth of clever details that harness passive solar energy.<\/p>\n

The structure\u2019s low embodied energy is achieved with the help of some unusual building specifications. Homosote \u2014 an acoustic panel made from recycled newspaper \u2014 was used for cabinetry, while recycled steel panels, OSB (oriented strand board), high-efficiency appliances and fixtures, and low-VOC paint replaces less-efficient materials.<\/p>\n

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Sometimes, though, these conventional approaches \u2014 while rigorous and effective in response to their brief\u2014 are still not enough for particular unique contexts. Enter Ensamble Studio<\/a>, an avant-garde firm possessing a willingness to experiment with increasingly unlikely processes in order to achieve a truly sustainable architectural paradigm.<\/p>\n

Part architecture, part performance art, The Truffle<\/a> takes the idea of sustainable design a step further, employing an outlandish, organic method of \u201cconstruction\u201d: a calf was brought in to eat away at the hay bales that had acted as formwork for a concrete dwelling. As the animal worked its way through 540 square feet (50 square meters) of food, a cave-like space emerged, which was soon transformed into a contemporary retreat with the help of a few simple fixtures and a large glass picture window facing the ocean.<\/p>\n