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A collection of essays in which twelve experts in green architecture and urbanism share their thoughts on the clash between perceptions of sustainable housing and the desire for traditional homes and offices, and possible solutions to the problem
18 mag 2010 · This book is the most thorough overview to be published on environmentally sound building and planning practices and includes project descriptions, photographs, and detailed drawings that demonstrate that sustainability is not just good for the planet, but also offers new opportunities for creativity and innovation.
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In Green Living: Architecture and Planning, recently published by Rizzoli, 12 experts in green architecture and urbanism—including School of Architecture professor David Mayernik and professor emeritus Norman Crowe—argue that tradition and the vernacular have much to teach us about sustainability, and can serve as the base from which to ...
18 mag 2010 · Green Living: Architecture and Planning; The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment : Parissien, Steven, Hayward, Richard, Kenda, Barbara, Ohland, Gloria, Butler, Kateri: Amazon.co.uk: Books
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- Overview
- The rise of eco-awareness
- Green design takes root
green architecture, philosophy of architecture that advocates sustainable energy sources, the conservation of energy, the reuse and safety of building materials, and the siting of a building with consideration of its impact on the environment.
In the early 21st century the building of shelter (in all its forms) consumed more than half of the world’s resources—translating into 16 percent of the Earth’s freshwater resources, 30–40 percent of all energy supplies, and 50 percent by weight of all the raw materials withdrawn from Earth’s surface. Architecture was also responsible for 40–50 percent of waste deposits in landfills and 20–30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions.
In the United States, environmental advocacy, as an organized social force, gained its first serious momentum as part of the youth movement of the 1960s. In rebellion against the perceived evils of high-rise congestion and suburban sprawl, some of the earliest and most dedicated eco-activists moved to rural communes, where they lived in tentlike structures and geodesic domes. In a certain sense, this initial wave of green architecture was based on admiration of the early Native American lifestyle and its minimal impact on the land. At the same time, by isolating themselves from the greater community, these youthful environmentalists were ignoring one of ecology’s most important principles: that interdependent elements work in harmony for the benefit of the whole.
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Architecture: The Built World
Influential pioneers who supported a more integrative mission during the 1960s and early ’70s included the American architectural critic and social philosopher Lewis Mumford, the Scottish-born American landscape architect Ian McHarg, and the British scientist James Lovelock. They led the way in defining green design, and they contributed significantly to the popularization of environmental principles. For example, in 1973 Mumford proposed a straightforward environmental philosophy:
The solution of the energy crisis would seem simple: transform solar energy via plants and produce enough food power and manpower in forms that would eliminate the wastes and perversions of power demanded by our high-energy technology. In short, plant, eat, and work!
McHarg, who founded the department of landscape architecture at the University of Pennsylvania, laid the ground rules for green architecture in his seminal book Design with Nature (1969). Envisioning the role of human beings as stewards of the environment, he advocated an organizational strategy, called “cluster development,” that would concentrate living centres and leave as much natural environment as possible to flourish on its own terms. In this regard McHarg was a visionary who perceived Earth as a self-contained and dangerously threatened entity.
By the mid-1980s and continuing through the ’90s, the number of environmental advocacy societies radically expanded; groups such as Greenpeace, Environmental Action, the Sierra Club, Friends of the Earth, and the Nature Conservancy all experienced burgeoning memberships. For architects and builders a significant milestone was the formulation in 1994 of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards, established and administered by the U.S. Green Building Council. These standards provided measurable criteria for the design and construction of environmentally responsible buildings. The basic qualifications are as follows:
1.Sustainable site development involves, whenever possible, the reuse of existing buildings and the preservation of the surrounding environment. The incorporation of earth shelters, roof gardens, and extensive planting throughout and around buildings is encouraged.
2.Water is conserved by a variety of means including the cleaning and recycling of gray (previously used) water and the installation of building-by-building catchments for rainwater. Water usage and supplies are monitored.
3.Energy efficiency can be increased in a variety of ways, for example, by orienting buildings to take full advantage of seasonal changes in the sun’s position and by the use of diversified and regionally appropriate energy sources, which may—depending on geographic location—include solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, water, or natural gas.
4.The most desirable materials are those that are recycled or renewable and those that require the least energy to manufacture. They ideally are locally sourced and free from harmful chemicals. They are made of nonpolluting raw ingredients and are durable and recyclable.
5.Indoor environmental quality addresses the issues that influence how the individual feels in a space and involves such features as the sense of control over personal space, ventilation, temperature control, and the use of materials that do not emit toxic gases.
This book is the most thorough overview to be published on environmentally sound building and planning practices and includes project descriptions, photographs, and detailed drawings that demonstrate that sustainability is not just good for the planet, but also offers new opportunities for creativity and innovation.
Summary: A collection of essays in which twelve experts in green architecture and urbanism share their thoughts on the clash between perceptions of sustainable housing and the desire for traditional homes and offices, and possible solutions to the problem
