{"id":225,"date":"2015-03-18T01:30:21","date_gmt":"2015-03-18T01:30:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/2bgreener.com\/?p=225"},"modified":"2015-03-18T23:25:43","modified_gmt":"2015-03-18T23:25:43","slug":"sustainable-design-the-gentle-battle-for-traction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/2bgreener.com\/?p=225","title":{"rendered":"Sustainable Design: the gentle battle for traction"},"content":{"rendered":"

I read with admiration Lance Hosey\u2019s recent blog on the Six Myths of Sustainable Design.\u00a0 He got \u2018em, and nearly all of them from what I\u2019ve experienced.\u00a0 They frustrate me often.<\/p>\n

I am a solutions person, seeking to figure out not only what\u2019s stopping us, but how to accept it in order to work with the limitations realistically and grow through or around the problem.\u00a0 After reading the Six Myths blog, I was compelled to compile my thoughts on how to begin to dispel these myths.\u00a0 We have so many opportunities in our interactions with teams and project owners to make faulty perceptions less solid, to better connect with goals and achievements, and to improve all of the buildings we design.<\/p>\n

Below I have listed each of the myths established in Mr. Hosey\u2019s blog, followed by my thoughts as to how to overcome the perceptions, gently and by supporting the project and the project team.\u00a0 I highly recommend you read his post first. You can locate the original blog at\u00a0Six Myths of Sustainable Design<\/a><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Sustainability Equals Environmentalism<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    If this is the preconception, then the best way to counter this is to NOT lead with LEED or with a checklist or with any discussion at all about green or sustainability.\u00a0 Lead with the mission and goals of the Owner or the campus or the business.\u00a0 Find out what drives them and make those items the focus of all discussions.\u00a0 Sustainability in design is a vehicle to achieve excellence.<\/em><\/strong> It is a lens that can and should positively inform all of the work.\u00a0 It can support the mission of a business or an organization and do so in a way that additionally reduces waste, and optimizes comfort and health and material stewardship.\u00a0 Sustainability as the sole goal of a project is absolutely contradictory, unless the word itself begins to mean \u201cregeneration\u201d.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Sustainability Equals Technology<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      So many people get caught up on the HRVs and the PVs and the control systems and the high tech items that look flashy and scream \u201cGREEN\u201d.\u00a0 For some clients this is the right thing.\u00a0 One campus project wanted PV and a vegetative roof so the neighbors could see how green the college is, and that\u2019s okay.\u00a0 But, find out what the needs and perception of the owner are.\u00a0 If money is an issue for them, or if their management staff is not ready for the training needed to manage the higher tech controls, don\u2019t go there.\u00a0 In every case, start with the simple, non tech notions that make buildings more efficient. These include items and concepts such as vestibules and zones, open plans with well-managed acoustics, determination of spacial relationships and operational parameters.\u00a0 Build from there. Set the initial tone with the owner and the team that you\u2019re not in it for the tech and glamour, then you will be able to apply those solutions when they are appropriate.<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Sustainable Design Costs Too Much<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        This is quite simply the largest and most prevalent concern or myth about green building.\u00a0 So what\u2019s a thoughtful architect to do?\u00a0 As Bob Fox of COOKFOX points out, he always starts with what\u2019s free: the wind on the site, the daylight, the natural cooling overnight, the water that falls on the site.\u00a0 Start with understanding the free things, and how to access them effectively, and you\u2019ve got a project.\u00a0 There is also this same idea in an existing building.\u00a0 Identify what works and what exists that can be \u201ctweaked\u201d for greater control of energy, better health of occupants, more durability and more beauty.\u00a0 Remember the strength in building on a good foundation.<\/p>\n

        And remind the team about how green one can be without any technology at all.\u00a0 A beautiful stairway that is visible will reduce elevator use (at least fewer than 5 stories or so) and a round-a-bout works even when the power goes out, unlike a 4-way streetlight intersection. And natural clay finished walls can modulate humidity a bit, with no tech required. How clever can YOU be?<\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Sustainable Design Takes More Time<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          It\u2019s interesting that Lance mentions that this is a typical complaint of architects.\u00a0 What\u2019s wrong with us all?\u00a0 IPD (Integrated Project Delivery) is a vehicle for us (architects) to regain our value in this world of large team projects and highly silo-ed risk management strategies.\u00a0 And in order to eradicate the myth of more time, we need to engage in alternate delivery methods, especially IPD.<\/p>\n

          There is great resistance.\u00a0 I believe we are a nation of people trained to procrastinate, and IPD seems to be the antithesis of procrastination.\u00a0 It is a way to face all your fears early and begin the work on viable solutions. That\u2019s scary \u2013 we like to get ready, plan the meetings for a while, meet each other and assign parts and pieces, eventually design something to maybe share for development in DD phase or input later in the project schedule.<\/p>\n

          I think we can perhaps get over this by focusing on the other aspect of IPD that is not often explored.\u00a0 Decisions are left until they must<\/span> be made. I know, this sounds contradictory, and it may help to get people drinking from the IPD well. As Adam Cohen pointed out at BE15 in Boston this year, the secret is to not decide on a structural system (for example) until you must.\u00a0 In this way you allow ample time for all the aspects of the choices to be fully understood and truly understood in relation to the other moving parts of the complex puzzle that is a building.\u00a0 Then once you decide on that system, that\u2019s it.\u00a0 You\u2019re done with that decision and there is no reason to remake it.\u00a0 Think about that!\u00a0 You\u2019ve essentially procrastinated on useless re-do\u2019s until there is no longer a chance for them to sneak in. That\u2019s a total time-saver.<\/p>\n

            \n
          1. Sustainability Isn’t About Design<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            Okay, when I read that successful and visionary architects have divorced sustainability from the art\/science of design, I nearly cried.\u00a0 There is nothing that is more tied to design than sustainability in all its permutations.\u00a0 Design without setting goals regarding energy, water, health, materials creation and use, and connections with the surroundings, is design that should remain theoretical<\/em>.\u00a0 All of the challenges are gone when you choose to ignore these things, and you are copping out of the privilege and responsibility of being an architect. (So say I).<\/p>\n

            The way to deal with this myth with architects in general?\u00a0 I would hope that we can still ignite the challenge and innovative spirit of design by helping teams to understand that they are only being creative when there are imposed limits.\u00a0 And maybe one of those imposed limits is to create more energy than we use, or to support the diversity of local manufacturing by preferentially specifying local building products \u2013 these goals require a very well-tuned and engaged team of designers, my friend.<\/p>\n

            Framing the sustainability aspects as a part of finding the win\/win\/win would help as well.\u00a0 In one campus project, we talked about the beauty of the lake view and the large expanse of open glass facing that windy view.\u00a0 We then talked about a sculptural element or design flow of space to visually connect the building to the rest of the campus.\u00a0 We finally talked about that wind being a resource and, with some thought investment, led ourselves to using the sculptural form to guide the wind to protect the glass front while additionally doing all that was required in connecting to the campus.\u00a0 Win\/win\/win. And a hell of a lot of design minds in that one.<\/p>\n

              \n
            1. Sustainable Design Isn’t Beautiful<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              “Some of the worst buildings I have seen are done by sustainable architects,” This is a quote by Peter Eisenman that Lance Hosey included in his blog.\u00a0 I\u2019m so glad Mr. Hosey, along with admirable, successful and wise architects all over the world, does not agree! \u00a0I would nod to the fact that there are some pretty crappy looking buildings done by sustainable architects, but this statement is a total whiff in the grand game of whiffle ball.\u00a0 Let\u2019s not forget how many ugly buildings have been built by non-sustainable architects!<\/p>\n

              But that isn\u2019t even the proper argument.\u00a0 The proper argument is that beauty is a much more complex label than we have been allowing it to be.\u00a0 It should involve all senses, and embrace not only the senses but the fourth dimension of time which allows us to understand use patterns and durability\/performance issues.\u00a0 On top of all of this, we would hope that beautiful buildings have a greater chance of being around longer, making beauty an active piece of the definition of \u201csustainable\u201d.\u00a0 This may not have been the case in the past, when we saw Penn Station razed to be replaced with the ugly that is the current Penn station. Or the beautiful city centers demolished to build parking garages and uninspiring city center mazes, but in a global sense, we know it is true.<\/p>\n

              So start with beauty as one of the goals along with the vision of the owner supporting their mission and value in their planned use for the building.\u00a0 Start with beauty including the complexity of beauty in use, and beauty of toxic-free, and beauty in connection to the world around the building (the community, the resources, the traffic) and you will certainly foil the myth that sustainable design is not beautiful.<\/p>\n

              In closing, thank you to Lance Hosey, Chief Sustainability Officer with the global design leader RTKL<\/a>, who wrote the article \u201csix myths of sustainable design\u201d.\u00a0 I was, and am, inspired to stand up to these pervasive myths, and I hope you are as well.<\/p>\n

               <\/p>\n

              Be well, and be greener,<\/p>\n

              Jodi<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              I read with admiration Lance Hosey\u2019s recent blog on the Six Myths of Sustainable Design.\u00a0 He got \u2018em, and nearly all of them from what […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[12,10,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-225","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-community","category-critical-commentary","category-profession"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p40KlT-3D","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2751,"url":"https:\/\/2bgreener.com\/?p=2751","url_meta":{"origin":225,"position":0},"title":"Materials Matter and Grassroots Education ROCKS (S2C E4)","author":"greenerjsa","date":"January 8, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Lauren and I launched Subject2Change a few months ago, with very little knowledge of making videos or promoting a channel on YouTube. 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