Sustainability vs Scarcity
“The assumption that the object should meet a standard of sustainability works to distract us from the more fundamental question of whether the object is needed in the first place.”
Jeremy Till’s radical view on architecture’s response to
dwindling resources and tightened economic constraints is an interesting
alternative to the mainstream sustainability movement. He argues that contemporary conditions
require us to “do things differently rather than do the same thing with less.”
While I appreciate his idealistic approach to this issue,
his cynicism towards advances in sustainability seems misguided. We cannot ignore the advances that have been
made through the sustainability movement.
It is a movement that has managed to get energy consumption in the minds
and consciences of mainstream Americans.
Whereas 10 years ago many were unaware of the issue, nearly everyone
today has at least an understanding that energy is something that should be
conserved, even if not all of them have yet been convinced to contribute in
that conservation.
The problem with Till’s proposal, of which I am for the most
part in agreement with, is that is such a radical shift that it would be nearly
impossible to implement. In order to
reach goals as lofty as Till’s, a strategy must be devised that follows very
gradual steps that eventually lead to a much larger objective. This seems to be what the sustainability
movement is in the process of doing, and it may very well lead to some of the
goals that Till sets out.
Rather than
renouncing sustainability in favor of a new movement, Till and others should
jump on the momentum that is being built by the current movement and use their
ideas and expertise to guide and redirect the growth of that movement.
Spencer, do you feel that we should focus on building longer lasting structures? This can eliminate material consumption but as we have seen in many historic cities, it does not prevent change or cultural advancement. Frankly I blame HGTV for making every homeowner (and subsequently business owner) believe that they have to rip apart half of their space to make it their own before they can occupy it. This is tremendously wasteful, considering the high turnover in the housing and commercial markets.
ReplyDeleteWhile the sustainability movement has raised awareness about energy conservation, it's had some affects that aren't quite aligned with the cause. It seems that sustainable architecture has become its own niche within the architectural world rather than something that encompasses all architecture in general, and firms are more worried about ticking off categories in order to achieve LEED standard rather than beginning their design with sustainability in mind.
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