The Problem with Worthwhile Causes

There are just so many of them. There are so many ideals that a person can aspire to. A building can be healthy, smart, sustainable, innovative, appealing, beautiful, empowering, feasible, economic, green, simple, structurally sound, made from stock parts, built by hand, allowed to adapt, breathable, socially transparent, shocking, inclusive, recycled, net zero, cheap, an icon, and the list could continue until we have run out of words. We talk about these things like we can accomplish them all if we just try hard enough. I don’t think we can. Yes, building with product that have no negative impact on the environment is worthy. Yes, allowing the design process to include clients or other disciplines is worthy. Yes, designing a project after embedding yourself in a culture for years is worthy. Yes, designing with monetary impact in mind is worthy. 

We are told that all of these things are good, but as soon as we choose one good thing to include, there is a consequence. Take for example our current studio project. Amy and I have developed a scheme with a plethora of exterior spaces. A classroom can be expanded to include this outside spaces. This creates both a pleasant and healthy connection to the world plus it allows us to utilize passive cooling strategies to decrease our energy usage. But anyone with allergies will not succeed in these beautiful spaces.  

I am at a loss. I don’t know how to figure out which thing is my thing. I don’t know which thing I will hold as most worthy. I don’t know what things are pushed to lower rungs of usefulness or attention.