Preferences

    After the last Debate I learned a lot about people's preferences when it comes to sustainability and other related topics.  Some people value the interior over the exterior, and other value the building over the city.  The conversation about Sustainability has changed over the years with new rules being written and buildings being built.  Each day the idea of something changes in the world.  This is not exclusive to Sustainability.  Lead paint did not used to have a negative connotation.  People did not give it a second thought until some negative side effects were found from it.  That is how the world evolves over time.  People will keep doing what they know to do until someone questions the world and challenges it to find a better way to do it.  But a better way to do something does not always mean it will be done that way.  Sometimes there are outside influencers to make people think a certain way or do certain things.

    If you were given the choice between two houses that were the same square footage but a different footprint which one would you choose.  Let's say one house is a single story, while the other one has three stories.  Would you make the choice based on just footprint?  Of course not.  You would take other factors into account, like location, climate, orientation, price, and neighborhood.  I think this kind of thinking can and should be used for Sustainability.  Writing out rules for architects to follow will create sustainable buildings, but it will not always be the best for the location it is in.  What you will be left with are buildings that look the same and perform really well on their own.

    Instead why not design for the location, climate, orientation, and the neighborhood around the site?  Make building that perform to their best in the location they exist.  Don't design a building that could work everywhere at just at okay level.  Design something that will perform to the best of its ability for the location it is positioned.  And if you want to do a similar project in a different place then adjust the previous project to the new location.