Why so Focused on Sustainability

     Sustainability this.  Sustainability that.  That is all we hear nowadays.  What did people think about before this word?  Did they think about designing architecture that was bad for the world and the people in it?  I don't believe so.  So why did the word Sustainability come into existence?  Did someone design a building that was so terrible that everyone who went in said this should never happen again?  Or did someone make a building that they thought was the best thing ever and wanted people to copy them?  Since I don't think anyone would purposely design a bad piece of architecture I think the word sustainability came about from someone who wanted others to follow their example.

    This type of thinking also makes me think about Building Codes and other rules out there.  Sometimes they come about because of an issue from an old edition.  Sometimes though there are Codes and Rules put in place that are only necessary for a short time and then once it becomes a part of the common law within the minds of people it is almost not necessary.  It is a waste to even tell someone that they have to make buildings that are good for the people and the environment they exist in.  People should care about themselves and others.  And the others extends to the world and everything that exists within it.  

    The idea of sustainability should be a term that does not have double standards for certain groups.  An example is the bottle industry.  Why does soda and other soft drinks and even milk still come in plastic?  They used to be sold in glass containers.  These containers were used and then reused in the future.  They were not constantly thrown out and replaced with more plastic that would shortly join the other plastic in a dump.  That to me does not sound very Sustainable.  We should question everything and see what is the best for us for the future.  Why must there be so much waste.  This applies to buildings as well.  I would never suggest that an entire floor is going to go to waste just because I do not have any idea what to do with it.  

    So why not make buildings that we can be proud of.  We set so many rules that people have to follow because why?  Do we think that they would not follow them otherwise?  Do we think someone is going to building a 5 story apartment complex and not put in any stairs?  Who would stay there then?  Do we think they would not put in an elevator?  That just does not make sense today.  Do we think they would put in shitty windows or not properly insulate the building?  That is so stupid and that person would be out of a job and on the street in no time.  I think we should ask at what point are rules too many or too few and where does common sense end?  

    Architects should help lead the way towards sustainability, but I do not think the way is to keep creating more laws and rules to follow.  It makes it harder to do the job Architects were trained for.  Sustainability will fall into place.