SUSTAINABILITY & BUILDINGS

Sustainability is not an academic pursuit or even a professional activity it is a way of life affecting everything an individual does. Knowing what kind of a relationship we want to have with the global and local environment is the first consideration. Then we should address how to achieve this relationship. To move from theory into practice it is necessary to understand the impacts associated with our work- and life-related activities. Buildings, their construction, use and disposal, have a significant impact on the natural environment and social fabric of our society.

Sustainable architecture can help put into practice and even encourage a sustainable way of life. But how can buildings be designed and built to contribute positively to the sustainability agenda, to achieve economically strong, socially inclusive, stable communities while minimizing the impact on the environment?

There are perhaps two main aims for sustainable architectural design.

• First, sustainable buildings should metaphorically ‘tread lightly on the Earth’ by minimizing the environmental impacts associated with their construction, their life in use and at the end of their life.
• Second, buildings should make a positive and appropriate contribution to the social environment they inhabit, by addressing people’s practical needs while enhancing their surrounding environment and their psychological and physical well-being.

The above are neither optional nor mutually exclusive. It is not a question of addressing one or the other point, but both. No matter how energy and water efficient a building might be, it becomes a waste of resources and a potential detriment to the community if no one wants to occupy it.