Wk 12 - Architecture & Sustainability

Over a year ago, the American Institute of Architects declared the "voice of the architecture profession," announced that AIA members will no longer need to complete the sustainable design requirement to fulfill their AIA continuing education." (Hosey, 2016) 

The reason justifying the action was that the topic sustainability design practices have become a mainstream design intention, and the knowledge about it is no longer necessary to maintain competency as well as to improve the profession. According to the AIA, the profession must have met its environmental goals and there is nothing left to improve. However, I would strongly disagree with their statement upon justifying the action whereby sustainability is a complex development issue that requires constant adaptation and refining in order to build a better society. As the alternative solution towards the unsustainable consumption of the society is beyond unthinkable and the solution to build a "perfect" sustainable environment is unimaginable. ( Steffen, 2005) The only constant factor in our current society is it "always changing", the trend of sustainability may be superseded at a flash, by then how sure are they that architect of that generation would still uphold the obligation towards the sustainable environment ? 

Polls in 2009 revealed that a third of the architects are skeptical about climate change, and 13% believe it is a myth. As Hosey suggested, the possibility of inadequate education and common criticism of green buildings. Furthermore, the lack of leadership of green architecture in the profession, for example, Peter Eisenman and Frank Gehry once called green building standards "bogus". (Hosey, 2016) Respectable as it may seem from the architecture field to me, star-hitects should portray a sense of responsibility not only towards the community but to the environment that the building he/she created is going to be built on. Evidently, James Wines, author of Green Architecture called Gehry's work "mind-boggling waste." Probably the unconventional use of cladding that some might say a waste of materials in the name of aesthetic in the iconic work of Frank Gehry. 

Image Source : http://www.archdaily.com/782905/when-it-comes-to-sustainable-design-architects-still-dont-get-it/56d455cce58ece3a6c000003-when-it-comes-to-sustainable-design-architects-still-dont-get-it-photo

At the same time, it is sadly true that even within my own education over the years in architecture, the theme of sustainability if often not prioritise by the tutors and professors, instead are more often concerned about the intangible concepts of form and space. Well, this is arguable that to me sustainability should be an integration into the design process that starts to inform innovatively. By following the principles of sustainability such as orientation, ventilation etc, everything changes about architecture , including its purpose, process and products. "Design isn't separate from sustainability - it's the key to it. ( Hosey, 2016) 

Resource : 

http://www.archdaily.com/782905/when-it-comes-to-sustainable-design-architects-still-dont-get-it