StepUp2Green?

The hype is here, it has been for the last few years. All we talk about is sustainable building, green architecture, green cleaning, green, green, green. But was is really green? What is really sustainable? How do we get to it? This can be a touchy subject, and I don't have all the answers, but I sure think about this all the time.

Having worked at one of the leading architecture firms in San Francisco, I was in the middle of this discussion on a daily basis. Architects, engineers, project managers, developers and clients alike wanted to push the envelope, research and implement all the possible strategies to get low energy, high performing designs that respected the environment and the users.

Something that I have a hard time with is when I see architecture firms that have a separate section or tab to show their "sustainable design". To me all design should take into consideration low energy use, high performance, water reuse, site and stormwater management, low chemical emitting materials, renewable resources and a whole myriad of issues that makes good buildings. ALL buildings should take these issues into consideration. "Sustainability" shouldn't be a "special" label that gets attached to "special" buildings. I know there are a lot of "unsustainable" buildings out there, built in the boom of the developing era, that are far from using little energy and from being pleasant to be in. But what I would like to see is that all new construction takes these principles (and some of them are plain good architectural practice, like daylighting) and uses them as part of good design. That we all strive to make good buildings that don't have to be checked by a list that tells me they are sustainable so they can get a sign on the door and then forget about it. I want to see more than the desire to get this sign for marketing purposes. I want to see people interested in good design because that s what we need, good design, good architecture and a good environment to live in that stays this way for future generations.

Recently a colegue of mine was telling me about a project in the US that was being presented at a conference. It consisted of a renovation of street medians in an East Bay neighborhood in California. Then, next up were two large scale projects, one in India and another in Saudi Arabia. Those were large buildings that treated their own water, used a desalination plant for providing water for the buildings among other more all emcompasing strategies. Then, someone in the audience asked "Why is it that in the US we do street median projects while in other countries the interventions are in a much larger scale, with more innovation and acceptance of building authorities?"

Well, I don't really know the answer either but that made me think, again. Are we stuck with old building codes? Are policy makers not keeping up? Is there too much conflicting interest? We can do better than street medians...

Don't get me wrong, I support all initiatives that take one step further. But I feel that it is time to push harder. I would like to see designers, architects and engineers be able to go ahead with their projects and innovations without having to struggle to get something approved because the codes and legislation fall short on what is being proposed. I would like to see all new construction go beyond the checklists and push the envelope. I would like to see collaboration so that we can all face this together.