Professional Documents
Culture Documents
By Florian Techel
Department of Architecture
American University of Sharjah
PO Box 26666, Sharjah
United Arab Emirates
florian@techel.com
Table of Contens:
Aesthetical Aspects of Sustainability.................................................................................. 1
Abstract ........................................................................................................................... 2
Discussion of Sustainability in the past 30 Years ........................................................... 2
Results ............................................................................................................................. 3
Developments in other fields, Examples ........................................................................ 4
Concept of Branding ................................................................................................... 4
Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 5
Outlook for the field of Architecture & Building ........................................................... 6
Marketing the right architecture...................................................................................... 7
Final Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 8
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Abstract
The topic of sustainability in the design of buildings has in the past- been viewed
primarily under the aspects of morality, responsibility, ethics, etc. While these are
perfectly reasonable arguments, the turn towards sustainable behavior, especially in
affluent societies, has not yielded the proper behavior, has been a slow one at best.
Simply speaking: the need for conservation is more readily understood if external factors
dictate such behavior.
While there have been some references in the past that viewed the topic under aesthetics
aspects, for example, proportional aspects, such as Small is Beautiful1.
This paper will investigate possible reasons as to why the aesthetic aspects of
sustainability have been underexposed in the past. It will also argue why the aesthetic
aspects are important in this discussion in the future and may develop into the driving
force behind the movement towards sustainable design.
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Sustainable behavior can be measured to a certain extent by the amount of energy used
by a nation per capita.
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Whether, or whether not such an energy turnover is sustainable depends greatly on the
vantage point. A middle-eastern gulf country with vast oil reserves most likely will look
at the topic differently compared to a country in the subcontinent without these energy
reserves. A meteorologist, who is increasingly alarmed by more frequent and more
intensive weather phenomena, and tracks these back to global warming, again may look
at the topic differently.
Results
Since the mid-1970s the conduct of an intensive environmental discussion in
industrialized countries has led to two distinct results.
It led to the formation of a political (green) movement. This group is open towards
rational and primarily ethical arguments and is willing to change its own behavior
accordingly. This has, to date, been a minority within these countries.
Through the participation of some green parties in government coalitions, it has led to an
increase in sanctions towards environmentally unfriendly (unsustainable) behavior.
Legislation has been passed to increase the taxation on fossil fuels (with the beneficial
side-effect of reducing the demand for imports) and technical standards have been
introduced and repeatedly stiffened defining the energy consumption of buildings.
This has, in part, led to an increase in the efficient use of energy and thus the
sustainability of modern buildings. At the same time a general increase in wealth in these
2
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/ene_com_ene_use
Commercial energy use (kg of oil equivalent per capita). Commercial energy use refers to apparent
consumption, which is equal to indigenous production plus imports and stock changes, minus exports and
fuels supplied to ships and aircraft engaged in international transport.
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societies has led to the desire for more and larger residential and office spaces and thus
partially consumed the increases in efficiency.
This approach assumes that the clientele is susceptible for rational arguments. The
introduction of laws, however, concedes that a significant portion of a society is not able
or not willing to follow rational arguments in this area and, in varying degrees, has to be
forced.
Unfortunately this approach only focuses on one single aspect (utilitas) of the trinity of
architectural design as originally formulated by the Roman architect Vitruvius Pollio:
Firmitas (Stability), Utilitas (Utility), Venustas (Attractiveness). Vitruvius stated the goal
that every building design should strive to fulfill all three aspects. Consequently a
building that is wasting energy may be attractive on the surface but not truly beautiful for
it is not in harmony with its environment.
Concept of Branding
Many industries, such as cars (Mercedes, BMW, Lexus, etc.), sport shoes (Nike, Adidas,
Puma, etc.), mobile phones (Nokia, Sony-Ericsson, Motorola, etc.), computers (Toshiba,
Apple, Dell, etc.), fashion (Nike, Levis, Tommy Hilfiger) have shown in an exemplary
way that customers are willing to spend more for a brand product for various soft issues
(not necessarily rationally motivated). Self-definition, alleged user-friendliness, fashion,
lifestyle, role models, etc. are strong motivators in the purchase of brand products.
Companies have realized this long ago and invest large amounts of money in advertising
not particular features or qualities of a single product, instead developing an image for
the brand label overall. Research has shown that customers frequently display a strong
brand loyalty, hardly ever changing the car manufacturer, frequently staying with one
mobile phone manufacturer and frequently sticking to the same computer brand. This is
why so much advertising is going after young customers, for once the brand loyalties
have been formed, the average customer is not likely to change his/her opinion towards a
certain brand / label.
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Conclusion
People do not always behave in a reasonable and sensible fashion when it comes to
making purchasing decisions. Customers are displaying a behavior in their daily lives that
is not always oriented towards maximizing returns, increasing efficiency and saving
money wherever they can. Customers frequently incorporate additional soft aspects into
their decisions, such a fashion, belonging, desire, self-identification, that extend beyond
mere utilitarian and/or rational aspects and dictate behavior.
In other areas, such as politics and religion many people are tempted to give credibility to
a statement not primarily because of the statement itself and if it makes sense or not, but
more likely because of the individual or the company who stated it.
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Final Conclusion
Instead of repeatedly emphasizing the utilitarian, ecological and ethical dimensions of
sustainability, which should all appear perfectly clear to the experts, it is the
responsibility of designers to visible-ize these aspects. Our challenge as designers is to
make sustainable buildings so breathtakingly beautiful that potential clients will look at
them in their neighbors yard, magazines, coffee table books, or the Internet, gasp and
exclaim: I want to have one of these! The fact that these buildings will be friendly to
the environment then turns into a very welcome side-effect, but the main motivator will
be aesthetical aspects of the respective design.
New communication technologies such as the World Wide Web have helped to level the
playing field and now permit small architectural firms or interest groups to easily
compete with the Big Guys. It is not very difficult to create online discussion fora that
focus on these topics, consequently little excuse to doing it.
Just like the architects of the Modern Movement, we know we are doing the right thing.
So (paraphrasing the American philosopher Nike: lets do it!
We all will be better off because of it.
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