How can architecture become sustainable? How might buildings use natural forces and respond to the challenges of the environmental degradation and global climate change? What design concepts should architects use to make buildings consume less energy and resources? What is the role of technology in making architecture more environmentally responsible? How can construction become more ecological? What should the paradigm of architectural practice be as we enter the twentieth century? An International Design Symposium held in late 1996 at Massachusetts Institute of Technology set out to discover the answers to these questions and others - the dimensions of sustainability. This illustrated book gives a comprehensive view of contemporary ideas, innovations and emerging attitudes to sustainability that emanated from the MIT symposium. 16 leading contributors with demonstrable track records in architectural practice, engineering and academia give their insights into the way we need to think about architecture in the future in order to work with the environment - instead of against it.
Supported by details that relate to specific design or research projects, they clearly suggest a variety of potential directions fo follow to bring environmentalism into the mainstream of architectural discourse. The edited summary of twelve key presentations at an International Design Symposium held at MIT. This book presents an important collection of contributions from key designers with a track record in the field of environmentally conscious buildings. Their contributions respond to a need for a more holistic view on environmentalism, focusing on cultural and social levels as well as technical issues to broaden the debate on sustainable architecture. This book will appeal to a wide range of professionals in the build environment, increasingly concerned with sustainable design.