Is 'Green Architecture' Really Sustainable?

Geoff Manaugh observes that truly sustainable architecture goes unnoticed while designs that end up "ornamentalizing sustainability" get the "green" label and the media's attention.

1 minute read

August 27, 2007, 2:00 PM PDT

By Abhijeet Chavan @http://twitter.com/legalaidtech

"...we shouldn't pretend that a steel-intensive high-rise with a few wind turbines on top is somehow good for us; it's just not as bad as it could have been."

"I think it's extremely important to realize that you may be building less bad high-rises, but you are still building high-rises. I remain radically unconvinced that a "green" skyscraper is better than no skyscraper at all – and yet green skyscraper enthusiasts are out high-fiving each other as if their own positive energy is enough to counteract carbon emissions from the global steel industry."

FULL STORY: Architectural Sustainability

Monday, August 27, 2007 in BLDGBLOG

Architecture Landscape Architecture World

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Learn More

Advertise with us

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.