As advocates and administrators of sustainable design, I’m sure you’re aware of the many economical benefits of incorporating sustainable design into your building projects.  However, with the numerous economical savings that are available, it sometimes becomes easy to primarily focus on this beneficial outcome of sustainable design, and forget about the positive environmental impacts and the core values of sustainability.

            Climate change is becoming more apparent each year.  The World Meteorological Organization-sponsored panel issued reports in 2008 concluding that average surface temperatures will rise roughly 3° to 7°F this century.  This is already yielding migrating species, earlier season changes, sea-level rises, and will continue with increased droughts, floods, and species extinctions.  Another report also concluded that with effective technology and standards, the goal of keeping the century’s surface temperature rise below 3.6°F.  This goal can keep problems, such as the spread of tropical diseases toward the poles, from occurring.  This is important information for anyone trying to make a difference in climate change, so they understand the severity of the promlem and the immediate necessity for a solution.

            Making changes in how we deal with the emission of greenhouse gasses is vital to the success of stopping climate change.  There are lots of ideas regarding how to attack the problem including carbon sequestration from power plants, imposing fees on CO₂ emissions, and increasing nuclear power; all of which carry issues of debate.  No single technology will address the problem by itself, so you must make an effort in the area that is most effective for you.  Since the production of cement contributes 6 billion metric tons of carbon into the atmosphere annually, the building design and construction industry can play a key role in the minimizing of climate change.  Using environmentally friendly products that minimize waste in your building projects will help cut down on that number, but just focusing on the building industry is not enough.  We must be more active in advocating.

            Remember the environmental reasons for incorporating sustainable design into your work.  Be passionate about doing good things for the environment and our planet.  In order to make a difference in global climate change, action must be taken now by as many people as possible.  The people in industries of architecture, interior design, and landscaping have the ability to become pioneers in pushing the answer of sustainability to the masses.  Do your part and help spread the ideas of sustainability as much as you can.

Resources

Vergano, D. (2007, May 2).  Fixing climate carries big costs.  Retrieved April 8, 2008 from USA Today, web site: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/environment/2007-05-02-climate-fix-cost_n.htm

To listen to or download the podcast related to this blog titled, “Social Responsibility in Sustainability” please visit the EDRA podcast site at https://podcast.uww.edu/podcast.php?id=910c3cdcdc88590f23a832db8a699b7e

For more information about sustainable design and our relationship with our environment, visit http://www.edra.org/.

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Many green products are appealing to the environment because they reduce emissions, or save energy. However, most green products are not appealing to the consumers. Consumers claim their needs environmentally are being met. However, they are not meeting their needs as far as price, symbolism and status, heath and safety, and convenience. It is not easy to find a low cost, status boosting, environmentally friendly product, or a company that carries truly environmentally friendly products for that matter. The market must satisfy two objectives: improved environmental quality and customer satisfaction.

Studies show that not only is it hard to appeal to the general consumer population, appealing to the younger population is significantly more difficult. Conservation and green products need the unsolicited endorsement of high-profile celebrities and have a connection to cool technology in order to appeal to young people.

Green products would appeal more easily to consumers of all ages if it could be positioned as a status symbol. If a product were to have an award-winning sleek design, symbolize intelligence and social responsibility it would be more likely to sell. People want to portray the image of “coolness.”  If sustainable products were to capture the “coolness” image, then consumers would be more likely to buy sustainable goods. Sustainable products and services will depend on communicating and delivering consumer-desired value in the marketplace.

Price is a huge concern for most consumers. Green products are not cheap. With our economy being in a current recession, consumers are unlikely to spend extra money when they do not see it helping them in any way. Most consumers agree that the environment is in trouble and they would like to do something to help. However, the high costs of products that are environmentally friendly keep them from doing so. Society would rather have food on the table over clean air to breath or water to drink. Escalating energy prices, concerns over foreign oil dependency, and calls for energy conservation are creating business opportunities for energy-efficient products. However, green products must appeal to consumers outside the traditional green niche.

No product labeled as a “green” or “environmental” product has a zero impact on the environment. The next generations of sustainable products needs to increase the productivity of natural resources, follow biological production models, encourage dematerialization, and reinvest or contribute to the planets “natural” capital.

(2006, July). Improving consumer appeal for green products. Green Clips. No. 291. Retrieved on March 31, 2008 from http://www.greenclips.com/.  

Ottman, J., Stafford, R.,  and Hartman, C. (2006, June). Avoiding green marketing myopia. Environment. Vol. 48. No. 5. p. 22. Retrieved March 31, 2008 from www.greenmarketing.com/articles/Stafford-MyopiaJune06.pdf

To listen to the audio version of this blog please visit the EDRA podcast at https://podcast.uww.edu/podcast.php?id=910c3cdcdc88590f23a832db8a699b7e

This blog is maintained by EDRA officials.  Inappropriate and off-topic responses will be removed.

Today more then ever consumers are concerned about their impact on their lives, their surroundings and even their environment. Consumers are no longer looking for the large floor plans and expensive designs their focus is changing to the cost efficient housing with many benefits. So what houses fit that criteria of being cost efficient, with an efficient layout and sustainable materials, prefab houses are leading the way.

Sold by Sears and Roebuck over 100 years ago from off the shelf materials prefab homes are quickly becoming fashionable as they are both cost and design efficient. This alternative is gaining footing with the present decrease in the housing stock. Prefab houses are allowing for variety and quality in a time that people are rethinking not only about building houses but the materials used as well as the size.

Prefab refers to the construction in that the homes are designed by architects built and moved to its location. Also called tract homes they are found to be more sustainable and also moving to the leading edge. They are more likely to rely on natural light and ventilation as the floor plan is focused on maximum efficiency. Typically there will be expanses of glass, exposed beams, exposed studs and other unique qualities to express and demonstrate what the home is made of.

The housing market is rapidly changing both do to economics and the environment and prefab houses are making a strong comeback as they place an emphasis on smarter layouts and more sustainable building materials. They also leave a smaller foot print on both bank account and the environment.

Resources: Keeps, D. (March 1008). The fans of prefab get real. Los Angeles Times. p. F. 3.  Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/

To listen to the audio version of this blog please visit the EDRA podcast at https://podcast.uww.edu/podcast.php?id=910c3cdcdc88590f23a832db8a699b7e

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Two questions have been asked when thinking about “sustainability” from a building perspective:

Question #1: How far should we take it?

The word sustainability itself is used in many different contexts. It can simply be used when talking about something that will allow a more sustainable economy, such as a dam project in India. However, this way uses only a limited perspective. In order to gain its intended focus, one must take on a larger perspective. Jonathon Porritt, former director of Friends of the Earth, shared his definition of true sustainability when he wrote, “If something is sustainable, it means we can go on doing it indefinitely. If it isn’t, we can’t.”

The purpose of LEED certification is to bring forth environmental issues to work with clients and design teams to reduce a building project’s effect on areas of concern. LEED has been thought of as the training wheels to progress to a higher level of systems thinking. It is meant to inspire the question “What does the next level of green design look like?”

Question #2: How do we realize it?

That would require a shift from conventional to non-conventional in terms of the way we think and do things and also more complex system awareness. This means engineers, architects, and clients working jointly on building designs from the beginning. Sustainable design requires an understanding of the invisible connection between the elements of a building and not just the physical elements. A systems approach has to be a collaborative effort, meaning a move from the design team restricting themselves to “experts” and learning to be “co-learners.” Most green projects that have been successful have been because they allowed their focus to be environmental issues.

The process of incorporating sustainable thinking into any project is not a difficult task, however, accepting that the older conventional practices need to be reconsidered can sometimes be challenging. Change is not an easy thing, but the process of change is actually the most exciting part of moving towards a more sustainable world. Technologies will always be improving in subtle and significant ways.

Resources: www.nais.org

To listen to the audio version of this blog please visit the EDRA podcast at https://podcast.uww.edu/podcast.php?id=910c3cdcdc88590f23a832db8a699b7e

This blog is maintained by EDRA officials.  Inappropriate and off-topic responses will be removed.

This is the official EDRA blog.  The focus of this blog is to inform EDRA members and followers about environmental news and issues.  We would like to encourage educated responses to all of our postings from EDRA members as well as anyone concerned with the environment.

The Environmental Design Research Association advances and disseminates behavior and design research toward improving understanding of the relationships between people and their environments.  The Environmental Design Research Association advances and disseminates behavior and design research toward improving understanding of the relationships between people and their environments.  For more information or to become a member, go to:  www.edra.org.