From Sumerian times to today, we have experimented with what is sustainability. It is arguably possible that several of the most significant factors in the rise and fall of civilizations have been a reliable source of food, water and a place to live. As populations have grown, so to has our ingenuity risen to the challenge of feeding and housing us.

Nonetheless, historically, as we have overdone it and depleted the capacity of the land and sea to replenish our food stocks, the food and water have dwindled.

To name a few, this has come in the forms of crashing fish populations, vast dust bowls, and lost habitats for the very plants and animals we rely on to survive.

According to the North West Forest Plan(1) definition of sustainability in ecology, it is an ecosystems ability to maintain a [steady state] in to the future.

This definition is applicable to many different systems including societal and economic systems.

Jonathon Porritt, an English author, has intertwined three systems into a visual model of the relationship of humans to the world. As he sees it, economics is a function of human society and human society exists as a function of the environment(2). For humans to exist sustainably we need to find a balance between these three systems.

The United Nations Brundtland Report of 1989 suggests humanity must, “…meet the needs of the present with out compromising the ability of the future generations to meet their own needs”(3).

So, in terms of us, now, here in this small portion of the planet, Sustainability is all about finding a way to use our resources thoughtfully, spend our money wisely, and take care of our environment judiciously.

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1 North West Forest Plan, A report presented to the President and Congress, 1996 US Department of Agriculture
2 Porritt, J. (2006). Capitalism as if the world mattered. London: Earthscan, p.46. ISBN 9781844071937.
3 United Nations General Assembly (1987) Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future. Transmitted to the General Assembly as an Annex to document A/42/427 - Development and International Co-operation: Environment.

We are all experiencing a “market correction”,
in other words, slower business, lower paychecks, and worry. Our dollars and those of our clients and customers do not seem to go as far as they did just a year ago. You know the drill or you know someone who is experiencing this.

Speaking together with a number of folks, we realized there may be some service by providing some clues to ways to make things go a little better.

This is the first of series of pieces that will talk about different ways to practice using sustainability as a bench mark to improve your bottom line at home and at work.

In my architectural design practice I am trying to bring sustainability to the forefront of each project I work on for several reasons.

When you think about your business or home in longer periods of time and add up the costs to keep things going, the numbers can get very large and quickly. If you design a new building or redesign an existing building incorporating products that will have a long life cycle (last a long time) you can avoid the cost to replace them.

If you make the envelope of your building better insulated and air tight, you can conserve a great deal of energy and related costs.

It turns out that if you spend the time to carefully design your work space to be more comfortable and address your day to day needs, you can become more effective and productive. A well designed space can save you time at home and even make you money at work.

The following articles will explore ways to become more energy efficient, save money, stimulate the local economy, and generally take steps towards a more sustainable work and home life.

Everywhere you turn now, things are “going green”? What does this mean for building design? Well, in some cases, it means going back to basics, and in other cases it means taking a leap forward.

Certainly, the old ways of powering your home are out, being replaced by, as President Obama states “harnessing the air, sun and soil” to give up our dependance on fossil fuels.

For many building materials, however, the green decision is to stay local, keep it simple, and utilize products that are as little processed as possible.

I work with clients to understand their budget, values and priorities to maximize sound decision making with an eye towards low impact, long lasting products with a minimal carbon footprint.

This is a phrase that is thrown about a lot. Talk to me about what you think this means.

“Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” From the United Nations Brundtland Report of 1987 titled ” Our Common Future”