Sustainable design movement
The Sustainable Design Movement emphasizes creating products and environments that prioritize ecological balance and social equity. Originating in the 1990s, it gained momentum with the publication of the Hannover Principles by architects William McDonough and Michael Braungart, which integrated human rights and environmental concerns into design. Sustainable design covers a broad spectrum, from architecture and landscape design to graphic design and disposable products, with a particular focus on reducing waste and utilizing materials responsibly.
Sustainable architecture aims to minimize environmental impact through efficient resource use, including the adoption of renewable energy sources and recycled materials. Significant frameworks like Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) have emerged to provide standardized benchmarks for sustainable building practices. Additionally, sustainable design initiatives in graphic design and product development emphasize the lifecycle of materials and advocate for biodegradable or recyclable options. Overall, the movement encourages a holistic approach to design, integrating sustainability as a fundamental aspect rather than an afterthought, fostering a shift in how various industries approach their projects.
Sustainable design movement
Architecture and design philosophy based on economic and environmental sustainability
The sustainable design movement of the 1990’s encouraged architects and other designers to design products that would benefit people and the environment while still creating a profit.
An early landmark in sustainable design philosophy was the publication of the Hannover Principles in 1992 by American architect William McDonough and German chemist Michael Braungart, who were hired to plan the 2000 World’s Fair in Hannover, Germany. The Hannover Principles connected human rights, economic and environmental sustainability, design, and function, and encouraged designing objects with long-term value, eliminating waste, and using nature as a model for design. The Hannover Principles argued that projects could be designed to support the environment rather than only to minimize damage and that design should strive to emulate the abundant, effective cycles of nature.
Sustainable design principles can apply to anything that is designed, from toilet paper to buildings. Common subdivisions include landscape architecture, graphic design, agriculture, machinery and appliances, technologies, and disposable products. Sustainable (sometimes called “green,” although it is a related rather than identical concept) architecture is the best-known sustainable design field.
Sustainable or Green Architecture
Sustainable architecture is based on the idea that architecture can be “green” (good for environment), well-designed for the people who use it, and profitable for both architects and businesses. Since housing and other buildings were major consumers of resources and an increasing population required additional building, sustainable architecture rapidly became an important focus of the sustainable design movement.
Sustainable architecture seeks to minimize environmental impact by efficient use of materials and energy. Common techniques include the use of recycled or sustainably produced building materials and installation of sustainable energy options such as solar panels. Simple measures such as proper insulation to improve the function of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems are also sustainable design techniques.
Urban planning and landscape architecture are closely related to sustainable architecture. Cities can be planned to discourage sprawl and encourage walking, bicycling, and use of public transportation. Sustainable landscape architecture designs outdoor spaces for sustainability, including techniques such as planting trees to shade houses, using local materials, xeriscaping in arid areas, and buying stock from local growers to reduce transportation energy costs.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
An important milestone in sustainable architecture came in 1998, when the U.S. Green Building Council, a nonprofit dedicated to encouraging the building industry to shift toward sustainability, established Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. LEED provides a publicly reviewed suite of standards for environmentally sustainable construction.
LEED began its development in 1994, when Robert K. Watson, the senior scientist of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), founded a committee to develop a standard for new construction. LEED evolved into six interrelated standards for all phases of the development and construction process. Buildings can qualify for four levels of certification, depending on the percentage of standards met.
Other Types of Sustainable Design
Another major application of sustainable design principles is in sustainable graphic design. Designers consider the impact of all parts of the design chain, from raw material to disposal. Methods include using recycled and biodegradable materials, reducing overall materials use, replacing the end product with a digital form when possible, designing the end product to be recyclable or biodegradable, and using low-volatile organic compound inks. Appliances and disposable products can also be designed with sustainability principles in mind, by using recycled materials and designing the product to be recyclable or biodegradable.
Sustainable technologies generally use fewer limited resources, less energy, and can be used or reused at the end of their useful life. Sustainable technology is often, but not always, the same as appropriate technology, which advocates the use of the most appropriate technology for the situation. Economically, sustainable design can reduce both short-term and long-term costs by minimizing waste.
Impact
The sustainable design movement of the 1990’s created widespread philosophical changes in various design fields, particularly architecture, graphic design, and disposable products. McDonough and Braungart’s Hannover Principles were particularly influential in shaping the philosophical and practical principles behind sustainable design, and LEED certification provided concrete standards and a goal for architects to achieve in designing green building projects.
Sustainable design principles encouraged builders and designers to consider sustainability as part of the overall project, not an afterthought. During the 1990’s, the popularity of sustainable design led to the founding and growth of sustainable design programs and classes in architectural programs throughout the United States.
Bibliography
Cairncross, Frances. Costing the Earth: The Challenge for Governments, the Opportunity for Business. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1993. Presents a case for governments to create conditions that encourage businesses to use environmentally sound practices, and argues that the needs of the environment and industry are not at odds.
Chapman, Jonathan, and Nick Gant, eds. Designers, Visionaries, and Other Stories. Sterling, Va.: Earthscan, 2007. Essays by some of the world’s leading thinkers in sustainable design.
Graedel, T. E., and B. R. Allenby. Industrial Ecology. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1995. A comprehensive and practical introduction to applying sustainability principles in industry.
McDonough, William, and Michael Braungart. Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. New York: North Point Press, 2002. An argument for sustainable design by the authors of the 1992 Hannover Principles. Not specific to architecture.
McLennan, Jason F. The Philosophy of Sustainable Design. Bainbridge Island, Wash.: Ecotone, 2004. A book on the principles of sustainable design, with strong emphasis on architecture and building.
U.S. Green Building Council. www.usgbc.org/. This official Web site provides information on LEED certification.
Walker, Stuart. Sustainable by Design: Explorations in Theory and Practice. Sterling, Va.: Earthscan, 2006. Discusses theory and practice of sustainable design.
Wertheimer, Lester. Architectural History. Chicago: Kaplan AEC Education, 2004. A course or textbook on architectural history that covers twentieth century architecture, including the history of sustainable design.