Ten Shades of Green: Architecture and the Natural World

by Peter Buchanan, Kenneth Frampton (Foreword)

Contemporary buildings, like contemporary forms of urban development, are major contributors to the environmental crisis. In this book documenting a major traveling exhibition organized by the Architectural League, curator and critic Peter Buchanan uses ten buildings that combine environmental responsibility and design excellence to argue that sustainability is not just good for the planet but offers architects new opportunities for creativity and innovation. He shows that there is no single route to sustainability and no such thing as a green aesthetic. Rather, through a range of building types, he demonstrates that increased awareness of a building’s setting combined with advances in technology create unlimited opportunities for responsive design. Generously illustrated with four-color photographs and plans, the book includes work by an international roster of architects, including Norman Foster, Neutelings Riedijk Architecten, Herzog + Partner, and Renzo Piano. 164 color photos and drawings

Genres: Architecture

128 pages, Paperback

First published December 19, 2005

Reviews

[Carl Wade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pg 3: Examples are outside the USA.
Pg 17: In 1970 low enery designs were only knocked out when oil prices fell again. Will gas go cheap again? We have to have other reason for going off oil.
Pg 30: Then shades or aspects of green for architecture: 1. low energy/high performance. 2. Replenishabel sources. 3. recycling. 4. embodied energy. 5. longlife, loose fit. 6. total life cycle lasting. 7 embedded in place. 8 access and urban context. 9. Health and Happiness. 10. community and connection..
Pg 39. Defines these 10 a little more. Embodied energy is what is need to build the building, wood is the cheapest.
Pg 124. "OUr Ecoligical Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth" Wackernagel and Rees 1996.