"People first paid honour to a spot and afterwards gained glory for it. Men did not love Rome because she was great. She was great because they had loved her."
GK Chesterton
"People first paid honour to a spot and afterwards gained glory for it. Men did not love Rome because she was great. She was great because they had loved her."
GK Chesterton
Buildings that sustain communities
Currently, our society judges the success of our buildings by fixating on the initial cost and speed of construction. The conventional approach assumes that whichever system produces the quickest profit today serves us best for the days to come. Accepting these false assumptions sets our built environment on a course of reckless uncertainty.
Right now, affluence masks the harmful effects of our shortsighted practices, but the disruptive consequences of climate change are eroding this arrangement of convenience. Properly understanding and adequately addressing the challenges ahead is a prudent, but daunting task. In order to begin such a task effectively, we propose a research program designed to identify true sustainable housing solutions for the poor and marginalized communities in America. By stepping back from the present set of consumeristic assumptions, developing a holistic form of evaluation that identifies building methods and materials capable of sustaining households, businesses, and communities becomes possible. Instead of perpetuating liabilities, as is currently done, we commit ourselves to cultivating multi-generational assets.
Developing solutions for the poor, who will suffer the disruptions of climate change the most.
Establishing a framework to implement sustainable housing initiatives globally.
Spurring on the rest of society to better building practices. By establishing market competitive solutions for the poor, we raise the standards for all socioeconomic backgrounds.
