sustainability = simple, good design

Sustainable design is nothing new. I prefer to think of it as a reawakening and a reassessment of our priorities as designers and as humans. Sustainable design is, simply, simple, good design. For the environment. For communities. For occupants. And, yes, for economics. After all, humans have been building shelters since time immemorium, gradually perfecting designs that worked with the environment to keep occupants safe, healthy, and comfortable. All without the convenience of the electrical grid.

Passive design refers to the optimization of a building's form, envelope, structure, positioning -- anything that is not part of the building's mechanical/electrical systems -- to minimize the need for external energy inputs and to maximize the safety, health, and comfort of the occupants. Somewhere along the way, we got sidetracked for awhile -- enamored with our big machinery -- and forsook passive design for the opportunity to build anything anywhere, regardless of the environment, the community, the occupant, or economics. Technology gives us the ability to build a glass house and keep it warm even in Northeastern winters, but it does not give us the commonsense not to. Sustainable design, in many ways, is simply a welcome revival of the commonsense that has historically informed our designs.

The tripping point for the building construction industry seems to be the enduring misconception that sustainability and economics are at odds. On the contrary, many sustainable practices (read "commonsense practices") are entirely free; those that require a higher initial investment should pay for themselves in reduced utility bills, increased worker productivity, and so on. Indeed, it is that glass house in the Northeast that is at odds with economics, and it's time that we set the record straight.

Postgreen, a real estate development firm in Philadelphia, is setting out to do just that. With its new $100K House, the company is proving that sustainable design is affordable design. The 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath house will be situated in a vacant urban lot and will utilize passive design strategies, such as a living wall that will help to shade the house from the hot summer sun and block the house from cold winter winds. Not only will the house be affordable to buy, but it will be affordable to live in -- Postgreen has set a goal of making the house 50% more energy-efficient than the 2004 International Energy Conservation Code requires.

Read about more sustainable features and follow their progress here.