On the way to Sustainable Architecture in the United States

摘要

The Kyoto Protocol was passed ten years ago. Counties that ratify this protocol commit to reducing their emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. America, the country with peak values of CO_2 emissions, is the only nation to have just signed but not yet ratified the law. Although the American government is not willing to get involved in climate issues, educated American people seem to be developing a general interest in sustainability and in involving it in their daily lives. The Schools of Architecture at American Universities are opening up to the topic and are appointing experts from Europe to integrate sustainability as a central element into the teaching of architectural design. What is the situation in the United States and how can sustainable principles be adapted to the American way of life? This paper defines the term sustainability in reference to contemporary architecture. It deals with the preconditions required to be able to implement the principles of sustainability in American Architecture at European standards, taking Germany as a practice example, and it looks at ways to find solutions for the situation in the American countryside.