Human Ecology and Building Science: A Necessary Synthesis

摘要

In this paper, we reviewed the role of people in the built environment from a number of different vantage points. Thereby, we explored the potential of human ecology as a conceptual framework for our inquiry. In this framework, building activity may be interpreted as an instance of largely regulatory activities by human beings to better match the ecological valency of their immediate surroundings with their ecological potency. Moreover, we suggested that if the notion of sustainable architecture is to be taken seriously, it must critically address not only the technical quality of individual buildings and the requirements and behavioral patterns of their inhabitants, but also the broad ramifications of population growth, life style development, climate change, social policies, investment priorities, and urban planning.