Sustainable Design - The Right Thing to Do

摘要

A commitment to sustainable design is an investment for the future that has tangible results for today. The USGBC defines sustainability as "meeting the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs." For architects, sustainable design is a logical moral extension of the charge to protect the health, safety, and welfare of building occupants. For builders, sustainable designs can hedge their ability to construct in the future by conserving building materials to be used on other projects, and hence affect the ultimate cost of their trade. For owners, sustainable design yields quantitative and qualitative advantages. In particular, corporate and higher education leaders can gain political capital by promoting strategies that benefit a wide constituency, as well as reap the economic benefits of the responsible use of resources. And for building occupants, sustainable design can affect not only the quality of experience in the built environment, but also the natural environment. We all can contribute to sustainable design.