Sustainability & Autos

There is not one true road to using less resources. Many car designers and manufacturers have focused their efforts on creating electric or gas-electric solutions to using less petrol in day to day usage. These efforts are not the only direction. Toyota built a 200 million dollar factory just to produce batteries. Mazda has taken a different tact. They put their efforts into making a better gas engine and a lighter space frame for the car. Here is an article reviewing the subject.

Green Architecture

It was not long ago that many architects dismissed the "green" label for architecture. It seemed a fad. For many the principles were so basic that it was common sense. Well it seems that it is not a fad, but a new wave. Dozens of cities across the nation have codified green design guides. Multiple non-government organizations have proposed standards. The USGBC has LEED. The Green Building Initative has Green Globes. Almost every professional association of manufacturers has some committee or marketing arm showing how their members are sustainable or environment friendly. Even Walmart has caught the vision. The federal government has gotten into the act with an expansion of their Energy Star program. The Department of Energy has become more vocal about their myriad programs.

Green design is the wave of the future. Our challenge as architects is to not just slap it together but coordinate all the components into a coherent whole.