"I don't deal with Sustainability in my courses because my field is Construction Technology, not Passive or Sustainable Design."

The need to introduce issues of sustainable design into architectural curricula is becoming vitally important. Because the field is inundated with new technical information, books, periodicals and software, educators are having difficulty incorporating these issues into the presently overloaded curriculum. Although many environmental control systems and technology faculty would ideally like to see the introduction of entire core courses dealing with the issue of sustainability, this is often impracticable. As with the introduction of any new material into the curriculum, faculty often shift this responsibility to others, considering it a burden or not directly in their field.

Professors of passive design have been quick to adopt sustainability into their courses as a natural extension of the principles associated with passive and vernacular design. Professors of building and construction technology have illustrated more resistance to reassessing their courses in light of sustainable construction practices. The thrust of this paper is to outline an approach to the reassessment of building technology courses incorporating an attitude supportive of the concept of sustainability. Sustainability needs to be viewed as an overriding concept that influences all architectural decisions.

"Sustainability" Versus "Energy Crisis"

At first glance the cry "Sustainability!" reminds me of the classic fairy tale of the "Boy Who Cried Wolf." Sustainability seems to have become the new archi-environmental catchword of this decade. The fervor of the crusade for a "Sustainable Environment" seems to recall a familiar time during the 1970's when the words "Energy Crisis" caused highway speed limits to fall and solar design ideas to gain favor. But as quickly as the political furor over Watergate died down, and the capital and cultural boom of the 1980's gained momentum, architectural concern over energy efficient architecture was replaced by positional battles engaged in design style. Gasoline line-ups were an event of the past. Student and faculty interest in courses associated with energy conscious design technology showed a marked decline. Interest in architectural theory and history increased. The Energy Crisis was all but forgotten. The New York State Thruway may remain at 55 mph [ed. note, it hasn't], but the speed limit on the Mass Pike is back up to 65 mph. Will sustainability share the same fate?

The Energy Crisis has not disappeared, but rather some important technological changes in design approach have taken place and have been so thoroughly integrated into design and construction detailing and specification as to have become a non-issue. Perhaps the single most important change in the architecture of northern latitudes is the increased amount of thermal insulation now required by code. A core of technologically concerned architects and engineers have maintained research, development and application of energy conscious design through the 1980's and have re-emerged even stronger in the cause of sustainability. Ecological and environmental concerns have expanded well beyond the issue of the consumption of non-renewable energy sources. The massive consumption of all natural resources during the economic boom of the 1980's, both renewable and non-renewable, has placed a severe strain on global supplies and caused irreparable damage to our atmosphere. ^Ref.1 Sustainability is not a catchword or a passing crusade, but rather is a continuing challenge to architects. Unfortunately, many quality aspects of our natural environment will disappear long before the need to be concerned with "Sustainability" will cease to be of central concern to the world community.

"Sustainability": It's not a "Topic" but an "Attitude"

The architectural applications of the principles of sustainability require carefully considered limited consumption of those natural resources which we must use, and articulation that is carried out in such a way as to minimize wastefulness and promote longevity. It is not an argument against architectural development -- rather, because architecture and construction necessarily consumes massive amounts of materials and related energy, ^Ref.2 the usefulness of those materials must be maximized.

Addressing the issue of sustainable architecture and urban design in the curriculum requires the adoption of an attitude that must permeate course content, from the most minute detail to the most general principles. An attitude must be nurtured in architectural design education which focuses on quality and durability in design and construction. Sustainability cannot be "covered" by a single lecture or even an entire course. Conceptually it must be acknowledged in the broadest sense throughout the curriculum. ^Ref.3