BUILDINGS THAT LAST. GUIDELINES FOR STRATEGIC THINIKING

Buildings that Last provides the layperson with a basis for participating in the discussion about sustainable housing. This book is not about bricks and adobe, nor about cladding with aluminum or glass, nor about the difference between natural and mechanical ventilation. While these are all important aspects of sustainable building, the real key is for the partners in the construction process--including the commissioning bodies--to consider early on the physical, social, and cultural environment in which they want to be accommodated. This first thinking stage can lead to the unearthing of surprising solutions that are considerably more sustainable than what has been the norm until now. Real estate is still too often thought of as a question of meeting the demand for floor space in square meters (or feet, depending)--and little else. Buildings that Last includes examples of studies into the construction of offices for 2040, when buildings will hopefully have an environmental impact that is 95% less than was the norm at the end of the last century. Today's top-scoring projects are also reviewed--the results show that we still have a long way to go in sustaining sustainable development.