Architecture As Ecology

Architecture As Ecology ... 


The inspiration for this blog is to explore the idea that a building can be an ecosystem that informs the senses and soul of a visitor or inhabitant to be in harmony with the human world of artifice and structure with the natural world of surrounding ecological complexity and biodiversity.


This is not a new idea, only that it goes deeper than a building that, as the saying goes, chases LEED points to look green and sell well in an evolving ecology-informed society. As Richard Cook (architect, LEED Platinum awarded B of A tower in NYC) said recently in an interview with Paul Goldberger (architecture critic, New Yorker magazine), any design that goes for the highest possible level of ecological design will get all the LEED points it needs to be recognized, even if the LEED rating system is not perfect, it's the best we currently have.


After years contemplating, as a lay person, the energy and aesthetics of architectural design which is ecologically aware, this blog is largely inspired by that interview, which can be found here:


http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/currents/2010/08/richard-cook.html


This blog is also inspired by Earthships and other "autonomous buildings" which attempt to not only free visitors and inhabitants from depending on the grid (food, water, and waste management "grids" as well as energy) but also to free the "commons" from the impacts of multiple, individual, highly-consumptive structures. 


http://earthship.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autonomous_building


As a student of Permaculture and other approaches to organic food growing, but also some one who, like many, once hoped and planned to be an architect (I used to design curvilinear residences as a hobby), I have found myself intrigued by any system that puts food growing and individual homes and community altogether.


So much of this is experimental, and living this way, or working this way, involves adjustments. I hope to explore all of these permutations by inaugurating this blog.


David Glober
San Francisco, CA
August 26, 2010