Wines/Uffelen Green Architecture

1. Are you able to  design an ecologically inspired art of building in the Age of Ecology in your present studio?

-Absolutely, I think every studio has an opportunity to create a more ecologically friendly design.  Something I’ve come to notice in studying these older architecture theories, is that they did not consider the implications on the future generations of the city and its inhabitants. It wasn’t until this scientific age of analysis that we came to discover the flaws in  all of our urban design trends of the past. So it is our duty as designers with this knowledge of precedents to be more ecologically responsible designers.

UFFELEN – Ecological Architecture

Do you find his historical examples and attention to materials and use convincing?

-I find Uffelen’s examples extremely convincing. And it’s something that during my architectural education have come to find baffling, as to how we strayed away from such practices and techniques. Growing up learning the harmful mistakes of the past and the historical precedents of sustainable architecture, it seems obvious to me that we should be designing in a more sustainable ecologically-minded way. But like the reading said, during the post WW2 era, people had no idea the future implications of their actions. It seems that the world, in its rapid growth gets so caught up in the trends and technology of the time, that they don’t consider what effect it might have on the greater world, and future generations. I can only hope that people start reverting back to the fundamentals of sustainable living and building practices.

Since global warming has been recognized and accepted, ” A change in paradigm ook place in architecture, setting sustainability as a priority above style or structural function.” Do you think this has happened in the United States?

-I think to a small extent, this new standard of sustainability has taken place in the U.S. However we still have people like Frank Ghery and REM Koolhaus building for style and structure. But on a smaller scale, I think local builders and independent clients, have a new goal of sustainable design. This can be seen in the LEED accreditation system, in which clients and architects alike are trying to implement sustainable practices in buildings. However, there are some flaws in the system and as I mentioned before, not every firm or architect holds the same priority.