Wines & Uffelen

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

I think that it is possible to design an ecologically inspired building in any studio. It is up to us as designers to begin a project with the forethought of how we can minimize our impact on the environment and what ecological ideas we want to embed in the building based on local conditions. I think that as we learn more about environmental practices and new technologies these principles will become part of our architectural expression and how we can relate our designs to their immediate context.

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

I find his examples to be convincing. His attention to buildings across time and from different parts of the world begins to look at ways in which high and low architectural technology have been used. I particularity liked the historic examples and the emphasis on the resourcefulness of builders at the time. I think that the combination of vernacular climate response and use of local materials in addition to new technologies will help to create architecture that relates to nature.

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

I do not think the importance of sustainability has yet overcome that of style and structure in the US. While there are examples of buildings that are moving towards sustainability, I think there are still people in this country that have a greater influence than architects that are not pushing for sustainability for various reasons. I think a major hurdle to this is informing the greater public of the need to build sustainability not only for fiscal reasons, but also for health and resource conservation.