Design for One Earth

Beauty- cannot be discounted

Beauty, as one the twelve values for Design For One Earth is defined as “an intrinsic part of nature and humanity. It is a basic human need and not a luxury or elitist concept. Promote beauty in the built environment and provide for a connection to nature and natural beauty.”

There is no arguing that the focus world over has made a significant shift towards Sustainability in the built environment. At this point it becomes all the more imperative that softer values such as Beauty be intrinsic to the dialogue of Sustainability.

Our Design for One Earth Roundtable during RNL’s 2009 Green Week focused on Beauty. The goal of the roundtable was to explore the meaning and purpose of beauty; its manifestation in the built environment; why and how is it an important part of sustainability. Each of the participants was asked to pick from six famous quotes on Beauty and bring an object or an image that best represents beauty within the framework of the quote.  While we kept going back to the idea that “Beauty is subjective” and  essentially lies in the eyes of the beholder, a few key observations were made:

-         It doesn’t matter how one interprets it – beauty is still core to each individual’s goals. If this premise were to be applied to a project it would be as simple as stating: Every stakeholder in a building project may have a different interpretation of what beauty means to them – but each wants the building to be beautiful.

-         Beauty transcends beyond the visual – and is often expressed as a feeling,  an emotion that is spurred – again translating this to the built environment it could be interpreted as a dramatic space that generates a strong emotion or a daylight built space that connects one seamlessly to the outdoors, generating a feeling of beauty.

It is imperative that as we are rapidly progressing into the systems thinking approach to design that we bring along with us all the values associated with aesthetics and beauty as strongly as of energy and resources. A few days ago, prior to the launch of Design for One Earth,  I was asked the question, “Beauty and sustainability – how are they related?” To me, the question really is, “how can they be separated?”

Sustainability and Beauty are both an integral part of design and problem solving. We may look to nature to create a beautiful sustainable solution or strive to create a solution that brings us closer to nature!

Design for One Earth

Can we live abundantly within the limits of one earth?

Can we offer future generations an opportunity for an even better life than ours?

Humanity as a whole is using the planet’s resources as if we had 1.3 earths. If we all lived like Americans do we would be using the resources of five earths. RNL believes the design of the built environment not only has the capacity, but also the responsibility to build a new world with a bright green future. Creating sustainable built environments requires optimizing the triple bottom line of environmental, economic and social priorities.

Design for One Earth is a design framework that expands of the triple bottom line by identifying twelve values and measures that define sustainable lifestyles and built environments at all scales. The goal is to use the Design for One Earth values as a guide for a design that expresses our clients’ values and desires resulting in environments that enhance their long term prosperity and respects the limited resources of one earth.

The Design for One Earth Values:

1. Zero Energy – Balance energy use and renewable energy supply so that the built environment consumes net zero fossil fuel energy. Implement energy efficiency, demand side reduction, on-site renewable energy and distributed and grid-wide renewable energy.
2. Carbon Neutral – Eliminate GHG emissions from the combustion of fossil fuel related to all human activities.
3. Water Balance - Balance water use so that so that needs can be satisfied without depleting the renewable freshwater resources available. Implement water use reduction in buildings and landscaping, rainwater catchment, and water reuse.
4. Materials Balance – Balance material use so that needs can be satisfied without depleting renewable natural resources. Incorporate durability, longevity, adaptability so that materials can serve a long life. Incorporate design for disassembly so that materials can be captured and diverted at the end of their service life. Incorporate reused, repurposed and recycled materials. Optimize local and global resources in material choices.
5. Zero Waste – Eliminate waste. Waste is an indicator of inefficiency and a sign of a design failure. Close the loop on material cycles so that all “waste” is diverted for re-use, new use, recycling or composting rather than disposal. Eliminate pollutants and toxicants in all forms.
6. Land Balance – Balance land use decisions to preserve ecosystems, promote ecosystem services, and develop new habitat and landscaped open space. Consider land use and landscaping at all scales including large open space habitats, roof top gardens and interior plants. Globally, agriculture has a significant impact on greenhouse emissions, water use, health and the economy. Consider food production within the built environment.
7. Prosperity – Prosperity is an inclusive economic measure that considers personal wealth, natural capital and long term value. Create sustainable places that provide opportunities and allow everyone to prosper.
8. Resilience – Resilience is part stability and part adaptability. It is a quality that promotes long term viability and the ability to weather adversity. Create built environments that hold long term value, are adaptable and enduring.
9. Visionary – Visionary is the use of innovation to create new value. Visionary is the use of foresight to invest for the future but also to invent the future.
10. Health – Health is the foundation of life. Health is measured at both the public and personal level and can be greatly influenced by decisions and systems at many scales. Promote health in the built environment through design for active living and through access to quality air, daylight and thermal comfort. Eliminate toxicants and chemicals that impede health.
11. Beauty – Beauty is an intrinsic part of nature and humanity. It is a basic human need and not a luxury or elitist concept. Promote beauty in the built environment and provide for a connection to nature and natural beauty.
12. Happiness – Happiness is the sum of many things, but an important measure of quality of life. Happiness is tied to many things including the built environment. Create environments that promote happiness, well-being, productivity and delight.