Introduction: Still in Haste

This book focuses on the work of architects and thinkers who make the case for a convivial approach to architecture through the innovative use of passive energy design. The included projects and essays position the role of passive inventions as a key form of activism within the field of architecture and environmental control. In contrast to many approaches to sustainable architecture today which treat the environmental impact of buildings as a specialized, technical field outside of its ethical and political implications, this book describes pioneering efforts to link passive energy design with the active political project of advocating for a better, more ethical built world. The book is framed around the work of Harold R. Hay, an American chemist and inventor who strongly believed in the potential of passive energy design and was an activist to its cause.