One Hundred Years

Sustainability may be considered a contemporary ideology or theory, however, within the built environment, sustainable architecture – under many other pseudonyms – has been present for many decades. Throughout history, sustainable architecture has manifested in a variety of forms, which extend beyond the camouflage of the shallow-technical-add-ons of solar panels and green roofs, which are publicized by contemporary ‘greenwashing’. Sustainable architecture has developed in response and reaction not only to world environmental catastrophes but also to political, financial, social and cultural concerns and crises.

This complex history is represented by one hundred hanging acrylic squares, which represent the historical narrative of one hundred years of sustainable architecture. Presented in their decades, each transparent square is an ink-transfer of the abstract representation of the events, theories, movements, publications, and built examples that are relevant to sustainable architecture during that decade. Allowing you to look through history and understand the complex and responsive nature of this field.

“The progression of sustainable architecture requires looking at our history as a catalyst for changes in our built environment. This piece illustrates the relationships and complexity between the many factors of our past, which can inspire for a more holistic sustainable future.”