| According to the US Energy Information | | | | controversial architects, says that in order for builders |
| Administration, residential buildings are responsible for | | | | to save the planet they need to stop building. He |
| 21% of energy consumption in America, while the | | | | maintains that instead of designing new buildings, or |
| construction and operation of buildings is responsible | | | | knocking down existing buildings and replacing with |
| for 50% of the greenhouse gases generated by the | | | | completely new structures, architects should retrofit |
| country. And according to Edward Mazria, an architect | | | | existing buildings to make them more energy |
| from Santa Fe, New Mexico, architects have a lot to | | | | efficient. |
| answer for. | | | | In response to the environmental and energy crisis, |
| Mazria gave up a lucrative career in architecture to | | | | many green housing projects have been proposed or |
| establish Architecture 2030, a nonprofit organisation | | | | implements all around the world. In Las Vegas the |
| that aims to challenge the construction industry to | | | | Enchantment Way Development project was |
| halve carbon emissions by 2010 and to be | | | | recently announced. The project is part of the US |
| carbon-neutral by 2030. He also travels the US in an | | | | Green Building Council's pilot programme to introduce |
| effort to increase awareness and responsibility for | | | | green building techniques and energy efficient design |
| the building sector's responsibility in the current | | | | to the region. Part of the project will be devoted to |
| environmental crisis. To this end, he's written a | | | | creation of a Desert Tortoise Habitat and to protect |
| revealing and informative white paper titled "It's the | | | | indigenous desert growth. |
| Architecture Stupid". | | | | Britain has its first entirely green housing estate |
| Mazria isn't alone in his green housing crusade. | | | | project on the cards, with a proposed development |
| Matthew Berman and Andrew Kotchen, partners in | | | | in London's Docklands. The project will include wind |
| an architecture firm, consider themselves to be | | | | turbines, rainwater harvesting, organic fruit and |
| guerrilla soldiers fighting for a global cause, namely | | | | vegetable gardens, solar panels, a cycle club and a |
| reducing the negative impact that housing has on the | | | | car pool club. Austria has its very own EcoCity, or |
| environment. In 2006 they won a competition to | | | | Solar City that uses modern insulation material and |
| design a zero-energy affordable-housing development | | | | solar panels to reduce energy consumption and |
| in cyclone ravaged New Orleans. Their project is | | | | unique urban planning that locates all city facilities and |
| currently under construction and consists of both | | | | amenities with walking distance of each other. |
| houses and apartments that will be powered by solar | | | | Australia has the Aurora housing project that aims to |
| panels and feature built-in rainwater collection | | | | deliver 8,000 energy efficient homes for 25,000 |
| systems. They are also designed to make the most | | | | people within the next 20 years. And even India is |
| of natural ventilation and will be constructed from | | | | getting in on the action with Kolkata's Rabi Rashmi |
| prefabricated, sustainable materials. | | | | Abasan solar powered housing complex. |
| In addition to their New Orleans project, Berman and | | | | Many people believe that the current slump in the |
| Kotchen design custom-made, energy efficient | | | | housing and construction market is exactly the boost |
| homes for the wealthier members of society. As part | | | | that green housing initiatives need to propel |
| of their environmentally friendly campaign they try to | | | | themselves into the limelight and bring their |
| change the way their clients perceive status and | | | | advantages to the attention of a desperate public. A |
| space. While many of the more affluent members of | | | | report from McGraw-Hill Construction and the National |
| society attribute wealth and success with the | | | | Association of Home Builders reveals that the green |
| number of square feet they own, Berman and | | | | housing market is expected to grow from $12 billion |
| Kotchen try to persuade them that smaller is in fact | | | | in 2008 to between $40 and $70 billion in 2012. This |
| better, and that they can have opulence, luxury and | | | | suggests that green housing projects will soon |
| good design in a small space. | | | | surpass traditional construction methods in both |
| Wilfred Wang, one of America's more colourful and | | | | popularity and profit margins. |