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I recently had the pleasure of serving as a guest critic this last semester for a sustainable and affordable housing studio at the School of Architecture at North Carolina State University. Taught by Professor Tom Barrie, the students first research the design and technologies of several recently built projects. The final semester project was to design an affordable and sustainable home for the local Wake County Habitat for Humanity.

During one of the first reviews, the students were discussing the value of sustainability and how it can be measured. Certainly there are the various certification programs which all measure the greenness of a construction based on a system of points. And then there's the life cycle analysis based on the economical payback with respect to energy savings by the homeowner over a certain number of years, measuring and valuing the installation of a product or system. Lastly the students discussed the cycle of material production, from the energy cost of development or regrowth of natural materials, to delivery and installation costs.

We challenged the students to think beyond pure mathematical analyses when it comes to the value of sustainability. What about the potential for personal and community value?

What if a mom with two asthma stricken children move into a healthy home and within a year the asthma symptoms are gone? The children are sleeping better and more attentive and learning more at school, growing up to be more productive members of society. And the mom is not requiring time off from work to take them to the doctor and is saving from not having all the medical bills.

How do you measure a healthier home?

And if the homes are designed to encourage community living? Designed for social interaction with ample front porches and living rooms in the front of the home so you can keep a watchful eye on the street. With these and other simple design moves, we've witnessed neighbors caring for each other, sharing vegetable gardens, helping with maintenance of common areas, having potluck dinners, and watching over the children.

How do you measure a sense of belonging?

The discussion of sustainability needs to include these intangibles, as well as all the mathematical and point driven measures.

Some absolutely fabulous homes were designed by the students, and the whole picture of sustainability got much larger. We all learned a lot.

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  • sang hoon moon
    about 6 months ago
    1. In whole world oecd members country environmental residential building creation plan technical sale:
    1) President. Country maritime department. Ministry of Environment
    minister. Ministry of Culture minister, Foreign affairs department
    minister.
    2) each at the time of, local self-governing group: Construction consent charge 3) Prof. construction. Dr. science. Construction relation academic society. Registered architects association ( Rises from the construction teacher's wife optional group permission case with the registered architects designation)

    * The government about construction authorization case provides re-with report Measuring sustainability

    2. Now all countries bureaucracy habit and national interests of service design service of the registered architects the service plan enterprise which fixed idea back and trader logic goes wrong the violence?

    1) Bureaucracy of registered architects
    Why the construction relation academic society the registered architects association which is not also creation technique and the interested party (professor. Doctor. The registered architects) in compliance with is composed and is the responsibility which paralyzes the change of national policy who qualitative thing first to ask and wants. The responsibility of global warming the registered architects association must come.

    2) The principal offender who paralyzes the scientific technique of the whole world to being construction company association, broadcast media leads and conveys and is feeling

    The student who learns and the social new recruit there is a possibility guiding a plan technique. The word which is a specialist is been confused with disor so and the sourceful technique being executed, until all countries are the time where the necessity which will remake the technical business act which is not copyright is urgent

    3.Sale of patent (the whole aspect execution hung,):
    lay-out mechanical process controls. Change of renovation of equipment the Singh sale where is strong at the degree which will be indiscriminate accomplishes and is a qualitative thing and is unbearable in the policy making people and the degree which will do occasionally to be provided rationally.

    * oecd193 Member country :
    1) lay-out scientific technical (process/renovation) engineering
    commissions
    - Water resources security technical provision.
    - Change in climate.
    - Environmental demobilization.
    - Environmental preservation.
    - Safety. Job creation.
    - Each city, farm land room self-governing body:
    1)Sewage disposal ground: Maintenance expense reduction. Utility is
    few control technical provision
    2)Type beaker [su] smart environmental demobilization city provision
    - Management the above fabric.
    -The economic exit provision which leads an enterprise renovation

    http://www.ecotrade.or.kr/ecomarket/offerview.asp?no=216
    Cyclone engineering: Technical holding company
    thanks
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Latest posts by David Maurer
David Maurer
As president of TightLines Designs, David Maurer, AIA, LEED-AP, designs small, energy-efficient and sustainable single-family detached homes. He consults with developers, builders and owners on conservation-based community design, green architecture and historic revitalization, and is a frequent contributor at industry conferences.
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