“Sustain Edge©: Throughout most of human history, the interaction between our built environment and the natural world has predominantly focused on nature’s impact on our structures. Traditionally, since buildings serve human needs, significant attention has been paid to how natural phenomena like earthquakes, wildfires, floods, weather events, wind, climate, and even sunlight affect our constructions.
However, a natural progression of thought has led us to examine this relationship from a dual perspective, recognizing the profound influence our built environment has on the planet. This includes not just the consumption of natural resources for energy and construction materials but also the impact on surrounding natural systems.
We’re beginning to understand that the development and construction process – one of humanity’s most resource-intensive activities – isn’t the only contributor to long-lasting environmental effects. The lifecycle of buildings, encompassing their operation, upkeep, and eventual demolition, must also be considered to truly comprehend a building’s full cost. This cost accounts for the implications not just for us but for the entire global ecosystem.
The concept of ‘green building,’ though seemingly modern, has deep roots in the construction industry. Always, there have been those within the field who contemplated the wider consequences of building – how their actions would resonate beyond their structures’ boundaries, affecting the air, water, land, and various life forms that rely on these elements.
Ultimately, the essence lies in achieving equilibrium, in honoring the resources at our disposal, and utilizing them in ways that guarantee their availability for future generations of all species. This idea isn’t novel to us; it’s a truth we sometimes overlook. There is a story about the relationship of man to his resources (including his own time and energy) that says:
“A foolish individual builds a large fire and stands far from its warmth, while a wise one builds a modest fire and stays close to its heat”.