WHY: When it comes to the climate crisis, buildings have been a problem. According to Architecture 2030, nearly half of US CO2 emissions comes from buildings, mostly to heat, cool, and power them. But today we have the science, materials, and components to make buildings that can generate more energy than they consume. Buildings can be part of the solution.
Still, the idea of “green building” conjures up images of bad design for some. The misconception persists that sustainable buildings are inherently ugly, and beautiful buildings wasteful. Furthermore, both “green building” and great design have earned a reputation of elitism.
