Comments for TRUTH in ARCHITECTURE

Comment on Why is my town so ugly? by Meg

Meg — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 20:02:47 +0000

Amen. I completely agree that we have undervalued beauty – or even dignity – in the places we build. I used to think that I must be the only person who cared, since the ugliness around me (in central NJ) just kept proliferating, one cartoonish eyesore after another. I discovered urbanism about 10 years ago, and it was a relief to discover that there are others who care. But we have a long way to go; getting urbanists and architects to value each other and work together remains a challenge.

Comment on LEED is the Worst… by Joseph Scarpa, LEED AP, GREEN, EcoBroker

Joseph Scarpa, LEED AP, GREEN, EcoBroker — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 11:43:14 +0000

Interesting that author is from Illinois which arguably has the best state program in the USA combining urban historic preservation and sustainability. See http://www.illinoishistory.gov/ps/

Perhaps if there were more graphics available illustrating the weighting of the 13 environmental impact categories developed by NIST and EPA and used by USGBC, LEED users would be more conversant in the trade-offs between LEED points.

I remember soothing early naysayers lamenting that a bicycle rack and a solar array was worth a same point with elucidation of the facts: a bicycle rack also requires a changing facility within 200 feet and that bicycling to work has different environmental impacts than electrical generation and transmission.

Although empathetic to the author’s argument, I have always been impressed when I call USGBC and experience the first customer service representative being empowered to resolve my issue.

The power of LEED is its consensus-driven evolution and the approbation of our peers. We are at the tipping point where folks respect our genuineness as opposed to our chasing points.

We can’t smoke within 25 feet of our air handling equipment but we could still park our cars there (but we don’t). We can take the LEED points for a bus stop in front or our office without shoveling the snow for the bus riders (but we do) … so we follow the spirit of LEED as well as its technocracy.

And the USGBC, as should all public-minded organizations, should constantly be mindful of the inherent and tyrannical organizational dynamic of self-preservation, but persevere instead to “promote the general Welfare” first and foremost … and that the purportedly member-driven USGBC derives “their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

Comment on Censorship from the AIA? OMG! by greenerblog

greenerblog — Sun, 23 May 2010 16:01:37 +0000

If 17% of readers really think the ad is “disgusting”, then the AIA may have a point of sorts. That’s a much bigger percentage than I would have expected. How big is the sample?

Comment on LEED is the Worst… by Randy Deutsch

Randy Deutsch — Mon, 10 May 2010 11:33:19 +0000

Great article – well-written and timely. And BTW, great site. Interesting to see the new LEED in relation to the author’s past Chicago experience with Green guides. As for how LEED has transformed the public’s view of the market for architectural goods, from the start one had to constantly explain that there were no LEED-rated materials or products – a misperception that seemed to only get stronger with time. Read some of your data on the number and impact of LEED projects in relation to, say, Bill McKibbin’s sobering new book Eaarth, and one begins to see how ineffectual this process is in relation to what it needs to be to have an immediate positive impact. This article – in the end – contains both sides of a balanced argument and deserves a thoughtful, if not heated, discussion.

Comment on A Woman’s Place Is In The Home by Tweets that mention A Woman’s Place Is In The Home « TRUTH in ARCHITECTURE -- Topsy.com

Thu, 06 May 2010 22:55:48 +0000

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Comment on A Woman’s Place Is In The Home by Roaring Woman

Roaring Woman — Wed, 05 May 2010 11:57:50 +0000

I’m not sure if I’m offended or intrigued by this post. In some weird way your saying that architects shouldn’t be so willing to accept mediocrity. Or maybe you’re just saying, we ought to think for ourselves. We should question what’s going on around us. Fine. I can’t disagree with that.

When I was studying architecture, I never once heard the word “sustainability.” Today, I feel like I’m only half an architect because I’m not LEED certified. Is it just another trend or what? Half the noise in the media tells me it’s a conspiracy, the other half tells me climate change is a fact and humans are the cause (and the cure). Who am I to know what to believe? All I wanted was to design buildings. Now, to be an architect, I have to save the world??????

I see this blog is “sponsored” by a software company. What the hell is that all about? Whatever the case, you’re probably right about us lemmings, but hey, I’ve got work to do and it’s not in the home. Ha!