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Sustainable Architecture

This page describes current and future documents in our Sustainable Architecture Compendium. As drafts and finished documents are published for each of the five modules, we will make them available here. Currently, final editions of the entire Introductory Module and Recycling and Reuse Module are available online.

You are welcome to download and print anything here -- free of charge!-- for non-commercial educational purposes. If you would like to have a paper copy mailed to you, please contact us directly. Note that we must charge a small fee to cover printing and mailing. Note also that DRAFTS will only be made available online -- we are not able to mail copies of them to you.

Introductory Module FINAL DOCUMENTS ONLINE! "An Introduction to Sustainable Architecture" Combined Bibliography Combined Annotated Bibliography Resource List Selected Readings (not yet available) Sample Syllabi (only available by mail) Sustainable Design Module (DRAFTS NOT YET ONLINE)

Sustainable Building Materials Module (SOME DRAFTS ONLINE) Recycling and Reuse Module FINAL DOCUMENTS ONLINE! Case Studies Module (DRAFTS NOT YET ONLINE)

Introductory Materials

"An Introduction to Sustainable Architecture"

The construction and operation of buildings consume the majority of the world's natural resources and energy, and contribute the bulk of landfill waste. This paper introduces the concept of sustainable architecture and gives an overview of the educational resources in this compendium. Included are the following appendices:

  • Appendix A: Survey of Educators. Documents an informational survey of educators from architecture schools across the country to assess the current status of environmental education in architecture.
  • Appendix B: Survey of Building Materials Manufacturers. Documents an informational survey of building material manufacturers across the country to assess the current status of environmentally sustainable building materials.
  • Appendix C: NAAB Criteria Review. Summarizes a review of National Architecture Accreditation Board criteria evaluated for relevance to sustainable design issues. Limitations of current criteria are discussed; suggestions for expanding or rewriting criteria are given where appropriate.
    350K Acrobat file

    Combined Bibliography

    The 400 publications in this list form the combined bibliography for the four modules that comprise this Compendium. The list has been compiled from a variety of sources, including bibliographies used in architecture classes around the country, published lists, and independent research.
    70K Acrobat file

    Combined Annotated Bibliography

    Eighteen publications from the Combined Bibliography are annotated here; included is a quick-reference matrix for selecting publications by module, topic, and audience level.
    40K Acrobat file

    Resource List

    Listed here are sources for computer software, slides, videos, and other educational resources for teaching sustainable architecture. Organizations that offer information, services, publications, and other materials are also included. This list is intended as a starting point for individual research.

    Selected Readings

    Forty journal articles on environmental issues related to architecture.

    Sample Syllabi

    A collection of 14 syllabi submitted by architecture faculty from universities across the U.S. and Canada. Featured are lecture schedules, homework assignments, lab experiments, studio design projects, and essay questions pertaining to sustainable architecture.Available only by mail. Price: $11 (includes shipping).How to Order

    Sustainable Design Module

    "Fundamentals and Methods of Sustainable Design"

    This paper may be used in a coursepack or as supplemental reading for architecture courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. It examines the environmental impact of building design and construction. Principles of sustainable architecture are discussed as a means of reducing this impact. Analysis of a building's phases of construction ("pre-building," "building," and "post-building") are used to explore the concepts of Economy of Resources, Life Cycle Design, and Humane Design

    Bibliography

    Lists 130 books and journals specifically related to sustainable design theory and application.

    Annotated Bibliography

    Summarizes selected literature from the Sustainable Design Bibliography

    Sustainable Building Materials Module

    "Qualities, Use, and Examples of Sustainable Materials"

    This paper is designed to be used as a coursepack or supplemental reading for architecture courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. It examines the source of common building materials and the environmental costs of their production. Examples of environmentally friendly materials are discussed, as are means of applying the principles of Life Cycle Analysis to a building's phases of construction (pre-building, building, and post-building).
    DRAFT: 2,090K Acrobat file

    Bibliography

    Lists nearly 100 books and journals specifically about the production and use of sustainable building materials.

    Annotated Bibliography

    Summarizes selected literature (eight articles) from the Sustainable Building Materials Bibliography.

    Recycling and Reuse Module

    Learning Units

    To help architecture students "become critical of the upstream and downstream effects of building design, construction, use, and disposal," this graduate thesis addresses "the problems of scarcity, costly extraction, and increased regulatory provisions associated with unsustainable natural resource consumption and waste disposal." It is designed to be used as a coursepack or supplemental reading for architecture courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. This lengthy (100+ pp.) document, complete with more than 100 illustrations, provides an introduction
    (45K Acrobat file) as well as discussions, case studies, and exercises for each of the following topics:

  • Waste Prevention (1,291K Acrobat file)

  • Construction and Demolition Recycling (2,261K Acrobat file)

  • Architectural Reuse (951K Acrobat file)

  • Design for Materials Recovery (748K Acrobat file

    Appendices, Bibliography, and Annotations

    Appendices, a list of 100 books and journals specifically related to the recycling and reuse of building materials, and summaries of selected publications.
    (168K Acrobat file)

    Case Studies Module

    Sustainable Development Case Studies

    An illustrated examination of the planning, development, and construction of three sustainable communities:

  • Dewees Island, off the coast of South Carolina

  • Maho Bay Camps on St. John, USVI

  • The Haymount development in Caroline County, Virginia

    Sustainable Building Case Studies

    An illustrated examination of the design, construction, and usage of three examples of sustainable architecture:

  • The Solar Research Facility at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory

  • The Center for Energy and Environmental Education at the University of Northern Iowa

  • The Environmental Research Center of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

    Slide Series

    Architecture instructors may enhance the use of the six case studies with this series of photographic and text slides.


    To Order Materials From the NPPC

    Prices are shown in parentheses after each document description. Please make checks payable to "The University of Michigan/NPPC." We are unable to accept credit cards or cash. All orders must be prepaid. Our Federal Tax ID number is 38-6006-309.


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    This page last revised on December 23, 1998.