Green Dream investigates what "green" means in practical terms for design, architecture and urbanism. Led by The Why Factory, the global urbanist thinktank headed by Winy Maas, experts in the field debate what is currently considered green and how the term ought to be defined going forward, challenging architectural conventions and looking into the potential of new green architecture. Recognizing that green buildings alone do not make a green city, Green Dream also looks at broader green solutions for cities and how they might be implemented. Most importantly of all, the book dares to ask "Is a green city actually feasible?" and attempts to answer this question through the help of case studies. Drawing on 36 illustrated green projects, and with essays by John Thackara and Winy Maas, this volume outlines future goals for architectural and urban projects, and draws on research by The Why Factory, MVRDV and Delft University of Technology.
"Green regulations come with restrictions. For energy efficiency, a building is better designed as a compact box than as an irregular shape. A façade ideally has about 35 per cent of its window openings regularly distributed over the whole building to allow for maximum natural light while reducing heat loss. That doesn't leave much space for variety. In projects with high construction budgets, architects may be able to work around these restrictions. But most architecture--the stuff that forms the basic substance of our cities--will be shaped by the needs of Green and become more identical. Where green technology and green demands absorb an increasing part of the construction budget…the space for design is limited and green roofs are sometimes the only beauty that is left."
"Not everyone fighting for Green may be doing it for the right reasons, or with the right information. Sometimes Green is abused. So it's tough to determine which of the arguments out there are credible, or which issues deserve priority. Research is often contradictory. Conclusions are somehow ambiguous. Born-again sustainability gurus are appearing out of nowhere, advocating new truths. Are they true? Here and there, logic is pushed aside as new oligarchies take control of new markets in the capitalistic tradition. Some politicians and developers misuse ecology to promote their own agendas. Greenwashing has become the state-of-the-art marketing too. Architects use bio-mimicry to camouflage their designs. New green laws are not financially backed up yet and therefore absorb budgets for other, spatial qualities. Who can one trust? Are something’s wrong with Green…?"
Winy Maas, excerpted from his introduction to Green Dream.
FORMAT: Pbk, 6 x 8.25 in. / 408 pgs / 300 color. LIST PRICE: U.S. $35.00 LIST PRICE: CANADA $40 ISBN: 9789056627416 PUBLISHER: nai010 publishers AVAILABLE: 9/30/2010 DISTRIBUTION: D.A.P. RETAILER DISC: TRADE PUBLISHING STATUS: Out of print AVAILABILITY: Not available TERRITORY: NA LA ME
Published by nai010 publishers. Text by Winy Maas, John Thackara.
Green Dream investigates what "green" means in practical terms for design, architecture and urbanism. Led by The Why Factory, the global urbanist thinktank headed by Winy Maas, experts in the field debate what is currently considered green and how the term ought to be defined going forward, challenging architectural conventions and looking into the potential of new green architecture. Recognizing that green buildings alone do not make a green city, Green Dream also looks at broader green solutions for cities and how they might be implemented. Most importantly of all, the book dares to ask "Is a green city actually feasible?" and attempts to answer this question through the help of case studies. Drawing on 36 illustrated green projects, and with essays by John Thackara and Winy Maas, this volume outlines future goals for architectural and urban projects, and draws on research by The Why Factory, MVRDV and Delft University of Technology.
