For local architect Rodrigo Carazo, green building means simply “adapting to our natural surroundings without damaging or destroying it,” through a “constant process of learning, adapting and experimenting.” To Alberto Negrini, an architect and professor of environmental design, green building is a process of “relearning to live with nature.” He believes that true environmental design must spring from the surrounding nature and culture. The final objective of environmental design, he said at a recent symposium at the National University, “is achieving happiness arising from people living in harmony with their environment.”
Roberto Meza, an engineer specializing in certifying green buildings, aims even higher, positing that green building and design should not only avoid harming the environment, but also should actively work to restore and improve it: “We have to move from causing less harm to doing more good.”
Where all agree is that there is no established path to building sustainably; creativity, innovation and cooperation among those involved in a project, rather than following established formulas, are most important for achieving good results. Designers also agree that while green building seeks ambitious ends, it’s simpler than it sounds, often involving applying common sense or rediscovering traditional approaches to living with the environment...Read More » |
