Buildings are the main culprits when it comes
blocks, residential buildings and factories (Kim
to guzzling fossil fuels, according to a study
& Rigdon, 1998). During a buildings lifetime
(Figure 3) done by Architecture 2030 “the
it will have an effect on “local and global
building sector was responsible for nearly
environments via a series of interconnected
half (44.6%) of U.S. CO2 emissions in 2010.
human activities and natural processes” (Kim
By comparison, transportation accounted
& Rigdon, 1998).
for 34.3% of CO2 emissions and industry just 21.1%” (Architecture 2030, 2012). Norman
In the initial phase, site development and
Foster points out in his TED talk My Green
construction manipulate the original land
Agenda for Architecture that if we combine
and environmental characteristics; once the
buildings with their related transport, which
building is erected it will have a long-term
includes the transport of people, then 71%
impact on the local and global environment.
of energy consumption is produced by the
For example, the energy and water used by
relationship between our cities and their
the residents will create CO2 emissions and
infrastructure. Therefore “the problems of
sewage.
sustainability cannot be separated from the nature of the cities in which the buildings
Architects must recognize that as a city
are apart” (Foster, 2007).
or country’s economic status increases, its demand on resources will as well, for example
Buildings are one of the most obvious
for land, energy and buildings (Kim & Rigdon,
factors of economic activity, as a country’s
1998). This “increases the combined impact of
economic growth will require more office
architecture on the global ecosystem, which 37