Editor’s blog

Greening the tree

January 1, 2009 | Bruce N. Wright

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The publisher’s “pyramid of green” concept, based on the food pyramid, helps people make choices to improve the energy performance of their houses. It’s a good, although possibly simplistic, idea. Anything that helps people make wise choices in energy use — choices in materials, equipment and building systems, as well as even more elemental issues as location, building siting and size — is a good thing. What concerns me is that often these guides leave out good choices that may help reduce energy consumption before a building is built, namely reducing solar gain through windows or the electrical load of light fixtures, both of which can benefit from wise use of architectural fabric. Stopping the sun before it hits a window significantly reduces solar gain and energy use can be reduced by using translucent fabric roofs or canopies to allow in natural light thus reducing the use of electric fixtures.*

Much more can be done, but it requires regular and frequent education, the type of education expounded at the recent ACADIA (Association for Computer-Aided Design in Architecture) conference held in Minneapolis, where more than 50 papers were presented on the implications and potentials of computer use in architecture.** Some of those potentials involved the use of fabric, and Fabric Architecture will be reporting on these presentations throughout the year, beginning with this issue and Jason Griffiths’ cooling table. The future, as represented by the participants at the ACADIA 2008 Conference, is ripe with possibilities.

Another exciting possibility is the new National Academy of Environmental Design (NAED), formed to address “the critical issues surrounding the sustainability of our designed world.” Modeled after other National Academies — e.g., the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) — the NAED will bring together “committees of experts in areas of scientific and technological endeavor to address critical national issues and give advice to the federal government and the public.” The participating organizations are identifying key questions around sustainable materials and other areas for further study and recommendation to Congress and the National Research Council.*** As these studies develop, FA will report back. Stay tuned.