Studio Hour-9/18/08

Today in Studio Hour we learned all about sustainability and the impact it can make on our environment and design. We listened to a lecture by John Linn, an architect. His lecture was entitled "If we were fish" and it taught how we as humans need to look at everything that is around us, and how it affects the world. He related the human race to a storm saying that we are: strong, big, powerful, an agent of transformation, both constructive and deconstructive, dynamic, and a process. He also said that humans need to focus on the world as a whole, and not as little pieces. He then went on to speak about the 2030 challenge which was developed by Ed Mazria. It is also referred to as AIA 2030. The goal is to cut the amount of carbon used in buildings, and have it neutralized by the year 2030. They want to focus on the carbon that is being used in buildings that are already in use. To successfully complete the project the group has both measurable target goals and benchmarked timelines. Linn also talked about AIA 5050 which is a document that gives 50 ways to reduce carbon by 50%. He emphasized  that whatever we use we need to be able to replace.