Sustainable Architecture

Prof. Avlokita Agrawal

Department of Architecture & Planning
Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee

Lecture – 05
Pioneers of Sustainable Development

Good morning, welcome back to this online course on Sustainable Architecture. Today in
lecture 5 of week 1; we will be seeing or reading about the great visionaries architects as well
as non architects, who have worked hard and their revolutions, their thinking, their visionary
thinking has shaped the world and also largely what we read about sustainability.

So, in the previous lecture we had seen the different events which have happened through the
history and which have shaped what we talked about sustainability today or how we
understand sustainability. Today, we are talking about the people, the visionaries who have
led to the success of these events and eventually the shaping of the topic of sustainability as
we know of it today.

In those times, when these events were happening or when these people were bringing to the
fore; some of the issues which were not thought of by then; the sustainability as a term was
not even coined and we people did not understand the implications of it that we are seeing
today. So, let us go ahead and look at, read about the works and these some of these great
personalities.

The way I have ordered are in no particular order of chronology or their qualification or the
kind of issues they raised; they are randomly picked and these visionaries are also limited for
the given time that I have to take. There are many more people who have been instrumental in
shaping the sustainable development; the overall discussion about sustainable development.
(Refer Slide Time: 02:29)

So, the first personality the visionary that we talked about here is John Muir. He was one of
the America’s most famous and influential naturalist and conservationist. He was a Scottish,
he was one in Scotland and he shifted to America with his family early in his life. And he had
a particular love for the nature and he was a conservationist at the end of towards the end of
his life. He is also called the father of America’s national parks; he is known as the
wilderness prophet and citizen of the universe.

He was the person who was instrumental in protecting some of the greatest valleys of
America; like Yosemite National Park. For the first time, he brought to the fore that some of
the natural environments, natural areas as they appear as they are must be conserved and that
is what has led to the creation of some of the greatest national parks and some which
followed after him, but there was a great movement he was the one who had opposed the
Governments decision for creation of a dam.

However, several years after his death; after he passed away the dam eventually got
constructed and there were different policies which were taken and he considered that
decision as a great loss to America’s biodiversity and America’s natural assets which are
there. His greatest achievement was not his greatest achievement, but one of the major event
of his life was a 3 night camping trip with president Roosevelt in 1903.

Because of this strip and his discussions with President Roosevelt; the dam project which was
submerging a large part of the valley Yosemite valley was put on hold and for several years
the project was put on hold. However, many years later after Roosevelt was not the president;
the decisions were taken, the policies; the new policies were formed.

(Refer Slide Time: 05:00)

Another visionary was Rachal Carson; she was actually an aquatic biologist. She was working
in us fisheries and marine department and her PhD was on the use of chemicals and pesticides
and their impact on aquatic life; aquatic biota.

Through her research, she found out that the spray of DDT; the wide spray of DDT was
causing a lot of biodiversity loss to aquatic systems. Different species of fish and marine life
are getting affected by it and it is actually entering the food chain. She was already an
established writer; a visionary thinker and writer who was publishing books like Under the
Sea, Under the Sea Wind; these such a; some of these books which were huge success were
already published by the time she was writing this book called silent spring which got
published in 1962.

And for the first time this issue of large scale DDT spray in the fields; DDT at that time was
called insect bomb. So, for the first time she brought to the fore and American people the
common man understood the impact of the use of pesticides; specially DDT on human
beings. Till then, it was considered as a boon because it would DDT would kill all the insects
and pests and it was helping them have thriving crops and a lot of production was seen.

But after this there was a lot of revolt, there was a lot of opposition from common masses
which eventually led to the policy of banning of DDT. This book and the revolution which
came across America, from common people also led to the formation of US Environmental
Protection Agency; US EPA which is a; which is an agency, which is in the forefront of
protecting environment in the US and across the world as well
(Refer Slide Time: 07:22)

The next visionary we have is Mahatma Gandhi; the previous two visionaries were largely
talking about or focusing on the environment and conservation of the environment. While the
discussions and the thinking; the vision of Mahatma Gandhi was of a self reliant human life;
self reliant villages, self reliant settlements where the betterment of human life and ensuring
fulfillment of basic needs of all human beings was his core philosophy.

However, at the bottom of it his philosophy was to limit the needs as he said that earth
provides enough to satisfy every mans needs, but not every mans breath. So, the policies
which he advocated were of self reliance and judicious use of natural resources.
(Refer Slide Time: 08:30)

It is also one of the driving forces behind setting up of gram samaj at local level, gram
panchayat in Indian administrative systems which is currently a very strong system of
governance.

So, gram panchayat's still play a vital role in making our villages self reliant and empowering
the local governments. And thereby enabling the local people; the common masses to become
self dependent and that is and that is the essential part of sustainable development, where
people come to the center of it man; human being human life is at the center of it and
betterment of human beings is the most important parameter.

However, at the same time taking care of environment by controlling our needs; by putting
our needs within limits. So, for the first time here we see how Mahatma Gandhi advocated all
the three dimensions to be brought together society, people, environment and also prosperity;
flourishment that is through economy.

(Refer Slide Time: 09:45)

Then we have Stewart Brand; Stewart Brand was he initially served in us navy before; he
started working towards environment which was his gradual later interest initially even before
he started advocating for protection of environment.

He started demanding NASA for an image of earth as seen from their space; till that time till
he demanded we had never seen earth from the space while NASA had already reached the
moon and space they had already sent human being to the space and moon. So, after he
started demanding and he was canvassing he was publicizing he started selling small buttons
which conveyed the message that we want to see earth as seen from the space as an image and
it started growing as a as a motion and people started demanding for such images that was
when for the first time a satellite image of earth was shared with people public.

And we for the first time saw a blue planet, blue dot from space how it was seen from space
and that suddenly revolutionized how people started looking at their own planet, own earth
and subsequent revolutions and subsequent movements like the one started by Stewart Brand
led to the celebration of the first earth day which we have seen as a historic event. So, his
efforts have eventually led to the celebration of first earth day and now today earth day is
being celebrated and earth actually got an identity.

The way we attach to our planet as an identity changed suddenly because of the kind of efforts
this visionary put in place. At that time, several of his critics were talking about why at all do
we want to see the image of earth how would it change life anywhere here. No, it would not
change probably, but it would change the perception of people; today it might seem a very
ordinary thing for us because now we have seen earth as seen from the space. At that time, it
was not like that and that is what changed the perception of people; that is what great
visionaries do
(Refer Slide Time: 12:23)

Gradually, as he turned more of an environmentalist he was talking about buildings he was

talking about cities and national parks and different policies which had an impact on the
environment of earth as a planet.
(Refer Slide Time: 12:41)

Then we have E. F.f Shumacher; he was Britain’s chief economist at national coal board. Till
that time industrial, revolution had already taken place and industries after industries were
being set up across Europe and in Britain. People were more focused on growth of economy
and growth of industries; it was a capitalist society, it was a capitalist economy that was
flourishing; it was thriving because more and more industries were set up. And till that time
the resources had not been consumed at the face which was suddenly; which had suddenly
picked up.

He was the first one to point out, the resource depletion as a threat to industrialization and he
also criticized the advocacy of continual economic growth which was being pushed in by the
capitalists. The capitalists were pushing in for setting up more and more industries and the
consumption of the products being produced from those industries required that continual
economic growth; otherwise the growth of industries would not be sustained. He was the first
one to criticize this need for continual economic growth and he instead proposed that new
economic thinking which is more focused on human wellbeing we thought about.

So, for the first time economy along with human wellbeing and also a part of it towards
environmentalism; towards concern for environment was being proposed. Now, here despite
being an economist; he was talking about the focus on human wellbeing that also changed the
way people looked at environmentalism and economy together.

(Refer Slide Time: 14:37)

Then we have Sir Ebenezer Howard; Ebenezer Howard was not a qualified architect or sound
planner; yet he designed the one of the most convincing ideas of a Utopian city which were
we know as the Garden City. He did not published much, he was not into the field of planning
though towards the later period of his career of his life.
Because of his visionary thinking of a Utopian idea; he had set up a body, an organization
with like minded people of his times and they went on to set up some of the first garden cities
of Britain and also of the world; where they actually demonstrated how a garden city would
work. This was at a time when industrial revolution had already taken place and the condition
of cities in Europe was declining; the human health was declining; there was no focus on
human wellbeing, that was when he had proposed the concept of garden cities which still
holds today.

And after he first proposed the concept of garden cities; there have been several such
concepts which were proposed by people, visionaries in different periods of time across the
world, but the essential concept being of bringing human beings and their built environment
settlements in close proximity to nature where they are interchangeably the same thing.

So, the cities; the city actually comprises of settlement which is surrounded by greenery,
surrounded by nature, agricultural farm lands, forests, maintained manicured gardens;
everything within a city along with the occupied built spaces. So, this was much much ahead
of its time and they had also proved it through some of the early garden cities.
(Refer Slide Time: 16:50)

Another visionary was Patrick Geddes; he was a planner, he said this is a green world with
animals comparatively few and small and dependent on the leaves; by leaves we live. He
advocated the protection of greenery, nature around our cities; more than that he advocated
the participation of people towards planning of cities. He advocated that the cities be planned
for people and for the first time he advocated for civic surveys.

Till that time, it was around 1880s; till that time civic surveys were not conducted before
planning any new city. It was only a geographic survey which was undertaken, there was no
need which was felt for bringing in people and what they need; what are to understand their
needs and their demands. He advocated that people be brought to the center of it and before
any new city is planned; a civic survey be conducted which was a great visionary step towards
bringing people to the center of development.
Another thing that he advocated was he advocated for a regional plan; instead of planning for
cities, the limit of cities he advocated for planning of a regional region; a regional plan be
prepared where our vision he advocated for the vision to be a long term and large spaced
vision; not confined to a small physical area like a city.

Through that; though it was not initially done like that though he advocated, but over years
we have seen that we advocate today the making of a regional plan before any development
takes place and that is what governments and organizations across the world are now doing.
So, he was a great visionary who brought people to the center of cities or urban development.

(Refer Slide Time: 19:10)

Patrick Geddes inspired Lewis Mumford; the writings of Patrick Geddes and his philosophy,
his philosophy of bringing people to the center of cities and urban built environment was
what inspired Lewis Mumford; who was a planner, who was a town planner. And he
criticized he departed from the idea of the British idea; colonial idea of very planned cities.
He criticized that idea by saying that this kind of a planning a gridiron plan is required for
military camps, for increasing the speed of movement to help better navigate.

However, such cities which are too planned are not people friendly city; cities. People must
be allowed to develop their own cities and they must always be organic in nature. The street
how the streets develop, how the streets moved within the city, how the squares happened;
they should all be organic depending upon what people want and how people have been
living and how people want to live. So, he further advocated the idea of Patrick Geddes.

(Refer Slide Time: 20:37)

Lewis Mumford also introduced in his book Techniques and Civilization the distinction of
technology. He differentiated the technology as a twofold technology one which was
polytechnic which enlists many different modes of technology providing a complex
framework to solve human problems. However, the other type was mono technique which is
the technology only for its own sake which oppresses humanity as it moves along its own
trajectory.

It is quite difficult to understand here, but mono technique by mono technique, he took an
example of the kind of transport systems which were being advocated in USA; which were
largely personal car based. Now, there he said that the increased use of personal car for travel;
for movement has pushed the pedestrians, the bicycle riders to the core and all other means of
transport to the sides where there is no space for them; this was long back when American
cities were being planned when American highways were being planned.

And after several decades of his advocating and his criticizing of such a transport system;
America is actually reeling under a huge tremendous pressure where there is no robust public
transport system. People drive almost everybody drives their own car; carpooling is being
advocated more and more robust public systems are being advocated, which at that time
nobody had thought as they were not even enough of cars; at that time such a visionary was
criticizing the use of such a mono technique. So, he wrote elaborately on technology and its
use towards human life; mankind at large.
(Refer Slide Time: 22:41)

Another visionary was Konstantinos Doxiadis; Doxiadis was a landscape architect.

(Refer Slide Time: 22:49)

And he was an ecologist and he promoted, he advocated the idea of ecological cities where he
advocated that society, the infrastructure system, the networks, the built environment, the
buildings all be connected together with nature and people be an integral part of it. We cannot
plan our cities with just infrastructure and buildings and not include the people, society and
nature into it. He advocated the idea of ecological cities which is an established idea in
today’s times.

Now, all these different visions; the ideas which we are which we are listening to today which
I am discussing today seem to be pretty established in today’s times. Because we are being
faced with such severe crisis environmental problems, social problems, economic problems
that all these ideas are fairly established and we understand the need for it. We have to think
of the times in which these ideas were being advocated, those were the times when the
population was probably one fourth of what it is now.

The pressure on resources, on environment was also not as much. The pollution though had
begun had started being evident, but yet the quality of life from environmental point of view
was not so degraded yet these visionaries were thinking of these ideas. And today all these
visions and thinking’s have led to an understanding of sustainable development of
sustainability as an established idea, as an established philosophy.

(Refer Slide Time: 24:51)

Another visionary is Ian Mcharg; he was very critical of the way human beings are
developing; the way we are growing. He called mankind human beings as a disease on earth,
he said we totally insult the natural systems; environment, we are the bullies of earth.
He would make very strong speeches in public and where he would always criticize the way
we are developing, the way we are growing human being as a race. He called human beings as
the bullies of the earth very strong, foul, coarse, greedy, careless, indifferent to others laying
waste as we proceeded leaving wounds, welts, lesions, suppurations on the earth’s body. His
discussions, his discourses motivated people to look at what is being done and also charted a
course, where the other side of the thinking started developing and gathering momentum.

(Refer Slide Time: 26:12)

Next visionary is Victor Olgyay; he was an architect and he was an associate professor at the
School of Architecture and Urban Planning at Princeton University. He was a leading
researcher on the relationship between architecture, climate and energy. He advocated that all
architecture at any scale starting from small buildings to large cities we designed and
developed in direct relationship with the climate; climate of the place to which it is
responding.

He wrote several books on establishing this relationship between architecture, climate and
energy. He developed the design principles of how architecture should be shaped, he started
discussing about the passive designing an architect passive designing in architecture for the
first time and his writings he was an avid writer and his writings, his books are used as
textbooks in almost all the architecture schools across the world. He is a celebrated
researcher; he researched in establishing the relationship between architecture and climate.

(Refer Slide Time: 27:35)

Otto Koenigsberger is another one of the same league; Victor Olgyay and he is almost a
contemporary. Some of the great books which we read which were written by Otto
Koenigsberger are being followed as textbooks in all architecture schools; the one we have on
tropical climate; Architecture in Tropical Climate was also written by Koenigsberger and
Olgyay together.

They talked about how buildings should be designed for different climates; almost across the
world and gave out handy tools to design these buildings. They advocated passive designing
as the first measure towards designing climate responsive buildings which consume less
energy. It was around the time when opaque all oil crisis had already taken place at a prop
almost a decade prior to that and buildings had already started to consume great amounts of
energy.

So, their vision at that time was much ahead of their time where they advocated for buildings
to be passively designed; in order to consume lesser amounts of energy and be more
comfortable in turn.

(Refer Slide Time: 28:56)

Another visionary is Jane Jacobs; she was no qualified architect or planner; she was actually
an activist, she was a journalist. And for the first time when she started the movement, the
revolution against the opposition; it was actually to protect her village which was being taken
up for the development of a city and a highway was supposed to pass through that.

She along with her fellow residents started protesting against the developmental project,
development project which was eventually stalled and she from then on became a leading
activist; who was looking at how American cities were growing, were being planned
developed. She was the one who criticized the leading planner urban planner of New York
city and she criticized the policies, the designs which were being undertaken by him.

Her writings which were gathered, which were a reflection of the experience that she gained
over years of understanding the city’s growth; the way cities were growing and she termed
them as totally people unfriendly cities where people do not feel comfortable. So, the cities
were just growing to support economic growth, but not the growth of societies of
communities.
(Refer Slide Time: 30:27)

The last visionary that we are discussing today is Hassan Fathy; Hassan Fathy is also known
as Middle East’s father of sustainable architecture. He was a qualified architect who
promoted, advocated the use of natural building; natural building materials traditional
systems of designing buildings where passive design was the first step towards designing
comfortable buildings and also advocated the Utopian architecture.

He was the architect who was commissioned by the Prince of Egypt in those times to design
for his own house. And he convinced the prince to construct his house which was even
actually a palace using the natural materials which were locally available; abundantly
available, using the same passive design strategies which would be used for any other
common mans residence and incorporating the same passive design features and making it
look as of the common masses.
He went on to develop some of the most prestigious projects in Egypt largely in that part of
the world where he designed for cities, he designed for an entire settlement, he designed for
the markets. All bearing the same identity as that of the place using the same locally available
materials which were abundant and engaging the same passive design techniques. That is why
he is very rightly called the Middle East’s father of sustainable architecture and the kind of
architecture that he created was totally rooted to the context; yet absolutely contextual, even
for today’s times.

His architecture paved way and coined; helped people coined the term sustainable
architecture which is what we understand as on date. With this, we would conclude the last
lecture of week 1. In this week 1, we have understood how sustainability and sustainable
development gradually developed as an idea, as a philosophy. What were the historical events
which led to the growth of this concept, who were the visionaries and what were their
contributions which led to our understanding of sustainability and sustainable development as
we understand it today. What are our needs and how can we move ahead; if we have to move
ahead sustainably.

In the coming week, we would talk about the impacts of development which is not
sustainable on the natural environment and what is the need for sustainable architecture. Why
at all are we focusing on sustainable architecture; we would see that in week 2. Thank you for
watching this lecture; see you again in the next lecture.

Thank you.