Sustainability is systemic. At the core of un-sustainability is a growth-oriented economic system whose continued expansion has become a net detriment to natural, social, and human capital. In this context, how can architecture, as a profession and an artifact, respond? This presentation considers 5 propositions: 1. Architecture & radical efficiency 2. Architecture & democratic infrastructure 3. Architecture & sustainable materials 4. Architecture & regenerative metabolisms 5. Architecture & social capital A talk at Miami University, November 2018.

1. TOWARD AN
ARCHITECTURE
of the
NEXT SYSTEM
Carl Sterner | Miami University | November 2018

2. New York, New York, 2012

3. Hebei Province, China, 2016

4. Tybee Island, Georgia, 2016

5. Hammond, Louisiana, 2016

6. Santa Rosa, California, 2017

7. Shasta-Trinity National Forest, California, 2018

8. Galveston, Texas, 2017

9. Cincinnati, Ohio, 2018

13. Sustainability is
systemic.

14. Sustainability is
the ability of a system to maintain
viability over the long term.

16. Root cause of
un-sustainability:
Growth-market

18. Throughput & waste

20. Throughput & waste

21. Neoclassical economics: Ecological economics:
Source: Herman E. Daly, Ecological Economics and the Ecology of Economics: Essays in Criticism. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar, 1999.

22. Centralizaton,
brittleness & inequity

23. Centralization & brittleness

24. Centralization & waste

25. Commodification:
turning non-consumption
into consumption

27. Commodification

28. Mobilization:
erosion of ties
to people & place

29. Mobilization

30. Market-based
socialization:
values that support growth

32. The alternative?
A development-
oriented economy +
robust democracy

33. Circular economy

34. Bounded by social norms / laws and ecosystem limits

35. Resilient, distributed structure

36. The role of
Architecture?

37. Five ideas:
1. Architecture & radical efficiency
2. Architecture & democratic infrastructure
3. Architecture & sustainable materials
4. Architecture & regenerative metabolisms
5. Architecture & social capital

38. 1.
Architecture and
radical efficiency

40. By 2060, global building
floor area will
double.

41. Why efficiency is so important …
Source: GEA, 2012: Global Energy Assessment – Toward a Sustainable Future, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge UK and New York, NY

42. Iowa Nest Residence
2013-2018 | Sterner Design

45. Path toward Net Zero Energy

47. Temperature & relative humidity, January – April 2018

48. Temperature & relative humidity, December 2017 – January 2018
Delta of 70 F

51. Copyright © 2018 Sterner Design, LLC
MORE INFO @ WWW.IOWANEST.COM

52. Northside
Passive House
2018-2019 | Sol Design + Consulting

57. Diagram of Forces
Engage the corner
Maximize flexibility
- Yard
- Garage
- Accessory unit
Tall, narrow form
(context)
Compact form
(efficiency & cost)
Solar exposure +
shading
PV-ready roof

58. Fairwood Commons
2019 | Sol Design + Consulting | Woda, Inc.

61. Cincinnati 2030 District
2018 | Working Group Member

63. Buildings pledge to reduce:
50% by 2030

65. 2.
Architecture and
democratic
infrastructure

66. Source: Cuffe, Paul; Keane, Andrew (2017). "Visualizing the Electrical Structure of Power Systems". IEEE Systems Journal. 11 (3): 1810–1821

67. Source: https://phys.org/news/2012-09-solar-energy-stabilise-power-grid.html

68. Source: Pew Charitable Trust, “Microgrids in the Evolving Power System,” February 2016

70. Innisfil, Ontario
2009 | William McDonough + Partners

75. 3.
Architecture and
sustainable materials

77. • Asbestos
• Cadmium
• Chlorinated polyethylene and
chlorosulfonated polyethylene
• Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
• Chloroprene (neoprene)
• Formaldehyde (added)
• Halogenated flame retardants
• Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)
• Lead (added)
• Mercury
• Petrochemical fertilizers and pesticides
• Phthalates
• Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
• Wood treatments containing creosote,
arsenic, or pentachlorophenol

78. Meadow Farm
2012 | William McDonough + Partners

86. Over-the-Rhine
Infill Design
Competition
2018 | Sol Design + Consulting

93. What’s the optimal shading for the west façade?

94. contextOption3property outlinecontextOption2property outline

95. • Embodied Solidarity?
Percent made by cooperative / social enterprises
• Embodied Centralization?
Extent to which production requires large-scale
investments
• Embodied Capital Bias?
Percent of material’s cost tied up in capital or energy
(vs labor)

98. 4.
Architecture and
regenerative
metabolisms

100. Cincinnati Park
Comfort Stations
2008 | Sterner Design

105. Living City Design
Competition
2011 | Sterner Design and Rollerhaus

115. 5.
Architecture and
social capital

116. Ecovillage
vs Suburbia
2007 | Graduate Research, University of Cincinnati

121. Apple Street Market
2019 | NEST & ASM

130. Sustainability is
systemic.

131. “Social systems are just as non-linear as biological
systems. … There are thresholds in human behavior,
times when cultural evolution moves unexpectedly
rapidly. … When the time is ripe, society can be
transformed virtually overnight.”
Paul Ehrlich