Customer Reviews

Integral Sustainable Design: Transformative Perspectives

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As far as I can tell, this is the best, most useful and most comprehensive meta-framework for understanding architecture and for establishing an enduring body of architectural knowledge. It is a sort of master-key for integrating and implementing the vast and divergent contributions of not just the architectural giants our time, but of virtually every major architectural movement in history. Rather than trying to synthesize these contributions in detail, it uses the Integral/AQAL framework to simply make room for and understand these contributions on their own terms. In doing so it opens enormous vistas of vision and possibility for the future. We will not exhaust the research and practice possibilities implicated in this work anytime soon, making it a great companion for aspiring architects, students, and researchers. That said, it is somewhat dense and will take a little effort and persistence. But if this is a field of interest for you, it is well, well, well worth it. After reading this book I am able to understand buildings and movements so much more thoroughly, and from many perspectives. Rather than judging every building or movement by my favorite criteria (for me it is Christopher Alexander's "field of centers" as articulated in The Nature of Order), I am able to ask, "What is it, aesthetically, technologically, ecologically, or culturally/symbolically, that I can learn here? What true but partial contribution to our global building culture does a particular building/movement/book make? What piece of the puzzle is each holding?" And I'm able to learn something, truly, from every encounter.

Highly, highly recommended!

This is an excellent review about Sustainable Design. Unlike the books I have read about Sustainability when I was in graduate school, the Integral Sustainable Design is the one that deeply inspired me as a designer. When we say Sustainable Design, many people don't think outside the box but this book is a great reference that awakes our consciousness about our living environment at all levels. It funnels our vision to new ways of creating better environment to meet today's needs without compromising those to come. Again, it doesn't matter what your background is, this book is so well thought that any good reader can understand the concept behind. In addition, I highly recommend this book...