Most of the criteria in sustainability rating systems are narrow, subjective, shortsighted, and naive. The issues are extremely complex and interrelated. Most importantly, sustainability is established over decades or centuries, well beyond the focus of architects and engineers who rarely engage in any sort of post-construction fact-finding.
Can a LEED platinum SUV dealership complex 40 miles from Phoenix, Arizona ever be constructed to be truly "sustainable?" Is Phoenix sustainable?
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Robert Matschulat AIA
Architect, Educational Facility Planner
Edutecture, LLC
Lakewood CO
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