Bruneau_1998 (1)

A fytreat Centre for 'Wftok
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to the buildings. As a result, the buildings were defaced and literally torn
apart. By housing the aborigines in inappropriate lodgings, they were
robbed of their spiritual relationship to the world, destroying the roots of
their culture. This is an extreme example, but nevertheless illustrates the
issue.
The architect's responsibilities extend to the environment, the place we live.
Every time we transform our environment, the entire earth is affected. The
impacts range from the benign to the extremely harmful. The architect must
not contribute to environmental deterioration. The ripple effects of using
chemically-laden materials or rare and exotic woods can be experienced
worldwide.
In order to minimize adverse effects on the planet, the architect can impose
a number of concepts. These include: maximizing heat energy using a focal
heat source and reusing waste heat by means of passive and active heat
exchangers, reusing water wherever possible and using renewable sources of
energy like wind and solar power. Also, when selecting materials, the
architect must avoid tropical woods, plastics with destructive manufacturing
methods and heavy chemical based products, whether they are paints, plys
or carpets. The negative effects are twofold. First, toxins pollute our
natural environment and second, there are adverse biological effects on the
occupants and passers-by. It is critical that design decisions are formed by
ideas in sustainability, while remaining friendly to our ecology and
environment.
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