Rhetorical Analysis of Writings on Sustainable Construction

L. Alicia Fuller
RC-2001-130

Sustainable Design is the science of architecture and construction that seeks to reduce

consumption of non-renewable resources, minimizing waste, and creating a healthy atmosphere

within a Building. In this world of building Sciences, there is a different way of writing and new

sort of vocabulary that is forming in this industry. I have found two different articles whose

subject is on sustainable construction and design, and I will analyze their rhetoric and distinct

vocabulary for this field. I will also consider each of their own style of writing and vocabulary

used to convey their message of pro sustainability. From these articles we will learn who the

targeted audience is and what their messages or points they are trying to get across. I have

chosen The Urgency of Sustainability in India from the Green Building Magazine, and

Sustainable Construction Environmental Assessment Tools from the Faculty of Design,

Architecture and Building from the University of Technology in Sydney.

The first article I have found is a long, drawn out article written by Grace K. C. Ding; a

faculty member from a Sustainable Technology program at the University of Technology in

Sydney Australia. Ding writes this article as a way to communicate the basics of Sustainable

construction to students in that department. She addresses key words and an overview of the

topic, then goes further into the topic with regulations, mathematical evaluations, charts, and lists

of certifications and companies. Some of these key terms consist of; Building Performance,

Building Sustainability, BREEAM, and LEED. This article was written in 2007 when

sustainability and earth friendly ways of building were gaining popularity. There are 3 pages of
the different types of Green organizations and Green challenges throughout the world that

can benefit builders of all different types.

Ding uses terms such as Development, construction, environment assessment and

building performance. Her focus is on making the subject as easy to understand and learn as

possible to allow students to feel confident in building and designing a project that is sustainably

conscious to the environment. This article doesnt have an element of pathos as it is more factual

in nature. It doesnt strive to affect the student emotionally into wanting to heal the environment

but to instead teach it what this style of design is and how to utilize it. Many of those students

would have already had some type of outside source that would have used pathos to affect their

desire to study this in school, so therefore this author didnt need to use pathos in its writing

style.

Ding does however use a large amount of Logos on her style of writing to correctly

inform and teach the students about their soon to be line of work. She uses her knowledge of the

field to validate sustainability and to further persuade the students that they indeed have chosen

the right profession. She starts the article by saying that past construction and building types

have caused environmental problems and then throughout the article gives examples and then

how to correct those mistakes.

My second article is shorter and comes from the February 2013 issue of Green Builder

Magazine. It is written by Wyatt C. King who is the director of Albright Stonebridge Group in

Washington DC. This article is written on the topic of sustainability in India. King is directing

his article towards the common professional in construction and design to inform them on the

needs of this Rising Technology overseas. He writes about the hardships India is going through

and how this rise in eco-friendly and sustainability could benefit the country and its population.
King uses terms such as Green Building, Infrastructure, Natural Resources, and Ubiquitous

Transportation.

Unlike the first article; King uses ethos to grab the attention of the professionals reading

this article and make them open their eyes to environmental problems outside of their home

nation. He gives a quick history of India and how it is growing too fast for its current

technological, agricultural, and medical needs. He points out that India is in crisis mode and

needs to quickly start using sustainable resources to help bridge the gap between the population

and its needs. His article is persuading those in the field to do something about it. He says the

U.S. is rising to the challenge of sustainability but other nations like India are falling behind.

King does use an element of logos as he backs up his history with knowledge of his profession to

persuade you towards the idea that there is a solution, but there is also a need for more solutions

to be thought up. He also displays ethos passionately through his writing putting emphasis on

this subject as an area he has pursued for the betterment of society and his compassion for a

nation that he knows he has the ability to help. He uses this to tell the readers that they can also

help by putting their thoughts together to help a nation that is falling behind in meeting the needs

of its population.

Both articles are pro sustainability and both are making their case towards why this type

of construction is better than the traditional way of construction. The way they write is different

from the other but both convey the same message. Both have different audiences; the first is

geared towards future builders and designers, and the second is geared towards current and

professional builders and designers.

The first article was meant for teaching whereas the second was meant more for

informing of whats going on around the world. Each uses a different way of writing that is
written towards a specific audience and uses terms to reach that specific audience. Dings article

is more dry in nature and is hard to read at some level because it is almost too in depth. Its

also very long and can lose the readers focus, though the author does incorporate charts and

diagrams to attempt to keep the reader engaged. She also divides the article into topics so if the

reader needs to they can just skip to the part they need and just read that section. Kings is clearly

shorter since it is only one page long in an article. Its almost too short because there is so much

information on this topic that gets left out or doesnt get fully in depth with. Because of the

shortness of these articles, many readers would be drawn to this because it is a quick way to get

information without having to spend too much time on it while also allowing them to have access

to new information. The reader gets just enough information to wet their appetite, leaving them

wanting more. The first article by Ding may not necessarily wet their appetite, but it does grant

them access to a whole new vocabulary that may inspire them to read other articles outside the

education zone.

I myself have learned many new terms and topics in my field of study through these

articles while also learning what types of rhetoric styles help me understand sustainability better.

Each person has a style of writing that differs from everyone and each person has a style of

writing they understand better as well. These articles have showcased that wonderfully and have

both opened me up to new ways of writing and new ways of reading.

Works Cited
Ding, G. K. C., 2007. Sustainable Construction - The Role of Environmental
Assessment Tools, Sydney: University of Technology.
King, W. C., 2013. The Urgenncy of Sustainability in India. Green Builder Magazine,
Issue Februaury, p. 59.