UNIT – 1

Sustainable Planning & Architecture – AR6015

UNIT I

• Concept of Sustainability

• Ethics and Visions of sustainability.

• Sustainable development

• Bruntland report

• Carrying capacity
SUSTAINABILITY:
“Sustainability is the ability to continue a defined behaviour indefinitely.”
BURTLAND COMMISSION

• Formally known as the World Commission on Environment and Development

(WCED), the mission of Brundtland Commission was to unite countries to pursue
sustainable development together and was therefore established in 1983.

• The UN general assembly realized that there was a heavy deterioration of the
human environment and natural resources.

• To rally countries to work and pursue sustainable development together, the UN

decided to establish the Brundtland commission.

• The Chairperson of the Commission was Gro Harlem Brundtland.

• The Brundtland Commission officially dissolved in December 1987 after releasing

Our Common Future ( motto), also known as the Brundtland Report, in October
1987, a document which coined, and defined the meaning of the term "Sustainable
Development".
FOCUS OF THE ORGANIZATION

The 1983 General Assembly passed Resolution 38/161 "Process of preparation

of the Environmental Perspective to the Year 2000 and Beyond", establishing
the Commission, in the General Assembly: Suggesting that the Special
Commission, when established, should focus mainly on the following terms of
reference for its work:

(a) To propose long-term environmental strategies for achieving

sustainable development to the year 2000 and beyond;

(b) To recommend ways in which concern for the environment may be

translated into greater co-operation among developing countries and between
countries at different stages of economic and social development and lead to
the achievement of common and mutually supportive objectives which take
account of the interrelationships between people, resources, environment and
development
FOCUS OF THE ORGANIZATION

(c) To consider ways and means by which the international

community can deal more effectively with environmental concerns, in the light
of the other recommendations in its report.

(d) To help to define shared perceptions of long-term environmental

issues and of the appropriate efforts needed to deal successfully with the
problems of protecting and enhancing the environment, a long-term agenda
for action during the coming decades, and aspirational goals for the world
community, taking into account the relevant resolutions of the session of a
special character of the Governing Council.
THE BRUNDTLAND COMMISSION'S MANDATE WAS TO:

1.“ re-examine the critical issues of environment and development

and to formulate innovative, concrete, and realistic action proposals to deal with
them;

2.Strengthen international cooperation on environment and

development and to assess and propose new forms of cooperation that can
break out of existing patterns and influence policies and events in the direction
of needed change; and

3.Raise the level of understanding and commitment to action on the

part of individuals, voluntary organizations, businesses, institutes, and
governments”. “The Commission focused its attention in the areas of
population, the loss of species and genetic resources, energy, industry, and
human settlements - realizing that all of these are connected and cannot be
treated in isolation one from another”
OUR COMMON FUTURE

“ Sustainable development is
development that meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet their own
needs.’’ -Brundtland report, 1987

• The Brundtland Report was published

27 in October 1989.

• Described sustainability as a three-

legged stool with social, environment
and economy taking equal importance
in the equation.

• It has been successful in forming

international ties between
governments and multinational
corporations.
SUSTAINABILITY CONCEPTS :
The major pillars of Sustainability

• ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY,

• SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY AND

• ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

• At the environmental level, sustainability

prevents nature from being used as an
inexhaustible source of resources and ensures
its protection and rational use.

• Aspects such as environmental

conservation, investment in renewable
energies, saving water,
supporting sustainable mobility, and
innovation in sustainable construction and
architecture contribute to achieving this
environmental sustainability on several
fronts.
SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY

• Economically, it reduces the amount of

money that the building's operators have to
spend on water and energy and improves
the productivity of those using the facility

ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY

• Socially, sustainable buildings are meant to

be beautiful and cause only minimal strain
on the local infrastructure.
 WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ?
Sustainable development is the development that strives to meet the needs the
of the present without compromising the needs of the future generation.
(Brundtland Report of 1987)

The concepts / Principles of Sustainable design :

1. Optimize Site Potential
2. Optimize Energy Use
3. Protect and Conserve Water
4. Optimize Building Space and Material Use
5. Enhance Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)
6. Optimize Operational and Maintenance Practices
1. Optimize Site Potential
Whether designing a new building or retrofitting an existing
building, site design must integrate with sustainable design to achieve a
successful project and begins with the proper site selection, including the
existing building’s rehabilitation.
The location, orientation, and landscaping of a building all affect
local ecosystems, transportation methods, and energy use.

2. Optimize Energy Use

Improving the energy performance of existing buildings is
important to increasing our energy independence.
Operating net zero energy buildings is one way to significantly
reduce our dependence on fossil fuel-derived energy.

3. Protect and Conserve Water

A sustainable building should use water efficiently, and reuse or
recycle water for on-site use, when feasible.
4. Optimize Building Space and Material Use
As the world population continues to grow; the use of natural resources
(and the demands for them) continues to increase.
A sustainable building is designed and operated to use and reuse
materials in the most productive and sustainable way across its entire life cycle.

5. Enhance Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)

The indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of a building has a significant
impact on occupant health, comfort, and productivity.
Among other attributes, a sustainable building maximizes day lighting,
has appropriate ventilation and moisture control, optimizes acoustic
performance, and avoids the use of materials with high-VOC emissions.

6. Optimize Operational and Maintenance Practices

Designers can specify materials and systems that simplify and reduce
maintenance requirements; require less water, energy, and toxic chemicals and
cleaners to maintain; and are cost-effective and reduce life-cycle costs.