7/29/2019 Hedonistic Sustainability | Natural Habitats

Touted as “the latest and

most exciting evolution in
the green movement”,
hedonistic sustainability
provides a challenge to the
fundamental assumption
that going green means
going without.

Hedonistic sustainability. In a society where the never-ending onslaught of

buzzwords, catchphrase and ‘hot topics’ can become a genuine threat to
one’s sanity, you could almost be forgiven for dismissing this concept as
yet another empty marketing gimmick. However, grounding itself in the
basic concept that pleasure is the only intrinsic focus for going green,
hedonistic sustainability represents what very well could be the start of the
next holistic design paradigm.

Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, founding partner of Bjarke Ingels Group

(BIG) and rated as ‘one of the 100 most creative people in business’ by Fast
Company, is the man behind the motion. The current discussion about
sustainability, he argues, leaves a somewhat bitter taste in one’s mouth as
it’s always perceived as a downgrade from our current comfortable
lifestyles. Our fundamental resistance to sustainability is that we are yet to
really be presented with sustainable options that offer truly comparative
alternatives.

But what if our thinking about sustainability is fundamentally flawed? What

if we could actually have it all, doing what attains both pleasure for
ourselves whilst reaping benefits for the environment?

Defined as “sustainability that improves the quality of life and human

enjoyment”, hedonistic sustainability is touted as the “latest and most
exciting evolution in the green movement”. It challenges this
misconception that sustainability means sacrifice. Copenhagen’s Waste-
to-Energy plant designed by Ingels himself is a classic example of such
hedonistic sustainability – turning the outside of a waste treatment center
into a ski slope using a recycled synthetic granular that upends the

convention of the energy intensive indoor ski resort.

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7/29/2019 Hedonistic Sustainability | Natural Habitats

Green walls are a clear example that this wondrous intersection between
hedonism and sustainability actually exists. Seeing an elaborate garden
cascading down the side of a building really does have the power to
inspire awe in the mind of the beholder, never mind the harmful air
pollutants it’s removing whilst simultaneously reducing that nasty urban
heat island effect. Simply envisage a city that could be likened more to an
actual jungle than a concrete one, and now you begin to understand
Ingel’s concept that sustainable living really can be more fun than normal
life.

Our global environmental situation is becoming increasingly precarious,

that’s a reality. With the need for sustainable practises not only
acknowledged but demanded, the concept of hedonistic sustainability
offers new hope that going green is not synonymous with depravation.

Suggested Viewing:
Bjarke Ingels discusses Hedonisitc Sustainability at TEDxEast

By Jericho Cleary
NATURAL HABITATS

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