SUSTAINABLE SITE PLANNING AND THE ARCHITECTS' ROLE

AUTHORED BY:
Dorcas Ayeni, Charles A Olalusi and Rukayyatu Tukur

THE LITERATURE ON SUSTAINABLE SITE PLANNING AND THE ROLE OF

ARCHITECTS PROVIDES A THOROUGH SUMMARY OF THE DIFFICULTIES AND
SIGNIFICANCE OF INCORPORATING ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS INTO BUILDING
DESIGN. AS A STUDENT WHO HOPES TO PURSUE A CAREER IN ARCHITECTURE,
THIS ARTICLE HAS PROVIDED INSIGHTFUL INFORMATION ABOUT THE VITAL
ROLE THAT ARCHITECTS PLAY IN THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE
BUILT ENVIRONMENT. AS A STUDENT WHO HOPES TO PURSUE A CAREER IN
ARCHITECTURE, THIS ARTICLE HAS PROVIDED INSIGHTFUL INFORMATION
ABOUT THE VITAL ROLE THAT ARCHITECTS PLAY IN THE SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT.
THE COLLABORATIVE METHOD THAT HAS BEEN EMPHASIZED IN LITERATURE
STRIKES ME AS VERY IMPORTANT SINCE IT EMPHASIZES THE SIGNIFICANCE OF
COMBINING A DIVERSITY OF VIEWPOINTS TO PRODUCE COMPREHENSIVE AND
SUCCESSFUL SITE PLANNING. INVOLVING CLIENTS, ENGINEERS, AND
CONTRACTORS FROM THE BEGINNING GUARANTEES THAT PROJECTS ARE NOT
ONLY FUNCTIONAL BUT ALSO SOCIALLY AND ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE,
AS STRESSED BY AYENI, OLALUSI, AND TUKUR (2024). THE IMPORTANCE OF
TEAMWORK IN SOLVING COMPLICATED ISSUES AND PROMOTING CREATIVITY IN
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN ALIGNS WITH MY CONVICTION IN THE POTENCY OF
INTERDISCIPLINARY COHERENCE.
FURTHERMORE, RESEARCH INDICATES THAT ARCHITECTS ARE BECOMING
MORE INVOLVED IN PRESERVING THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT, PARTICULARLY IN
LIGHT OF THE RAPID URBANIZATION AND CLIMATE CHANGE THAT IS
OCCURRING. ACCORDING TO THE GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL (2014),
ARCHITECTS ARE IN A UNIQUE POSITION TO TAKE THE LEAD IN DESIGNING
LONG-LASTING, ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY SPACES THAT PROMOTE WELL-
BEING. THE LITERATURE ALSO EMPHASIZES HOW CRUCIAL SITE PLANNING IS
TO CREATING A VIBRANT AND WELCOMING COMMUNITY. AS GEHL (2011)
NOTED, SITE PLANNING INFLUENCES SOCIAL INTERACTION AND CULTURAL
EXPERIENCE IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT IN ADDITION TO PHYSICAL LAYOUT.
THIS INSIGHT SERVES AS A REMINDER OF THE ABILITY OF ARCHITECTURE TO
CREATE ENVIRONMENTS THAT NOT ONLY SATISFY CONSUMERS' DEMANDS BUT
ALSO ENHANCE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE.
 ADDITIONALY, A LOT OF RESEARCH HAS BEEN DONE ON THE NECESSITY
FOR ARCHITECTS TO ACTIVELY PROMOTE SUSTAINABILITY WITHIN THEIR
PROFESSION AND IN LARGER SOCIETY. ACCORDING TO WILLIAMS' 2007
ARGUMENT, ARCHITECTS HAVE A MORAL AND ETHICAL OBLIGATION TO
PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE METHODS AND LESSEN THEIR NEGATIVE
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS. THIS CALL TO ACTION MOTIVATES ME TO USE MY
UPCOMING POSITION AS AN ARCHITECT TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
SOLUTIONS AND ENCOURAGE GOOD CHANGE.
LASTLY, FOR ASPIRING ARCHITECTS LIKE ME, THE LITERATURE ON
SUSTAINABLE SITE PLANNING AND THE ROLE OF ARCHITECTS IS A CRUCIAL
CALL TO ACTION. IT DRAWS ATTENTION TO THE NECESSITY OF ADVOCATING
FOR A MORE INCLUSIVE BUILDING ENVIRONMENT, EMBRACING
INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION, AND ADVANCING SUSTAINABILITY. AS I
BEGIN THIS ARCHITECTURAL JOURNEY, I'M DETERMINED TO INCORPORATE
THESE IDEAS INTO MY WORK AND HELP CREATE A MORE JUST AND
SUSTAINABLE WORLD.