If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it,
does it make a sound? It’s an age-old question, and, thanks to the popularity of
“green building,” there’s a new twist—if a green building stands empty, is it
still “sustainable?” This query was inspired by a recent trip to Las Vegas. By
most estimates, Clark County (which includes Las Vegas, Henderson, and
surrounding areas) is at the top of the list of communities devastated by the
implosion of the housing market and the resulting economic meltdown. Driving
away from the airport your instantly confronted by a harsh reality: What was
once a thriving boomtown is now an urban moonscape ringed by empty suburbs that
mirror the desert around them. To add insult to injury, many of these new
housing complexes boast state-of-the-art accessories, including the latest in
energy efficiency and solar power. “Las Vegas is all about being green,” I was
told—but as we all know, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
And don’t get me wrong; green building is all about good
intentions. But without proper implementation, these intentions are for naught.
After all, can you really call a project sustainable if it’s not in use? All
those resources and energy now sitting idle in the Nevada sun are symbolic of a
bigger problem—if you haphazardly apply energy efficiency technologies merely
for the cache of the “green” label without first taking the time to determine
what makes sense for that structure or project, at best your rendering the label
meaningless, at worst your working counter to the precise needs and challenges
of the building and it’s surrounding environment.
So what do you think? Should efficiency be the focus, so that
when we are confronted with the need to reduce energy costs (be it in new or
existing buildings), we are more able to guarantee a satisfying outcome? And,
doesn’t it make sense to pay
attention to the specific needs of the building’s inhabitants, while also taking
into account the challenges and requirements inherent to the building’s
location? After all, it’s that
efficiency focus that’s the secret to a successful project, regardless of the
label.