If there is one overriding misconception concerning sustainable architecture, it is this: that structures designed to reduce carbon footprints, decrease energy usage, and conserve water lack aesthetic appeal. That notion might have been considered an established fact a decade or so ago. Even someone as prominent as Rafael Vinoly would say: "Sustainability has, or should have, no relationship to style."
Because of their technical outlays and pragmatic requirements–such as solar panels and differentiated construction materials–green buildings can sometimes seem undistinguished. Over the years, however, as sustainability has progressed from being a niche pursuit to a mass movement and technology has advanced beyond its previous limitations, architects rarely look at buildings from an either/or standpoint any longer. Although there are still plenty of sustainable buildings that are aesthetically challenged, the question of doing good versus looking good is becoming increasingly obsolete.
At the skyscraper end of the design scale, acclaimed architects such as Norman Foster, Renzo Piano, SOM, and Bjarke Ingels have produced visually striking works that also integrate environmental and climate-conscious design. On a smaller scale, there are several recent projects that balance visual flair with strategies to offset energy use and reduce carbon footprints. The following samples comprise a shortlist of aesthetically pleasing green buildings recently completed.
Hotel Magdalena. © Casey Dunn
One of the most recent sustainability trends, which is also celebrated for its aesthetic appeal, is mass timber construction. A renewable source that also offsets emissions by trapping carbon, timber has a striking visual effect, both as an accent to steel and glass buildings and as a dominant element. This is reflected in the Hotel Magdalena, designed by Lake | Flato and located in Austin, Texas. Billed as the first boutique mass timber hotel in North America, the Magdalena is mostly timber, with a mix of glass, stone, steel, and poured concrete floors completing the structure.
As a result of using timber, the designers limited greenhouse gasses by sidestepping excessive manufacturing of concrete and steel and, because mass timber construction is essentially a modular procedure, they also minimized potential on-site pollutants. Exposed timber runs throughout the hotel and its grounds, giving the Magdalena a warm, natural environment, one that works in concert with sustainability principles.
York St John University Creative Centre. Tate + Co.
Another notable building that incorporates sustainable design principles is the York St. John Creative Center in York, England, by Tate + Co. This low-energy theater for performance, creative writing, and media production students also uses timber as one of its primary construction materials, a choice that both minimizes carbon emissions and maximizes aesthetic appeal. The natural beauty of wood, interspersed with glass and steel, gives the center a vibrant feel, and the column motifs, clad by prefab chestnut timber, not only evoke the nearby York Minster Cathedral but they also give a sense of texture to the facade.
Their corrugated look also suggests something out of Paul Rudolph but, pointedly, without the environmentally unfriendly materials and methods used in creating so many Brutalist works. The York St. John Creative Center achieved a BREEAM Excellent rating and uses triple-glazing, making the building as airtight as possible, reducing energy usage, and protecting interiors from humidity and particulate matter.
Sewickley Tavern. © Ed Massery
A good example of a sustainable building that is also aesthetically pleasing is the Sewickley Tavern, designed by Studio St. Germain. The first restaurant in the world to earn a RESET Air Standard certification, Sewickley Tavern is a high-performance building that adds well-being to the sustainability equation. Its energy-efficient HVAC systems, air quality monitors, and eco-friendly materials give the Tavern impeccable sustainability bona fides, but not at the expense of design. The interiors include natural materials such as wood and stone, for a pleasant atmosphere; brass accents on mirrors and hardware add elegant flourishes.
Original paintings and drawings from locally commissioned artists are interspersed throughout the restaurant and underscore the mission of combining sustainability with a human touch. For the exterior, the subtle blue and brass color scheme radiates warmth, and the contemporary variation on a traditional tavern is both stylish and inviting.
The Andy Quattlebaum Outdoor Education Center. © Jonathan Hillyer
The Andy Quattlebaum Outdoor Education Center at Clemson University in South Carolina is a net-zero-ready building that blends into its beautiful surroundings on the shores of Lake Hartnell and, in some ways, complements them. Its transparent facade not only provides plenty of natural light to each floor (allowing for reduced energy consumption), but it also showcases the shear southern yellow pine within to those on the grounds. The effect, from the standpoint of the viewer, is almost luminous. A simple sloped roof with an extended cantilever gives the building a subtle yet intriguing profile, hinting at the soaring aspirations of the students. By selecting timber as its primary material for the center, Cooper Carry chose a renewable resource, one that combines sustainability and aesthetics effectively.
While sustainable design continues to evolve, its central focus of limiting human impact on the environment will eventually dovetail seamlessly with the indispensable demands of art. "Making green buildings is a practical answer," Renzo Piano once said. "But architecture is about desire; it's about dreams."