Lessons in sustainable design : case study of a school in Chicago

Abstract

This thesis develops an approach to environmentally sustainable design through the hypothetical redesign of the South Loop School in Chicago. Sustainable architecture seeks to reinforce ecological relationships to the greatest extent possible, be they among humans or between humans and other species. Increasingly, pressure mounts in our society to design with such ecological sensitivity. This is especially true in regard to buildings for children- a population vulnerable to environmental problems and significantly influenced by surroundings. The design of an elementary school facility in particular also has the potential to both act sustainably and, on some level, teach sustainability. If, in addition to implementing materials that are nontoxic in ways that conserve energy, the built environment can simultaneously heighten an appreciation of the forces of nature, then it might truly be called sustainable. Thus, this thesis pushes sustainable design beyond its marginalized role of technical implementation by linking it to architectural theory about the relationship between architecture and nature. Sustainable design in this thesis attempts to translate environmentally conscious strategies into active and expressed design elements while fostering an appreciation of natural elements through architectural form.