Comments on: More NZE, Plz! http://www.metrohippie.com/more-nze-plz/ Fresh ideas for a bright future Mon, 30 Apr 2012 23:07:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Joshua Foss http://www.metrohippie.com/more-nze-plz/#comment-8537 Joshua Foss Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:49:33 +0000 http://metrohippie.com/?p=1317#comment-8537 Great input Patrick... agree with you on many of your points. Like you mentioned, our building methods are based more off of tradition than anything else, particularly since the vast majority of homes are built to spec, not architecturally designed. This really takes the wind out of innovation's sails as priorities are cost savings and minimized liabilities. I feel we're getting there though.. if we can crank out enough well designed, well built homes that are competitively priced, people will start demanding those, forcing builders to comply. If people keep buying the junk we're making them, nothing will change. Great input Patrick… agree with you on many of your points. Like you mentioned, our building methods are based more off of tradition than anything else, particularly since the vast majority of homes are built to spec, not architecturally designed. This really takes the wind out of innovation’s sails as priorities are cost savings and minimized liabilities.

I feel we’re getting there though.. if we can crank out enough well designed, well built homes that are competitively priced, people will start demanding those, forcing builders to comply. If people keep buying the junk we’re making them, nothing will change.

]]> By: Patrick Doss-Smith http://www.metrohippie.com/more-nze-plz/#comment-8433 Patrick Doss-Smith Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:49:37 +0000 http://metrohippie.com/?p=1317#comment-8433 Architecture is a profession built almost entirely on tradition and on knowing waht works. If you build something new and it doesn't work, people get hurt, possible killed. At the least, they lose a majot investment. A bad computer design has no such issues. It almost always takes a combination of a daring designer and a client with deep pockets and a vision to break new ground in this field. Thankfully, a lot of the new ground was broken for sustainable design in the 60's and 70's so we are past the intitial "it won't work" phase. Now, with the advent of peak oil and all of the consequesnces surrounding that, combined with global weirding, um er, warming plus awarenes of Indoor Air Quality, new design processes, etc we are poised at the brink of making your question moot. Keep your eyes open, a newday in building design is here and questions like yours are providing a good reason for designers to get the train moving. Architecture is a profession built almost entirely on tradition and on knowing waht works. If you build something new and it doesn’t work, people get hurt, possible killed. At the least, they lose a majot investment. A bad computer design has no such issues. It almost always takes a combination of a daring designer and a client with deep pockets and a vision to break new ground in this field. Thankfully, a lot of the new ground was broken for sustainable design in the 60′s and 70′s so we are past the intitial “it won’t work” phase. Now, with the advent of peak oil and all of the consequesnces surrounding that, combined with global weirding, um er, warming plus awarenes of Indoor Air Quality, new design processes, etc we are poised at the brink of making your question moot. Keep your eyes open, a newday in building design is here and questions like yours are providing a good reason for designers to get the train moving.

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