IUSD Lecture by Prof. Martin Ostermann

S ain b lity

With rising concerns about the effects of global warming, the term “sustainability” has occupied every aspect of our life. In architecture, the term has proliferated so intensely that its original understanding and purpose have eroded. Today every architect, urban designer, client and municipality does provide “sustainable solutions”. With the additions of new terms and aspects of sustainability, it has been increasingly difficult to make out what it is standing for. Since its introduction in the discourse of architecture in the 1990ies, the term has carved out a career similar to an architectural design movement. It has become fashionable to be sustainable as an architect. Sustainability has generated architectural designs that would be unthinkable without it. But while design movements die out after several years the demand for being sustainable is more pressing today than ever. With the erosion of its original meaning, the term “sustainability” is increasingly blocking necessary change. It is questionable if “sustainability” is still the right term to describe a necessary development of architecture. This lecture is about a critical review of the term sustainability and a search for different concepts and terminologies.

Date, Time & Location
Wednesday, 25 May 2022 – 18:00 CEST
University of Stuttgart, K1 building, 8th floor, Labor 8

and via Webex:
https://unistuttgart.webex.com/unistuttgart-en/j.php?MTID=m0f5a1417c6034de6d09a62da62082d4a
Meeting number: 2731 141 7046
Meeting Password: 3eiXErubG72