Built Environment Sustainability: Perspective J. A. Vanegas School of Civil and Environmental Engineering College of Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology.

Built Environment Sustainability:Perspective

J. A. Vanegas

School of Civil and Environmental Engineering

College of Engineering

Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

The point of departure: people want/need to sustain what we all

do...

…And within this world, we want/need to sustain...

Individuals

Communities

OrganizationsF

amil

ies Body Mind

Heart Soul

…People…

Air Water

Soil Biota(Plant and

AnimalSpecies)

GlobalL

ocal

…And the Natural Environment…

…But, this is not enough; we also want/need to sustain...

ProductionSystems for

Products


Services

…The Industrial Base…


Goods

ResidentialFacilities

CivilInfrastructure

Systems

Non-ResidentialFacilities

IndustrialFacilities

…And the Built Environment…

Stated in another way, we want/need to sustain the resource base that provides the foundation upon which any society exists,

develops, and survives…

The Resource Base…

TheResource

Base

PeopleIndividuals

Communities

OrganizationsF

amil

ies Body Mind

Heart Soul

TheNatural Environment

Air Water


AnimalSpecies)

Local

Glo

bal

TheBuilt

Environment


CivilInfrastructure

Systems



TheIndustrial

Base


Products


Services


Goods

…Which tends to be seen primarily as Economic Capital…

EconomicCapital

The BuiltEnvironment

SocialCapital

The Industrial

Base

NaturalCapital

Specifically for the Built Environment, the A/E/C Industry is:

First, the interrelationships and interdependencies among its dimensions

have unique characteristics…Individuals

Communities

OrganizationsF

amil

ies Body Mind

Heart Soul

Air Water


AnimalSpecies)

Local

Glo

bal


CivilInfrastructure

Systems




Products


Services


Goods

EconomicCapital


SocialCapital

The IndustrialBase

NaturalCapital

Second, the multiple levels of perspectives on, complexity of, and scales of sustainability also have unique

characteristics…

Individuals

CommunitiesO

rganizationsFam

ilie

s Body Mind

Heart Soul

Air Water


AnimalSpecies)

Local

Glo

bal


CivilInfrastructure

Systems




Products


Services


Goods

EconomicCapital


SocialCapital

The IndustrialBase

NaturalCapital

Perspectives

INDIVIDUAL

PROFESSIONAL

ENTERPRISE

INDUSTRY

SOCIETY

WORLD

Second, the multiple levels of perspectives on, complexity of, and scales of sustainability also have unique

characteristics…

Individuals

CommunitiesO

rganizationsFam

ilie

s Body Mind

Heart Soul

Air Water


AnimalSpecies)

Local

Glo

bal


CivilInfrastructure

Systems




Products


Services


Goods

EconomicCapital


SocialCapital

The IndustrialBase

NaturalCapital

Perspectives Complexity

TODAY

1 YEAR

1 – 5 YEARS

5 – 10 YEARS

10 – 25 YEARS

25 – 50 YEARS +

Third, the multiple influences on sustainability also have unique

characteristics…

Social, Cultural, Political,Social, Cultural, Political,and Regulatory Systemsand Regulatory Systems

Economic and Financial Systems

Environmental andEcological Systems

Individuals

Communities

OrganizationsF

amil

ies Body Mind

Heart Soul

Air Water


AnimalSpecies)

Local

Glo

bal


CivilInfrastructure

Systems




Products


Services


Goods

EconomicCapital


SocialCapital

The IndustrialBase

NaturalCapital

Which of these forms of Sustainability

must/should/could/would we use in Latin

America?

Fourth, the lack of a unified theoryof sustainability…

• Sustainability is currently expressed in multiple forms:– Frameworks– Models– Principles– Concepts– Heuristics– Strategies– Guidelines– Specifications– Standards– Processes/Tools– Best Practices– Lessons Learned…

What they do...Characteristics and Requirements

of a Specific Facility orCivil Infrastructure System

...howthey

do it...

...andwith

what...Com

pati

bilit

y

Compatibility

Com

patibility

Processes for theDelivery and Use


Resources for theDelivery and Use

of a Specific Facility orCivil Infrastructure SystemDefinition of the

Contextual Envelopeof a Specific Facility or

Civil Infrastructure System

Finally

(Inspired by M. Vorster)

Characteristics and Requirementsof a Specific Facility or


Com

pati

bilit

y

Compatibility

Com

patibility

Processes for theDelivery and Use


Resources for theDelivery and Use

of a Specific Facility orCivil Infrastructure SystemDefinition of the

Contextual Envelopeof a Specific Facility or


(Inspired by M. Vorster)

Currentunsustainable

paradigmsand behaviors

can lead to...

Inte

rnal

Exte

rnal

SO

UR

CE

OF

CH

AN

GE

Proactive Reactive

ATTITUDE TOWARD CHANGE

(Inspired by A. Pearce)

...create triggers of change...

Triggers are changes in: • Values • Mission • Perceptions

FLASH

Triggers are changes of: • Functional Requirements • Physical Integrity /Function

CRASH

Triggers are changes caused by: • Market • Benchmarks • Competition

SPLASH

Triggers are changes in: • Codes • Regulations • Standards

CLASH

Regardless of the trigger, sustainability will inevitably force change, and how organizations respond will make them end…

either with a Pile of CASH… or as a Pile of ASH…

Inte

rnal

Exte

rnal

SO

UR

CE

OF

CH

AN

GE

Proactive Reactive

ATTITUDE TOWARD CHANGE

(Inspired by A. Pearce)

FLASH CRASH

SPLASH CLASH

...stated in another way...

“...You really-oughta-

wanna...”

“...You really-shoulda...”

“...You really-gonna-hafta...”

“...You really-gonna-

wanna...”(Inspired by P. Melhus)

Thank you…

[email protected]

Built Environment Sustainability: Perspective J. A. Vanegas School of Civil and Environmental Engineering College of Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology.

Documents

scales of sustainability

environment sustainability

multiple forms

unique characteristicssecond

multiple influences

unique characteristicsthird

unique characteristicsfourth

triggers of change