Introduction: Thesis Aspirations

I am pursuing a graduate degree in architecture to further investigate the ideas to which I was introduced during my years of undergraduate study. I was most intrigued by the material concerning sustainable design and the future of ecologically-friendly or 'green' architecture. This popular topic is discussed today by academics as well as the public; the difference between the knowledge of the professional and the naivety of the public is the gap which I hope to bridge in my research and production of a thesis.

Daily the public is being bombarded with tales of the evils of fossil fuels and carbon emissions from vehicles while they remain relatively ignorant of the load that their homes are putting on the environment. People need to be educated about how the choices that they make can effect waste-reduction and global warming, beyond their transportation decisions. Even for the concerned citizen, the fascination with 'green' materials and renewable energies can blind onlookers to the big picture of sustainability. The consumer wants to make the right choice for the environment so he chooses the material with a special tag or logo, and feels good about himself without really understanding what he has purchased. Not only logos, catch phrases, and bright green tags are attracting attention, but popular advertising and biased data will support a wide range of claims made by 'green' design initiatives. The public wants to know more about how to be environmentally conscious and reduce their ecological footprint, but I am afraid that some of the big-picture first-step choices of sustainability are overlooked in the mad rush to buy the newest high-tech gadget which boasts environmental benefit. This desire to be more sustainable, combined with a better understanding of the available technologies, systems, and materials could shift the market for building supplies, change the sought-after features of a house, and even alter what is perceived to be a "good building" to the average citizen. This is why the public needs to be educated about sustainable building technologies, because without a shift in the public consciousness, society will continue to be unaware of whether materials and products are or are not environmentally sound and no steps will be taken to improve our buildings.

For my thesis I intend to create a film which will educate not only designers, but also the public in matters of sustainable strategies for buildings and development. By researching the advantages and disadvantages of a number of products, materials, or systems, I hope to bring to light some unbiased data including factors such as embodied energy and emissions. This more technical research would be combined with a number of straight forward passive methods for reducing the ecological impact of a building, so as to cover both the first-steps as well as the finer details of environmental initiatives available to the public. This information must be compiled in a physically and intellectually accessible medium, and thus I propose a documentary, or a number of themed short films which would reach a greater audience than could a book today.