ABSTRACT
The process of designing, planning and creating sustainable buildings is tied up in a complex web of problem perceptions, actors’ interests, decision-making procedures and policy frameworks. Experiences in practical application suggest that these factors are not peripheral or trivial. They shape the process of implementation significantly and can have a substantive influence over the design and features of the building or development. There is a growing recognition in the literature on sustainable architecture that some of the dominant assumptions on how sustainable and energy-efficient building can best be promoted are fundamentally flawed (Guy and Shove 2000). Broadly speaking the critique is, firstly, that policy-makers and planners pursue a rational choice logic that is often at odds with everyday experiences of human behaviour. Secondly, the role of key individuals in decision-making processes is often overemphasised at the expense of consideration of the real and potential contribution of other affected parties. Thirdly, the notion of implementation following a linear path from original design to ultimate construction, overcoming ‘barriers’ encountered on the way, overlooks the inherent complexity, unpredictability and reversibility of the implementation process. Several chapters in this book take up this critique and investigate different dimensions to the broader picture of promoting sustainable buildings.
