ABSTRACT
While “architecture” may appear to be one of the many contributors to the current environmental state, in reality, the energy consumption and pollution affiliated with the materials, the construction, and the use of buildings contribute to most major environmental crises. As environmental concerns present some of the most pressing issues to the world, both professional and academic architects have begun to address how planning and built form affect the environment. A schematic review of the United States’ architectural expansion reveals a strict adherence to the grid. While facilitating the organization of a new country, the gridding of land parcels and urban plans made few allowances for existing conditions. As architects have struggled to come to terms with the environmental implications of their buildings, the term “sustainability” has become the catchword. Indoor air pollutants, like outdoor pollutants, pose more serious problems when buildings have inadequate, poorly maintained, or improperly located ventilation systems.
