ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. This book, Architecture and Systems Ecology: Thermodynamic principles of environmental building design, recognizes this looming design dilemma and explores three key topics-environment, buildings, and design-using concepts developed in systems ecology. In the Architecture of the Well-tempered Environment, Banham traced the evolution of full control in the crudely conditioned buildings of the mid-twentieth century and the steady transformation of the traditional, structural elements of architecture-walls, windows, roofs, etc. One of the fundamental arguments of this book is that those narratives are thermodynamic, that they represent social and political negotiations about real wealth, which translate to narratives about power. However, in periods of abundant resources and growth such as the last 200 years, efficiency has largely been a technique for increasing power, population, and overall consumption.
