The Modern Movement and Sustainability: Yesterday, Today and in the Future

Abstract

Concern for the environment and a focus on the conservation of our natural resources have in general over the last couple of decades, entered into the dialogue around architecture and preservation. In the last decade this focused more specifically on the more recent architecture. In some instances, the discussion about sustainability has begun to overshadow the preservation issues. Many countries have developed elaborate rating systems for buildings, whether new or old, that take into account a large number of factors to gauge and assess their impact. While these systems are intended to assist in deciding what actions can and should be undertaken, the discussion has remained quite limited and largely focused on the operational aspects of buildings and on new construction.