A representational framework for sustainable design

Despite sustainable design being a widely accepted concept, there is no general consensus on its realisation. This is evidenced by the range of strategies in the built environment that fall under the umbrella of “green” design. These vary from technological innovation to empowering social action which often represents competing world-views, often seemingly contradictory or incompatible. Design for sustainability therefore requires the designer to advocate an ethical or moral stance; to make a decision on where to assign value. Despite this, there is no coherent framework which structures the complexity of this field. Existing models of sustainable development and design are analysed and a new framework that classifies alternative approaches is proposed. The framework presents conflicting paradigms on a continuum which provides structure to the discourse on sustainable design allowing a building designers to map their own strategic approaches, recognise inconsistencies and reveal potential future directions. Rather than suggesting sustainability has a single definable outcome, the framework
provides a means to contextualise different yet equally valid design scenarios.