Sustainable Design: The Science of Sustainability and Green Engineering

Vallero and architect Brasier, who coteach a course in green engineering at Duke University, wrote this book to assist architects and engineers in understanding the scientific principles underlying sustainable design. As such, this is not a catalog of green products and how they work, but a course in the basics of thermodynamics, the science of pollution, and professional ethics. The authors begin by outlining a "synthovation/regenerative model" of design to replace the stepwise model of the past. Rather than compartmentalizing the expertise of the various professionals involved in the design process and fitting them into successive steps, the synthovation/regenerative model combines synthesis and innovation with a team-based approach that makes use of individuals' expertise throughout the design process. This model is a recurring theme in the chapters that describe the need for an approach to sustainable design that is based on sound science and goes beyond greenwashing. The science chapters may be too much for some readers and not enough for others. Nevertheless, this is a good introduction to the science behind green design. Recommended for architecture and engineering libraries.