| 'Sustainability' and 'green design' are two terms that have become more common in both professional practice and architectural education. They are merely abstract terms however; concepts which many students find difficult to grasp at a high enough level for thorough implementation in a design project. As a result, sustainable and solar techniques become more of an afterthought, giving students a cursory, at best, understanding of the principles, preventing an understanding of how to implement the principles.; Reflecting on the process, product, challenges and achievements of both the 2007 Solar Decathlon team and the LEAFHouse, this thesis posits the importance of hands-on, interdisciplinary design and construction work for the understanding and implementation of sustainable techniques and solar technologies. In addition, it suggests a change in the way that the built environment is conceived, designed and constructed, through the collaboration of practitioners and industry professionals from a range of disciplines. |
