Scaling Up the Focus of Green Design

From Trace Collaborative Intern Katie Truncellito

With all the media attention to sustainability, government support of energy initiatives, and real evidence of multi-faceted benefits, “greening” our buildings is finally making its way over the peak of the veritable roller-coaster hill and speeding its way toward becoming the norm. But, are green buildings enough? (Nevermind defining “green.” We will leave that for another post.) Single buildings are a substantial part of the problem, but only a piece - what about other scales? We maintain that we should be thinking about our communities and cities, and not just our single-family houses and office buildings. Of course we are not alone - this is exactly what Re:Vision did.

Urban Re:Vision is a group of experts, activists, practitioners and a wide range of others from various backgrounds that have come together to advocate for change in the urban landscape. They understand the importance of a cohesive plan, and one at a larger scale than a single building. There are a number of RE:Vision initiatives, including RE:Volt, RE:Route, RE:Store, RE:Connect, RE:Construct, and RE:Consider. The RE:Vision Dallas Competition focuses on developing a prototype for a “green” city block.

From their site - “We have focused on the city block because it is a microcosm of systems and relationships, and requires an integration and imagination that transcends beyond a single building. The challenges—and opportunities—on this scale are incredible…. Re:Vision Dallas is a chance to propel design beyond the typical, beyond the norm and to lay the foundation for a future of sustainable development we all hope is inevitable…. A chance to encourage and value relationships, while fostering respect for nature and our neighbors, privacy and resources, economy and consumption….”

This competition was not only intended to get people thinking, this city block will actually be built. The competition was launched on January 26, 2009 and the winning entries were chosen by a panel of jurors in May 2009, being announced on May 21, 2009.

The competition was judged based on the following (all of equal importance):
Sustainability and Reality of Intent
Affordability and Constructability
Innovation and Originality
Encouraging Sustainable Use of Energy, Transportation, Commerce, Community, and Construction

The three winning designs are “Entangled Bank” done by Little (located in Charlotte, NC), “Forwarding Dallas” by Atelier Data & Moov, and “Xero-Energy” by David Baker and Partners Architects and Fletcher Studio.

To see the designs and learn more about Re:Vision, click here.

While this may be a small start in the grand-scheme of the world, this is an incredible beginning, and good ideas usually take off like wild-fire. Let’s hope the wind catches this one.