U.S. History on Sustainability.

The Brundtland Report helped expand views towards sustainability and lead the world to a better understanding of environmental concerns related to the interrelationships between individuals, societies, natural resources, and the built environment as well as the a better understanding of needs and limitations. It also had a great impact on the United States and its development towards sustainability. Two influential people; R. Buckminster Fuller and Victor Papanek show great innovation in design and help define what sustainability is today.

R. Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983) was an inventor, architect, and engineer, whose goal in life was to apply the principals of sustainable development to the built environment to solve global problems surrounding housing, shelter, transportation, education, energy, ecological destruction, and poverty. To help solve these problems Fuller invented one of his most well-known designs, the geodesic dome. The geodesic dome is the strongest, lightest, and most cost effective structure ever designed. Fuller was also known for his overpowering focus on renewable energy sources including solar, wind, and wave energy, as he once commented, “there is no energy crisis, only a crisis of ignorance”.

Fuller standing by one of his geodesic domes     

Eden Project, Cornwall U.K.

Another remarkable person, Victor Papanek (1927-1999), influenced the way sustainable design is practiced today. Papanek was known for his focus on “designs for the real world” and emphasized the moral responsibility of designers during a time where mass production was increasing rapidly. Papanek’s influence was acknowledged around the world through many books that he wrote which included his sustainability theories as well as sustainable design ideas.

Design from Papanek's book Design for the Real World, using recycled tin cans

*Informaton received from Winchip, S. (2011). Sustainable design for interior environments . (2nd ed.). Fairchild Books. and http://www.bfi.org.