Green
Education
I was trained in a visually-based design education system, as were many of today's architects. At first I found ‘green issues’ difficult to reconcile with my aesthetic concerns, as they demand engagement with technical priorities. In 1973, Tony Gwilliam at the Architectural Association ran a class to build a prototype Mantainer, an "autonomous portable dwelling system" influenced by Buckminster Fuller’s Dymaxion House. Two of us in this practice participated in this early manifestation of the movement towards environmentally-sound architecture. The Mantainer was a 2m cube that could be extended or folded down, be transported to survive in ice caps or deserts, generate its own power, harness its resources and recycle its waste to sustain the occupants.
There are a number of ways we address issues of global warming today; and for me, this is principally through education. I encourage my design students to investigate the source of their materials, how they are brought to site, and their performance and longevity in practice.
Murray John
