We had a movement in North America in the 1970s called "appropriate
technology." I think the concept remains valid, although I'm not sure we
can convince suburban dwellers to build their own batch solar water
heaters.
I think we should always seek the simplest, most reliable solution to the
problem. Using the ventilation discussion as an example: Demand
controlled ventilation may be far too complicated for residential
buildings, continuous ventilation may be the best solution. But for large
commercial and industrial applications, DCV may provide the best air
quality and cost efficiency. Of course, we have to include the "hidden"
costs, too.
There is a temptation to apply the newest, most sophisticated solution,
when simpler may be better. The designer's art is knowing the difference.
Bruce
>So I am trying to start a discussion about the risks of high-tech - wouldn't
>it make more sense to construct a simpler (but not primitve) architecture
>without making a building so intelligent that it can only be run by a
>computer? Maybe MEDIUM-TECH is the greener way to construct??
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Bruce Sullivan Tel: 541-484-9353
Iris Communications, Inc. Fax: 541-484-1645
Web: http://oikos.com/ E-mail: iris@oikos.com
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