Integral sustainable design - Reflections on the theory and practice from a case study

The planet is in environmental crisis and the challenge is to live sustainably within the limits imposed by nature. The built environment has a massive impact on the environment: climate change, resource and water use, loss of biodiversity. Changing the way and what we build is fundamental. Integral sustainable design theory offers a chance to rethink our approach and to genuinely shift paradigms. The theory is challenging and to date has been largely ignored in architectural design. This paper describes research that has used the theory to evaluate the sustainability of an existing re-used building. The results indicate that the theory has potential to shift thinking from quantitative performance criteria to embrace qualitative and experiential aspects in a holistic way. The interconnections between the art and science of building are revealed. The research also reveals questions to be resolved if integral sustainable design theory is to be further adopted.