A FORGOTTEN BOOK? HOW A 36-YEAR-OLD BOOK INFLUENCED GREEN DESIGN

INTRODUCTION

The list of books and references on green building and sustainable development has grown tremendously over the last decade and a half. Much of this has coincided with the growth of the LEED and other green rating systems, as well as society's realization about the benefits and potential of sustainable design. Looking back though, there were many wonderful and influential texts written around the time of the 1970s' oil/energy crisis that may have never been seen by today's professional. This article examines one of those important texts, A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction , and briefly outlines how it influenced some of the green practices seen today.