Does going green change the face of design or only its content? Thefirst book to outline principles for the aesthetics of sustainabledesign, The Shape of Green argues that beauty is inherent tosustainability, for how things look and feel is as important as howthey’re made.
In addition to examining what makes something attractive oremotionally pleasing, Hosey connects these questions with practicaldesign challenges. Can the shape of a car make it more aerodynamic andmore attractive at the same time? Could buildings be constructed ofporous materials that simultaneously clean the air and soothe the skin?Can cities become verdant, productive landscapes instead of wastelandsof concrete?
Drawing from a wealth of scientific research, Hosey demonstratesthat form and image can enhance conservation, comfort, and community atevery scale of design, from products to buildings to cities. Fullyembracing the principles of ecology could revolutionize every aspect ofdesign, in substance and in style. Aesthetic attraction isn’t asuperficial concern — it’s an environmental imperative.Beauty could save the planet.
The Shape of Green is a positive thesis. It might even inspire hope in the most pessimistic readers.
True to its own philosophy, The Shape of Green is a beautiful book that designers (and design lovers) will turn to time and again.
Hosey's holistic investigation of the way we perceive and react to our surroundings is fascinating. His underlying argument – that green living doesn't have to be punishing, expensive, or boring – is a refreshing take on an old debate that fans of Malcolm Gladwell and other big thinkers will find informative and illuminating.
Lance Hosey ... has written a valuable book with a clear yet strong argument at its core: How something looks is as important to sustainability as how it performs.
The Shape of Green ... deals with the fundamental issues that I could never quite express to my students about the importance of aesthetics, design and yes, even beauty, to green building. I could never quite justify why I would post some projects on TreeHugger and skip others that might have a higher LEED score. After reading The Shape of Green, I am much more confident in saying that if it doesn't move the heart, it doesn't move the needle on sustainability.
Design has the power to create a world that can be economically, equitably, ecologically and elegantly enjoyed. In The Shape of Green, Lance Hosey explores the critically important but too rarely discussed dimensions of this goal—elegance, joy, and beauty.
It's tomorrow's great design challenge: how to make sustainability not just likeable but loveable; and not just efficient but beautiful, sensual, sexy. Lance Hosey is an inspirational guide to a future we can't wait to embrace.
It's time someone revealed that the opposition of sustainability vs style, ethics vs aesthetics are false starts. In this book, Lance Hosey helps retire that opposition and shows us what makes beauty and sustainability one and the same.
1 Sustainability and Beauty
2 The Aesthetic Imperative
3 Three Principles
4 Many Senses
5 Ecology and Imagery
6 The Animation of Inanimate Things
7 The Architecture of Difference
8 The Natural Selection of Cities
9 Visions of Earth
Selected References
