New book explores ‘socially sustainable’ architecture

Alexandra Staub, author and professor of architecture in the College of Arts and Architecture’s Stuckeman School at Penn State, examines how architects can better serve society by changing their approach to the building process in her latest book, titled “Architecture and Social Sustainability: Understanding the New Paradigm.”

Published by Routledge, the book presents examples of “how we can better design for stakeholder agency, serve historically marginalized populations, and further our theoretical thinking about sustainability writ large,” according to the book’s abstract.

As Staub discusses, sustainability is usually presented as having three components: ecological, economic and social. Architects often talk about ecological sustainability, such as designing energy-efficient buildings or using materials that don’t harm the planet. Social sustainability in the context of the built environment is less discussed and remains poorly defined.

“The book explores the design of buildings and urban settings to illustrate how we can create more inclusive and equitable communities through broadening our design approach,” said Staub, who is an affiliate researcher with Penn State’s Rock Ethics Institute and the Hamer Center for Community Design.

The first section of the book traces the history of how architecture and urban design became exclusionary and identifies theoretical and practical tools that can be used to bring more stakeholders into the process of constructing a building.

Part two of the book offers nine case studies from the United States, Brazil, Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden and India that illustrate instances of socially sustainable design at a variety of scales.

The book is open-access and can be viewed and downloaded via the Routledge website.

“Having the publication readily available was important for me because a book that discusses social sustainability should be available to everyone, regardless of [their] ability to pay,” Staub said.

“Architecture and Social Sustainability: Understanding the New Paradigm” is written for students, professionals, educators and anyone interested in how the built environment is shaped—and what could be done to make that process more sustainable.