In this short article I'd like to challenge the idea that by describing architecture as "green" we inadvertently create a conception that there are non-green, or grey architecture. This perspective which I think was originated from environmental and building science, implies that all other architectural criteria can be marginalized or become irrelevant in the face of its only characteristic; i.e. green. I think it's about time we challenged this viewpoint.

Architecture should not be constrained to the labels of green or grey. Instead, we must evaluate architecture, historically, like we always did, based on a holistic set of factors including aesthetics, structural integrity, functionality, and most-importantly as a cultural and social hub or "place maker".

Being energy-efficient, sustainable, and built to the highest standards of efficiency should be inherent, moving forward, in its very definition. In other words, no more environmentally bad architecture can be allowed such that green architecture can draw its definition from.  

Let's address a crucial point: being green is unable to alter the historic essence of great architecture. For example, implementing better insulation for reduced energy consumption, maximizing natural light and ventilation to create a comfortable indoor environment, and using passive design strategies to lower heat gains, should all be part of the definition of great architecture, and incorporated in the very process of creating architecture, not a tag added to otherwise mediocre architecture. These elements are, historically speaking, as essential to architecture as its aesthetics, structural integrity, and its social and cultural symbolic roles.

I suggest it's time we abandoned the simplistic labels of green / non-green when discussing architecture. Instead, let's foster a mindset that recognizes sustainability and true energy performance (true=actual energy consumption) as an essential characteristic embedded in great architecture.

Through this shift in perspective, we can create a built environment that “meets the needs of the present while ensuring a sustainable and flourishing future for generations to come”.  

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