Why Durability Is More Important Than Sustainability - Coursework Example

Introduction When designs and erecting a building durability has always been something that both architects and engineers have to consider. A durable building or any structure for that matter is always desirable. However, in the recent past, the issue of sustainability is also another one that needs to be addressed. However, sustainability in some cases seem to be taking over and most architects as well as engineers may be tempted to overlook durability in pursuit of building a sustainable building. This is risky because durability is an important factor when building and should never be replaced by anything else. Some of the issues that are supposed to be addressed by suitability issues are issues that are not known for sure. For example, as Sakai (56) argues, there is not enough evidence that building sustainable buildings and structures can help in saving he environment. For instance, is there evidence that building homes and buildings that use less power can lead to a better environment? Is there evidence that building houses that use less energy can lead to reduced global warming? The reason such questions are necessary to be answered is because of the fact that some professionals argue that global warming is not caused by human activity but the heating of the core of the earth (Inhofe 58). This means that it is necessary to note that there is a need for those who are involved in the construction of buildings to refrain from the hype of environmental sustainability. As Inhofe (78) says, if it is true that global warming and many other issues such as desertification of forest areas are not necessary caused by human activity, it would then mean that all these issues about sustainability are just a wild goose that should to be followed. Since there is no evidence that building traditional buildings that are strong and durable affects the environment, it is necessary to take durability as a property that precedes the issue of sustainability. After all, it is also an important element of sustainability. According to Kestner, Goupil and Lorenz (89) there is a risk that suitability culture, however well meant it is, may end up harming the very resources it is intended to protect. The issue sustainable buildings have become mainstream and architects have gone with the flow. This issue has arises from the fact that in the recent past, there has been a sensitization on the issue of environment sustainability. Many environmentalists believe that human activity has a big impact on the environment and therefore this has led to the push for all human economic activities to be done in a manner that is environmentally friendly (Therese 95). The design and building of buildings has not been left behind in this issue. However through history, there has been a question of whether sustainable buildings are better in the long run. In this regard, it is necessary to establish whether it is better for a building to be built to be strong and durable or to be sustainable. The necessity of this question is the fact that most sustainable buildings are not durable. This piece argues that durable buildings are better than sustainable ones. There are no clear sustainability factors According to Boonstra, Rovers and Pauwels (36), sustainability and durability seem to be in conflict in most cases and it is necessary to ensure that durability is not scarified in favor of sustainability. It is very clear that most sustainability actions are futile and that they don’t necessarily lead to sustainability. In this case, designing and building a building to be environmentally sustainable only robs the building its durability while at the same time not giving it the suitability it requires. In this regard, if proper accounting was to be done, the sustainability factors that are considered when designing and erecting a building are not necessarily important. Most sustainability requirements are just hype and don’t necessarily lead to any tangible benefits. There is inadequate evidence to indicate the connection between human activity and environmental deterioration. Although some human activity can be directly attributed to environmental issues, not all lead to adverse environmental issues. Even those that do, the effect may only be short term and nature can correct them naturally. As a result, most of the sustainability issues that most architects are supposed to consider are not practical or important. There is a continuing discussion on the issue of how human activity affects the environment. While some believe that human activity as the biggest impact on the environment, there are those who believe that human activity does not lead to adverse impact on the environment. This set of people believes that the deteriorating situation of the environment is not caused by human activity but by natural processes. For instance, the issue of global warming is a controversial issue that has caused differing views among professionals. Some believe environmental issues are caused by human activity while others believe that global warming is caused by natural processes such as the increasing temperatures at the core of the earth. There is adequate evidence that natural processes are just as responsible as the human activity with regard to the deteriorating status of the earth. The point is the fact that building sustainable structures is more than just observing the conventional sustainability factors such as using sustainable materials, using sustainable design that will reduce the amount of fuel used etc. In most cases, the sustainability factors considered are not real and only lead to weak buildings that are neither sustainable nor durable (Kestner, Goupil, & Lorenz 154). In some context, durability is not a matter of choice. For instance, as Lubach (Para 1) says, it is necessary for designers and builders to consider durability when installing interior design in such facilities as school as prisons because in such facilities, the issue of vandalisms is a menace. Durability lads to real sustainability Durable buildings are sustainable in the very long run because they don’t require to be upgraded very so often. Modern sustainable buildings seem to be weaker and in most cases not as durable as the ancient buildings. Ancient people did not care so much about sustainability; they only cared about durability of the building. Yet these buildings, such as found in Roman architecture, or the Egyptian pyramids, still have most of their original glory. Although these buildings are still intact, there is no evidence that their existence affects the environment in an adverse way (Sakai 254). Although the erection of such buildings may have caused some damage to the environment during their construction, these wound ended up healing naturally because nature knows how to heal naturally. A good example is the Egyptian pyramids which led to the extraction of millions of tons of limestone from the banks of the river Nile. Today, the environmental impact of the building of the pyramids due to the massive wounding of the earth as the limestone was extracted is not evident yet the pyramids are still there more than five thousand years later. This is evidenced that the modern looting for sustainable buildings is overrated and that the durability may in the long run trample sustainability. Safety is better than durability It is not debatable that modern sustainable buildings are weaker than the traditional buildings that were made to be durable. This is because choosing a sustainable building is always a compromise between durability and sustainability. Processionals in the field agree that it is challenging to build a building that is durable and at the same time one that observes the principles of sustainability. As a result, designing and erecting these busing is a choice between a weaker building that is (seems) sustainable, or a stronger durable building that is durable. This is unwise because weaker buildings and houses may pose a risk to the inhabitants. Given the scenario, it then becomes better to develop durable buildings which are safe than to build sustainable buildings that are not safe. However, this is not to argue that sustainable buildings are not safe but that they have a tendency to be weaker and therefore introducing the risk of being unsafe. Since safety is of greater importance and has a more direct impact on the quality o the building, it is necessary to give it precedence. The way this can be done, as Lacasse and Vanier (89) is by giving it durability. The importance of durability is especially becoming more important in two main ways. First, today’s buildings are getting ever taller and in ever crowded places where any incidence of collapse would lead to massive destruction, especially of human life. This shows that modern architect must go back to the concept of durability as opposed to being obsessed with suitability of the building they design. The same must go on with engineers; they must be able to look at how they can build structures that are not just observing the principles of suitability, but also that are durable for the sake of safety. Reliability in sustainable buildings is an issue Sustainable buildings must be able to look at how reliable they are with regard to the service they offer and also with regard to how long they can serve these purposes (Boonstra, et al (29). There is no need for a house that passes as a sustainable building without being reliable. Modern buildings seem to be unstable and need to be supported once in a while. A move around any city, especially the aged cities such London, New York, etc may indicate that the older buildings seem to be able to sustain themselves without needing much face-lifting very often. A good example is the New York empire state building which has been there for a long time. This building, compared to the newer buildings in this city shows much more stamina. Engineers must observe the issue of durability in order to ensure that there is a way to deliver buildings and structures that are both durable and at the same time safe. Sustainability through durability Professionals argue that durability in the long end is the ultimate durability of a building. For instance, as Sakai (59) says, durability is the ultimate sustainability issue. Durable buildings seem to conserve the environment by being able to exist for an elongated duration of time. Unlike modern structures that may need to be brought down sooner and then replaced by newer ones, buildings that were made to be durable seem to stay for a long time without needing to be replaced. This means that it is crucial that the buildings of today to observe durability to make sure that in the long run, they are sustainable. This means that even if the issue of sustainability was important, durability would still be more important since in itself it is a sustainability factor. It is necessary to make sure that in all cases, the quality of the building will not be compromised in the name of building a house that is deemed to be environmentally sustainable. In this regard, it is paramount to guarantee the issue of sustainability is not a hindrance against the important issue of durability and this will mean that it must be given precedence. Conclusion The issue of durability and sustainability is an important tissue that must be addressed by every stakeholder in the construction industry. Architects must be able to design buildings and structures that are not just sustainable but also durable. Engineers are important in the equation because they implement what the architects design and therefore they must also consider their role in making sure that the buildings and structures they erect are sustainable and durable in the long run. As they do this, they must be able to understand that durability and sustainability seem to collide head on and they must be able to strike a stable balance. However, they must not be carried away by the modern hype for sustainability. Sustainability in most cases seems to be a hype that has been marketed by some individuals who seem to have selfish vested interest in the issue of sustainability. While some of the issues that have been highlighted by these sustainability enthusiasts may be valid and necessary to be observed, it is become clear and evident that most of it is just hype and has no meaning. On the other hand, the issue of durability is a problem that cannot be taken for granted in any way. As a result, architects, engineers and construction professional must be able to understand that durability in all times tramples and comes before sustainability. It is very likely that in the context of the modern hype of sustainability many architects and engineers are likely to end up designing and erecting buildings that are commendable in the face of sustainability enthusiast but that are not durable. This is ironical in that the first issue that these professionals must be able to observe is the issue of durability. If they lose track of just how important this issue of durability is, they will end up ruining the construction industry. It is also very to understand that although some sustainability issues are valid, most of them are not valid and in fact are disputed by some high-ranking professionals who believe that there is no direct link between the human activity and the environmental issues that face the planet. Work Cited Boonstra, Chiel., Rovers, Ronald,. Pauwels, Susanne. Sustainable Building 2000, 22-25 October 2000, Maastricht, The Netherlands: proceedings. 2000: Uitgeverij Æneas BV, 2000. Print. Inhofe, James. The Greatest Hoax: How the Global Warming Conspiracy Threatens Your Future. New York, NY: WND Books, 2012. Print. Kestner, Dirk,. Goupil, Jennifer,. Lorenz, Emily. Sustainability Guidelines for the Structural Engineer. New York, NY: ASCE Publications, 2010. Print. Lacasse, Michael & Vanier, Dana. Durability of Building Materials and Components 8: Service life and durability of materials and components. New York, NY: NRC Research Press, 1999. Print. Lubach, Dave. Durability, Sustainability Important Factors in Restroom Retrofits. 24 December 2013. 12 August 2014 . Sakai, Koji. Concrete Technology for a Sustainable Development in the 21st Century. New York, NY: CRC Press, 1999. Print. Therese, Remøy¸. Out of Office: A Study on the Cause of Office Vacancy and Transformation as a Means to Cope and Prevent. New York, NY: IOS Press, 2010. Print. Read More