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6 - Sustainable urbanism: Measuring long-term architectural merit

from Part I - Sustainable Development: Theories and Practices

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 December 2021

By
Craig Langston
Edited by
Pak Sum Low
Pak Sum Low
Affiliation:
Xiamen University Malaysia
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Summary

Good architecture is something that we all seek, but which is difficult to define. Sir Alexander John Gordon, in his role as president of the Royal Institute of British Architects, defined ‘good architecture’ in 1972 as buildings that exhibit ‘long life, loose fit and low energy’. These characteristics, nicknamed by Gordon as the 3 L Principle, are measurable. Furthermore, life cycle cost (LCC) provides a method for accessing the economic contribution or burden created by buildings to the society they aim to serve. Yet there is no research available to investigate the connection, if any, between 3 L and LCC. It might be hypothesized that buildings with a high 3 L index have a low LCC profile. If this is true, then LCC may be able to be used to assess ‘good architecture’. This paper uses a case study methodology to assess the durability, adaptability, and sustainability of 22 projects that have won architectural design awards. The 3 L criteria can be measured and compared with average LCC per square metre using a long time horizon. The research is significant in that it tests a process to objectively assess what is commonly intangible and to determine if LCC is a suitable predictor of ‘good architecture’.

Keywords

Sustainable development;architecture;built environment;durability;adaptability;sustainability;life cycle costing (LCC); 3 L Principle;long life;loose fit;low energy; discounted present value (DPV);obsolescence;physical life calculator;adaptSTAR;Green Star;good architecture;Australia
Type
Chapter
Information
Sustainable Development: Asia-Pacific Perspectives , pp. 42 - 51
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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