By the way, we devoted a large article to the topic of sustainable architecture in the June volume and used several messages that were introduced into the lexicon by Mykhil Schwartz, who in 2010 co-authored with Joost Elffers the book Sustainism Is the New Modernism: A Manifesto of the Era of Sustainability. Cultural Manifesto for the Sustainist Era, (DAP/Distributed Art Publishers, New York, 2010). The authors expressed the ideas, concepts and vision of the future to which we aspire in the "rough language of the poster". What is behind the concise content of the manifesto, how architects and designers in practice step by step implement the principles of sustainability, careful and meaningful interaction with the environment, and how Ukraine and Ukrainians respond to this global trend - in an exclusive interview with Mykhil Schwartz.
Sustainist architectures are not limited to "green" architecture but include it
The architecture of sustainism is not limited to the "green" aspect, but includes the ego
PRAGMATICS. MEDIA: Your book is so much paper! All these large fonts, symbols and one sentence on the page - why, when presenting your sustainability manifesto, did you demonstrate, as it seems to us, a not entirely rational approach to the resource?
Mykhil Schwartz: The manifesto is based on the idea that Sustainism means the emergence of a new culture. We see that the so-called sustainability revolution is not just a question of environmental protection or a technical challenge, it is a revolution in culture. Therefore, Jost Elffers and I (co-author of the manifesto Sustainism Is the New Modernism. — Ed.) felt that this transformation needed a cultural form of expression, which gave impetus to the creation of a visual-graphic manifesto with new symbols and aphorisms presented in a "poster" form . Consider this manifesto as a new lexicon designed to illustrate cultural transformation, new ideals based on sustainable values.
On June 24 in Kyiv, as part of Active House Days, Mykhil Schwartz gave a lecture in which he spoke about the concept of Sustainism, as well as cultural research and public projects that he is working on in his Amsterdam studio Sustainism Lab
Considering that we are at the beginning of a new culture, we wanted to express it in a creative, figurative, visual form in order to open a discussion about what a sustainable future could look like. We published the manifesto in graphic form not as a guide to action, based on forecasts (which would correspond to the concept of modernism). On the contrary, we sought to inspire followers and present the future outside the framework of modernism.
Do more with less is the sustainable addition to modernism's "less is more"
"Do more with less effort" is a sustainable variation of the modernist slogan "less means more"
PM: Speaking of a new era and a new approach, you call for following the idea and even obeying it. What's new in this? After all, all ideologies are equally categorical. Or is it different in your case?
M. Sh.: Sustainism is not an ideological plan, a set of rules and recipes that we need to follow. Rather, it is a special point of view and a special way of thinking. This is not only about how we interact with the environment, climate and energy, but also how we create community and how we design our homes. Creating a sustainable habitat goes beyond environmental issues, it gives us a vision of the future, not a recipe or an ideology. Our manifesto is a challenge to all of us to look at the world through the lens of sustainability, to raise such questions. But this is not a compulsion to act. Perhaps the key difference from the modernist approach is that Sustainism shows us a direction for looking into the future, without translating it into directives.
Graphic image design by Joost Elffers, reproduced from Sustainism manifesto, 2010
PM: Tell us more about rights and obligations. What obligations does the idea impose on an architect, a builder who declared himself a sustainist? Should he radically defend the idea? For example, why not build a school in a remote village or build it using non-ecological materials that are cheaper and more affordable?
M. Sh.: Sustainism is a challenge and an opportunity for designers, architects and builders to include sustainable values in their plans and projects. By sustainable values, I mean not only careful treatment of the environment, rational use of resources and energy. Sustainable design touches on such aspects as sharing, interaction with local communities and other social attributes that make us feel at home everywhere. They should become part of the professional practice of architects, town planners, engineers, builders and all those involved in the creation and design of our cities, our homes and our lives.
More and more people are willing to pay for infrastructure and buildings that are considered healthy, consume a limited amount of energy, resources and have a minimal impact on nature
In fact, architects, builders and planners must work closely with citizens in a process that is now called Placemaking. This new agenda for designers and architects is discussed in detail in the Sustainist Design Guide: How sharing, localism, connectedness and proportionality are creating a new agenda for social design, which I co-authored with Diana Crabbendam. — BIS Publishers , Amsterdam, 2013). Investing in environmental and social sustainability can be expensive from a financial point of view, but more and more people are willing to pay for infrastructure and buildings that are considered healthy, consume a limited amount of energy and resources, and have a minimal impact on nature. That's why eco-design and social architecture are developing. And as technologies develop, they will not always remain a more expensive option.
In 2013, in co-authorship with Diana Krabbendam, Mykhil Schwartz wrote the "Sustainable Design Guide" - a guide for a sustainer
PM: Let's talk about long-term investments. In our culture, such an example is often given: children are offered to eat one candy now or wait until tomorrow and get three at once. The latest opinion polls in Ukraine show that our society is still infantile, and the majority prefers to "eat candy now." What is the situation in your environment and what arguments would you use to convince "unreasonable children"?
M. Sh.: This "childlike" attitude, when attention is focused on short-term successes, may be a consequence of the modernism of the 35th century. and consumer consciousness, which is less common in today's age. The young generation is starting to change. In many developed countries, especially in Western Europe and the United States, public opinion polls show that the majority of schoolchildren now assess sustainability as an important challenge. Representatives of the "under XNUMX" generation are ready to pay more for the products and services of companies that support positive social and environmental impact. The number of so-called ethical consumers and "green" consumers is growing. There is also a growing desire to invest in the common good and a better future instead of short-term individual economic benefit.
Today, at least 100 or even 200 million people around the world actively profess sustainable values
It is obvious that not all economies and societies move into a sustainable era at the same pace. And there are real forces that will support material consumption. Nevertheless, I see how a new generation is growing up, which is ready to give up "candy today". This marks a cultural shift in worldview, and it is happening not so much because people are becoming wiser, but because they are beginning to look at the world and themselves with different eyes. And they see the value of a healthier environment, a green planet and happier communities.
PM: The sustainability movement and the 100 million people who follow it (you cited a study by environmentalist, activist and writer Paul Hawken), is it critical mass or a drop in the ocean?
M. Sh.: "Followers" is perhaps an inaccurate definition, but yes, I estimate that today at least 100 or even 200 million people around the world actively profess sustainable values. This number includes members of more than a million non-profit environmental organizations (based on Paul Hawken's data), members of the movement for sustainable energy consumption and organic food, members of environmental groups and mass initiatives — Grassroot Movements.
Graphic image design by Joost Elffers, reproduced from Sustainism manifesto, 2010
In the last ten years, there has been an exponential growth in the number of public initiatives, especially in western cities, where they work on sustainable construction, urban agriculture, energy cooperatives, local waste reduction schemes, DIY architecture (Do-It-Yourself — architecture and design based on re- of processed materials. — Ed. note). If we take into account all these people, then we will get a global movement, which is gaining more and more new supporters, often at the local level, and is rapidly spreading. Events such as Active House Days in Kyiv, where I performed at the end of June, are held in hundreds of cities around the world.
The movement towards a sustainable life is not regulated from some single center
The strength of this movement is that it can emerge and spread online around many local events. It is easy for people to exchange know-how and knowledge through the Internet, digital media and social networks. The movement towards a sustainable life is not regulated from some single center. This does not require a "critical scale" at the global level. Many "drops in the ocean" can lead to real changes - like a drop of ink in a huge aquarium can radically change the color of the water.
PM: Can you explain in more detail the difference between localism and provincialism? How will this difference be defined when it comes to design?
M. Sh.: Our world is more globalized than ever. However, we are witnessing a revival of localism. See, for example, how in many cities the "neighborhood" has once again become the focus of public initiatives. The same happens in urban planning. For example, let's take the thousands of local farmers' markets that have sprung up over the last decade in many cities and towns in America and Western Europe. People appreciate locally produced products and use connections with local producers. But this does not mean a return to the provincialism of a small village. For example, in a cosmopolitan city like New York, there are more than 50 farmers' markets. We are observing a new form of cosmopolitan localism, improving the quality of local connections in new conditions. Remember the famous slogan of social activists: "Think globally, act locally." Let's call it "new localism", which in the global world gives new value to local connections, local relations, local sources of resources. In the era of sustainable development, the definition of "local" becomes a sign of quality, not just a geographical marker.
Sustanist processes are cyclical: recurrent reusable recyclable
Cyclic processes in sustainism: Recurrence, Remodification, Recirculation
This new localism also implies new approaches to design. In the "Sustainable Design Guide" we ask the question: "How can we rebuild our living environment to improve quality, strengthen local connections, deepen local experience?". This implies a shift in focus from local versions of global and universal solutions to local priorities. Sustainability creates what we might call "proximity dividends."
PM: Could you give vivid examples of Sustainism in modern design and architecture?
M. Sh.: What I call Sustainist Design is based on design with attributes of ecological and social sustainability. Wiki House (wikihouse.cc), a project by London-based architectural group 00, is an inspiring example of what sustainable architectural practice could look like. It is an "open source" platform for the development and creation of individual low-cost houses. Access to the projects is open via the Internet. They will be implemented by local builders using local materials. This is not so much a guideline as a useful example. It shows us some of the key components for practical development in the field of sustainable development: sharing, open source, local implementation, reducing environmental impact, small scale and accessibility for citizens, communities and businesses.
The Buiksloterham development model is a unique district in Amsterdam that serves as a living laboratory of the circular economy. Image source: Metabolic, Amsterdam
Let me give two more examples from the Netherlands. The first one is from the field of housing construction and urban planning. The Circular Buiksloterham project is being implemented in the northern part of Amsterdam. This is an impressive program of self-development of citizens, designed for the construction of 3 houses on an area of 500 hectares. There, it is assumed to create a sustainable area with zero waste, which will combine design with the use of sustainable materials, 100% renewable energy technologies, closed resource flows and support local entrepreneurship. The project is implemented by a unique coalition consisting of groups of local residents working not only with architects and builders, but also with cooperatives, energy collectives, authorities, research institutes, waste management companies, and planners.
A key attribute that provides lessons in architecture in the era of sustainable development is the concept of collaborative design
A second example is the Luchtsingel in Rotterdam, a 400-meter pedestrian bridge (designed by ZUS Architects) that has been described as "the world's first crowdfunded public infrastructure project." Local residents financed the creation of wooden elements of the bridge and from the very beginning participated in the process of its design.
Both of these examples illustrate the importance of new practical design methods in which bottom-up and top-down initiatives are combined to achieve sustainability. A key attribute that provides lessons in architecture in the era of sustainable development is the concept of collaborative design, when professional architects and designers work with the local community, developing objects not "for people", but "with people".
PM: The manifesto was published in 2010. What would you like to change in it today?
M. Sh.: The Sustainism manifesto proclaimed the idea of a new cultural era. It still remains a cultural expression of the new ethos. The ideas that Joost Elffers and I presented in the form of sketches in our 2010 manifesto were noticed and widely distributed. Our views on sustainable cultural practice in the field of design have become a reality in many areas.
Panorama of Buiksloterham district. The green roofs of the building are part of the Circular Buiksloterham system. Photo source: Delva (delva. la)
If I were to make a new edition of "Manifesto" today, I would pay more attention to social aspects. When we were just starting to develop the idea of "sustainability culture of the XNUMXst century", the ecological aspect was in the lead. Now we have come to the conclusion that "social stability" is no less important. I believe that the most successful examples of truly sustainable solutions are those that take into account both ecological and social aspects. The use of renewable energy sources in our homes depends on the inhabitants, as well as on technologies; Reducing waste is not a purely technical issue, it can be achieved only if people want to change their way of life to a certain extent.
The very name Sustainism suggests that an increasing number of people see the ideal environment in a different way
PM: Over the past century, it seems that we have not exhausted the ideas of modernism, but how long will the era of Sustainism last?
M. Sh.: Modernist ideas and modernist practices will not disappear overnight. Some of them will disappear or be mixed with new practices in the field of sustainable development, for example, local know-how combined with global high technologies. And of course, sustainable approaches will compete with modernist ones — like local sustainable practices with large-scale and resource-intensive ones.
It should be understood that today our culture is in the process of transition. Modern production practices are being transformed. We can learn from examples from history: yes, some newspapers that appeared in the XNUMXth century survived in the Internet era, but were transformed using such XNUMXst-century techniques as online news and social networks.
Culture is a living organism, cultural values are always in motion. But a significant paradigm shift is evident, a change in the very idea of how we want to live. The very name Sustainism suggests that an increasing number of people see the ideal environment in a different way. Based on values that are recognized as both ecologically and socially sustainable, Sustainism offers us a perspective of the future.
Alexander Kucheryavyi, architect
Alexander Kucheryavy
architect, active verifier passed
New ideas inspire and frighten at the same time. This happened to me as well. While still a student, I decided to be guided by the concept of sustainable development in my projects. And I have been developing in this direction for more than 10 years. Therefore, when in Milan in 2014 the manifesto Sustainism is the New Modernism fell into my hands, I was inspired by the principles laid out there, I was afraid that this was already a reality and... I didn't buy the book. And he regretted it for another hour, periodically recalling it. But, apparently, precisely such a confluence of circumstances led to the fact that today I have all the author's books with his personal signature, and Mykhil Schwartz himself came to Kyiv, and now we are working together on the publication of "Manifesto" in Ukraine. The Ukrainian edition will be special. I won't reveal all the secrets yet, but the team is working on a unique product.
The principles of Sustainism allow us to find new approaches in business, professional practice and can change our lives and the lives of our clients for the better
Sustainism is the New Modernism — a new paradigm for a new society with new values that can make us happier. I am sure that everyone will find something special and inspiring in this book. I will give an example and start with myself. Personally, I am inspired by the principle of Sharing (distribution and collaboration). I realized that my professional productivity in designing buildings for the era of sustainable development is, of course, limited. But if I share my knowledge and experience in this area, then such houses will become much more quickly. That's what I did, I founded Active House Academy. This educational platform is officially supported by Active House Alliance with Headquarters in Brussels. In May of this year, Chinese specialists became my first students.
However, I am primarily focusing my efforts in the field of educational initiatives in Ukraine. So, 24 architects, engineers, private developers and realtors attended a two-day intensive course on Active House design principles in Kyiv. I believe in my students and am convinced that in the near future they will demonstrate results in practice.
