Last December, while browsing about the Web, I stumbled into a TEDx talk about sustainable architecture. I immediately fell in love with the speaker's work. I immediately went to Twitter - I just had to share the most innovative and creative talk with BermudaQuest followers. What I did not expect was a reply:

@BermudaQuest Thanks so much for tweeting my TED talk! ♥

Today, I would like to share this wonderful interview. Rachel Preston Prinz is a passionate advocate of historic preservation. She strives to applying lessons learned in preservation and archaeology to modern bio-regional design. Her work has included forensic architecture, archaeological architecture, the preservation and adaptive reuse of historic structures, re/design for handicapped accessibility, as well as the design of bio-climatic residences and commercial structures for non-profits.

Tell me about yourself. What's your background as it relates to sustainable architecture? What is Archinia?

I got into sustainable design through an unusual route: when working on my Master's thesis in Architectural Design, I was afforded the opportunity to study in Italy - to get up close and personal with the subject of my thesis - the late sixteenth century Andrea Palladio, and in particular his Villa Emo at Fanzolo. After spending nearly a month studying the site, I realized that Palladio had introduced some incredible bio-regional design aspects to his buildings, making them not only well-designed as far as their response to their time and place - that being the Mannerist period of playful reinterpretations of Renaissance idealism and a deep respect for all things ordained by the heavens (his villas use mythical imagery to connect to the particular powers of certain gods and goddesses) - but the houses were also appropriate as a response to their specific physical environment. The houses were naturally heated, cooled and lit, water naturally went where it needed to be, and was swept away from where it didn't. The landscape and the architecture were inexorably intertwined, working together. I realized that what might appear as merely "structure" had a place. It stuck with me, and I began to search for that "sense of place" in everything else I would study or design.

Archinia is half "architecture" and half "Nia". I am technically a Nia white-belt instructor, though I don't teach. Nia is part dance, part yoga, and part martial arts. Nia is a mindfulness-based dance practice, where your only aim is to finding your own edges, so you can take your body places you weren't even sure it could go. Architecture and dance are intimates - moving through space requires a specific kind of attention - and I want to awaken that awareness in my design work.

Her firm, Archinia, is an architectural cooperative, employing the services of an array of professionals normally not considered part of "traditional architecture." Archinia's inclusive approach allows her to develop pioneering interdisciplinary research in: "revisiting historic precedents to get past style and into the design's substance; the development and design of eco-communities; and preserving context in historic structures, trails, roads, and monuments."

How did New Mexico archaeology inspire your work? Are there any sites in particular that you feel should be more well known?

I've always had a passion for archaeology. But for years I actually believed that you had to have a degree to participate in it. So I never pursued it. When I got to New Mexico three years ago, I was taking time to "reboot" my design paradigm. So, I started volunteering on various archaeological projects. Before I realized it, some of the archaeologists I was working with recognized that it was handy to have an architect around. Especially one trained in vernacular design. I could automatically see patterns where others had to look, and often missed. I came to love archaeo-astronomy and studying how astronomy influenced design. Then, when at Chaco Canyon one weekend, I realized that all these sites I was studying had some things in common. They were built with materials found within a very small radius from the site. The sites were oriented towards the sun for maximum solar gain. They were hand-built by the people of that place, and their culture was reflected in the details. Before long, I realized other places in NM confirmed these observations, responding to their environments and cultures in different ways in a variety of historic periods, but answering the same problems. I realized that archaeology told us how to build correctly for our place - and it worked when the power or gas went out - which was relevant as many thousands of us in NM suffered through staying up all night tending a fireplace, if we were lucky enough to have one, for 5 days with no gas for heat in the coldest part of winter

The most magical NM Archaeological sites to me are the petroglyphs at Mesa Prieta, everything at Chaco, Taos Pueblo, and the cave complexes at Tsankawai and Bandalier. The NM carved cave complexes are a special thrill... not only are the sites positioned strategically for access to water and therefore some degree of health, agriculture and protection, they are also oriented to the sun to take advantage of solar heat in the winter. Facing a cave opening south or southwest invites the late day sun in to warm your "bedchamber" before you tuck in to your blanket. It's ingenious and SO simple.

What projects is Archinia working on currently and what projects have been successful in the past?

We have the incredible good fortune of having a diverse workload that incorporates our interdiciplinary approach. We are working on archaeological projects including developing National Register nominations of National Historic Trails; historic preservation projects including developing ways of preserving context and landscape in historic sites, including current projects the Sanctuario de Chimayo and the Santa Fe National Cemetery; and we are helping in the design and implementation of vernacular homes and eco-communities right here at home as well as in far-away places including Arizona, Costa Rica, Canada and Russia.

How can the public help promote sustainable architecture?

Wow, that's a tough question! It is so easy to get greenwashed in design. I think that the biggest thing people can do to promote sustainability is to commit to it: Participate in your community's planning process. Buy local food. Encourage community gardens. Don't poison your own water supply (aquifers) with non-organic pesticides and fertilizers. Work within 10 miles of your home. Don't drive if you can walk or ride a bike - and look around when you do to absorb what makes your own place great, so you can help protect it. Be a good neighbor. Share. Help other people you may not agree with all the time to achieve their dreams, and if you can, encourage them to do it in a more sustainable way. We can all make a difference if we just try.

If you would like to hear more from Rachel Preston Prinz, 

we highly recommend her TEDx Talk!

About the Author

I'm Melanie, the founder of BermudaQuest and an archaeology undergraduate at the University of New Mexico. I love writing about ancient and modern cultures. My goal is to make information about our origins available to everyone [in simple English!]

Jenny Huang via Flickr

Living green is the trend in today's society. Buying smaller cars, recycling, and planting trees makes everyone feel as though they are doing their part in sustaining the environment but what about our homes? The direction in which the public is being led could be compared to digging a hole for a twenty-acre lake by hand. Does the task merit the results? In other words, our small contribution to sustaining a greener life through new products for buildings falls pitifully short of what we hope to achieve.

Perhaps it is time to stop following the crowd and really look at nature and what it has to say. The earth was created long before mammals but when they did arrive, the atmosphere was set up to sustain them with everything available from the earth. Look at the Romans and how they were able to build beautiful structures without the use of earthmovers and technology. Yet today when there is a power failure, our entire world stops.

When you stop and take a good hard look at the portfolios of green architects of today, are the projects of astounding buildings and homes really sustainable? Solar energy of today is nothing like solar power that was used 200 years ago. Technology has made it so complex, full of embodied energy and expensive components that it takes 50 years just to break even in reaching for energy sustainability. By then, the technology will be out of date and your home will be a dinosaur of outdated equipment that you are still paying for.

We All Need Air

Creating an airtight environment that shut out pollutants and kept our heating and cooling systems performing more efficiently 40 years ago seemed a grand idea. While in fact, we were shutting in the toxins that linger in almost everything we use. From the paint on the walls to the PVC shower curtain hanging in the bathtub, every home is filled with heavy metals, formaldehyde, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and many other harmful toxins. We have become so accustomed to these odors that we relate them to a 'new' product smell.
The concept of holding everything inside a house as tightly as possible by using technology from petroleum-based products and electricity (also petroleum-based) has only been in existence for 150 years. Before then, the world lived in a more functional way by letting nature help. How many of the structures built 150 years ago are still in existence compared to those of 5000 years ago? This proves that today's building materials and methods are nowhere close to being sustainable.

Environmental Analytics

Illness has increased ten-fold by breathing in toxins. We blame it on pollution, second hand cigarette smoke and international traffic but studies have proven otherwise. Sick Building Syndrome is a new term that has been placed on individuals suffering from asthma, allergies, dizziness, fatigue, chills and a host of other symptoms that seem to have no medical explanation. It is believed that over 30% of all new construction and remodeled buildings have some type of SBS attributing to health issues. So we make more filters, disinfectants and air cleaners to battle the problem but aren't we still just digging a hole to nowhere?

Symmetry

Real Green Architecture can be sustainable and healthy without being unattractive. It is the attitude of wanting what everyone else has that fog the brains of many intelligent masters of design. Stop and consider exactly what it is about a concrete building with long glass panels that you find so stimulating. The answer is simple, symmetry, which leads us back to nature. Everything in nature is symmetrical. Notice a tree line against the sky and how evenly the tops seem to flow with one another. Plants, rocks, birds, caves, mountains and even a grain of sand all share this amazing trait. As long as symmetry is followed in a concrete building or a adobe made of clay, the results will be pleasing to the human eye.

Look at What Works

Archeologists have seen the answer to many of our modern day living problems by visiting sites where great architecture still stands. Architects that study new green methods are finding that by mixing the old sustainable methods of building and what we know today can bring a whole new generation of sustainable green architecture. Pit houses, earth homes, courtyard homes and adobes utilize the assets of the earth and eliminate the need for buying and buying more new unnecessary products that do not work. While looking at some of these types of structures from centuries past may not make a huge impression, think of the opportunity! With the talent of today, modern ideas and most importantly, never forgetting that we need help from nature, we can create some of the most awesome designs in the world.

What is a Pit House or Earth House?

An earth house is an unconditional type of structure that uses the terrain of the land to insulate a home. This is nothing like living in a basement that has concrete lined walls and is airtight. An earth house or pit house works with the land to provide insulation, energy and much needed CO2. There are several advantages to building an earth home like there is never any damage from the weather, security issues are nonexistant and health issues are diminished. There is also no worry of fires, natural light can be streamed in from above and there is plenty of land for planting or landscaping on the roof.

Bercy-Chen Studio, pit house, Tree Hugger

Paul Queen's home, earth house, Sun Sentinel

What is a Courtyard Home?

Courtyard homes have been used for thousands of years in many areas of the world. Starting out as a way to keep public buildings together with a central meeting square, residential homes soon found that the benefits of having a square from wind and inclement weather could be enjoyed. By using the interior courtyard as a haven for trees and plants, the air is fresher, less energy is needed and nature is easily spread throughout the home. This can be a perfect way to begin a green architectural project with an existing small home by beginning to expanding wings to encircle your property.

Siheyuan, courtyard home, China Tours

Adobe Homes

Adobe homes are making a comeback in the southwestern part of the country. For hundreds of years, Indians have used a mixture of earth and clay to build these beautiful rounded structures that are energy efficient and provide a natural environment of CO2. Totally waterproof, they have been proven to stand the test of time and are very inexpensive to build with materials readily available.

Adobe home, House Design Ideas

Not everyone has the luxury of being able to build a new home or to remodel and expand an existing house but there are several other ways that you can use nature to provide a better atmosphere where you live. Plants and trees are nature's way of providing fresh air to everyone. Vertical green walls are becoming popular for aesthetic reasons as well as using as an alternative to air cleaners. They can be used indoors or out and provide an excellent way of cleansing the air around you. Fruit trees can provide a two-fold asset when planted five to ten feet from your home on the south or west side. The shade will cut your energy costs, provide a more pleasing temperature and provide fruit that is sweet and healthy.

Overall, we need to change our way of thinking about what is good for us, our family and our future by looking at our ancestors of the past. By combining what we have learned from mistakes in architecture, what we know about nature and then blending the two, it is possible to create a future with sustainable green architecture without relying on complex expensive technology.

Additional Resources

• Better Than Green Design
• Green Building Tips
• Are Toxic Chemicals Lurking in Your Building Products
• Adobe Homes

This article was written by Simon Marshall, CEO of Buildingsguide.com, a leading online resource for steel and metal building information, buying guides, and in-depth research.