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Equality/inclusion in design process.
Maximizing the diversity of input into this process is the only way
to succeed. Our goals center around the phrase, “for everyone, now
and in the future,” thus, a finished product that does not benefit
all interested parties equally and to the best of our ability is not
a success. Inclusive also means integrating the knowledge from many
professions and areas of research. “Open” also refers to the
publication of pitfalls, successes, goals and results at every step.
Environmentally sustainable. The earth’s natural resources
are finite, as are the processes that support life. Environmentally
sustainable practices, such as Green building, promote human
activities and uses that can be maintained without significant
degradation of any part of the environment.
Cost. The most massive concept in our definition, cost must
be evaluated thoroughly and constantly. Some of the difficulty in
determining cost is the tendency in western society over the last
couple thousand years, in the past couple hundred especially, to
forget the impact of resource consumption when calculating profit.
No resource is infinite, though some last longer and are more easily
replaced than others, so some cost must be associated with their
use. The earth, as a relatively finite ball of material, belongs to
everyone, now and in the future, so the impact of every aspect of
our building must be considered on a global and temporally long
scale. And, because our local economic systems tend to be used as
indicators of our values, we must consider not just the future of
all aspects but the development, manufacture, and distribution of
them as well. But it’s important to not let ourselves think only of
where materials came from on the earth and what their consumption
will do for us and to us, because the greatest impact our process
will have will be right here, with us and with the people who see,
hear or read about UMF’s beautiful new building.
Comfort and Health. We are the most valuable resource. Our
definition of Green is an anthropocentric one, focusing on our needs
and our responsibility to the future of our society. Consequently,
our project will not be successful if human comfort and health is
not maximized in accordance to the other goals and the general
purpose of an education building. This is also positively correlated
with productivity.
Productivity. A successful building will efficiently
generate light and control the indoor climate. It will also be a
place where students will want to be (discounting anxiety over
exams, missing homework, or boring lecturers), and consequently, a
place where they will be more productive.
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