Greening Modernism

Book excerpt: This book summarizes a long career in architecture conducted by Stein, a leader in sustainable design for several decades in New York City. The book culminates and illustrates several of his earlier publications, including Architecture and Energy (1977) and Energy Conscious Architecture (2001). Stein argues adamantly and persuasively that new construction is not a sustainable strategy for architecture, design, or construction around the world. Rather, renovation, preservation, and restoration of existing buildings represent the best possible strategies for economic and ecological survival, regardless of climate and economy, global or local. The aesthetic implications of this argument are especially evident in the Cubist style buildings of Stein's active New York City firm, called Elemental Architecture. Unfortunately, the writing needs some editing, and the book's bibliography includes just one recent publication, A. Bahamon and M. Sanjines's Rematerial (CH, Sep'10, 48-0085). This book will be valuable for architecture, design, real estate, and development libraries serving commercial, residential, business, and industrial markets throughout the world. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels. General Readers; Lower-division Undergraduates; Upper-division Undergraduates; Graduate Students; Researchers/Faculty; Two-year Technical Program Students; Professionals/Practitioners. Reviewed by P. Kaufman.