6 Inspirational Books on Green Architecture and Sustainable Design

The significance of sustainability in architecture has been growing in recent years and more commissions than ever before are, by legal mandate as well as moral imperative, requiring designers to consider sustainability in construction. Architects looking for inspiration have plenty of resources, as this list of the best books on green architecture reveal.

From contemporary design practice to natural history, these are your next sources of inspiration, whatever your project.

1) Frank Lloyd Wright: Natural Design, Organic Architecture: Lessons for Building Green from an American Original, by Alan Hess and Alan Weintraub

Frank Lloyd Wright, who produced most of his famous works in the early and mid-20th century, may have come from an era where green design and sustainability carried the importance, they do in the 21st century. But that fact makes Hess and Weintraub’s re-examination of Wright’s legacy all the more fascinating, and the authors argue persuasively that Wright’s architectural principles align with today’s green values. This book explores how light, space and nature all impacted his work and will provide plenty of inspiration for those working today.

2) Vitamin Green by Joshua Bolchover

In Vitamin Green, Bolchover provides contemporary readers with an updated exploration of how sustainability is being incorporated into design. “Concerns about sustainability are changing design at every level, and Bolchover has collected well-illustrated examples from every industry, demonstrating how sustainability is impacting the design of everything from skyscrapers to spectacles,” says Gladys Jones, an editor at Essayroo. “Seeing how designers are taking sustainability on board in creative ways will motivate your own spirit of innovation on the next project.”

3) Biomimicry in Architecture by Michael Pawlyn

During 3 billion years of natural history, it’s safe to say that nature has created some pretty spectacular designs. Architects have long been imitating nature’s spirit in their constructions – such as incorporating the golden ratio into every aspect of design – and as green architecture grows, more of us than ever before are looking to nature for inspiration. In Biomimicry, Pawlyn looks beyond the aesthetics of nature to question how nature can inspire us to design buildings with sustainability in mind, reducing energy consumption and utilizing innovative materials.

4)  Micro Green: Tiny Houses in Nature by Mimi Zeiger

One of the most radical ways in which we can bring sustainability into our lives is by rejecting the notion of consumption and growth which are so tied up with ways of living which damage the natural world. In Micro Green, we are offered an alternative to ever larger, sprawling homes. By minimizing the space, we require we take the first steps towards a conceptual shift which restructures our relationship with the world – the tiny homes from all over the world presented in this book serve as an example of how architects have the power to change how we exist in the world.

5) The New Net Zero by Bill Maclay

As an innovative architect working to sustainable principles, Maclay is an oracle of wisdom on how to design sustainable homes. In The New Net Zero, he presents a vision for homes that are not only energy efficient but actually carbon neutral and produce as much energy as they consume. This is a model with the scope to radically affect our climate trajectory, and Maclay reveals it as a realistic vision of design. In covering both construction and renovation, and providing a range of case-studies, Maclay shows us the road to a carbon neutral future.

6) The Eco-House Book by Terrance Conran

Architects applying sustainable methods to new construction is an important step but what about the tens of millions of homes already built under unsustainable models? Thankfully, Conran’s accessible and insightful book provides evidence that sustainable renovation has as much scope for impacting the environment as sustainable design and construction, if not more.

“From minor tweaks to significant renovations, there are tips in this book that can apply to every project no matter how big or small,” says Douglas Clark, a sustainability writer at State Of Writing. “Architects interested in green models of design will learn something on every page.”

These Books Are Great Resources for Sustainable Architects

These books offer so much inspiration for sustainable design and green architecture, packed with eco-friendly tips and beautiful photography of carbon neutral projects. Impress your clients with sustainable ideas that demonstrate your finger is on the political pulse.