Architects currently identify "sustainability" as the most important change affecting the future of the profession. In this podcast, Daniel Williams, FAIA, a Seattle-based architect and urban planner, describes how he became involved in sustainable design, what it really means, and the current direction of architecture as outlined in his book, Sustainable Design: Ecology, Architecture, & Planning (Wiley, 2007).

Williams challenges professionals to rethink architecture and to see their projects not as objects but as critical, connected pieces of the whole—essential to human health as well as to regional economy and ecology. Architects can effectively frame discussions of sustainable design issues with these questions:

• How do I begin thinking and designing ecologically?
• What is the difference between "green design" and "sustainable design"?
• What are some examples of effective change I can make that will have the most impact for the least cost?

Through conceptual and case studies, Williams describes the trends that are incorporating the environment into building design and construction, and he advocates continued learning about this increasingly central focus of architects' and urban planners' work. Beyond the perceived benefits of sustainable design—such as decreased taxes, increased health, and higher quality of life—Williams also stresses the necessity of bringing sustainability into our daily lives as part of a cohesive plan.

Williams's book—a practical, comprehensive guide to designing and planning a built environment compatible with regional economic, social, and ecological patterns—features winning projects from the first decade of the AIA Committee on the Environment’s Top Ten Green Projects annual award program.

For more information, see the COTE Web site. To order Sustainable Design: Ecology, Architecture, & Planning, visit the AIA Bookstore.