Complexity and causation: Sustainable architecture through the lens of deconstructivism

Lavaf Pour, Yahya

Abstract

This paper critically re-examines sustainability in architecture through Derrida’s deconstructivist lens, challenging the reductive focus on efficient resource use and carbon consciousness. Current approaches often prioritise fixed, material criteria, overlooking human subjectivity and the fluid, contextual nature of meaning in architecture. By deconstructing binary oppositions like nature vs. human or objective vs. subjective, I argue that sustainability is not a stable, singular goal but an ongoing negotiation shaped by cultural and social contexts. Derrida’s idea of unstable meanings allows us to view sustainability as more than a technical issue—it’s about rethinking the complex relationships between the built environment, human experience, and ecology. This approach opens the possibility for architecture to address ecological concerns in more expressive, inventive, and contextually nuanced ways, moving beyond current practices to foster deeper human-nature connections.

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (unpublished)
• Conference Name: Radical Architecture Practice for Sustainability
• Start Date: Sep 4, 2024
• End Date: Sep 6, 2024
• Deposit Date: Oct 23, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 23, 2024
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/12907758