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Show 263 THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH Increasingly, sustainability has become a concern for architects. This generally refers to environmental sustainability - managing the environmental impact of materials in building construction and the building's use of resources over time. However, sustainability in archi-tecture also has social implications inherent in the relationship between the end-user and the building. Users must interact with the built environment and architecture can facilitate or negate social interactions. My area of interest is social sustainability, extending the idea of environmental sustainability to the social impact of architecture. My investigative process involved creating case studies based on observations of selected buildings to deepen and challenge my understanding of social sustainability. To qualify and quantify the case studies, fieldwork considered both physical and experiential inventories of buildings. The fieldwork undertaken in fall 2011 focused on social sustainability in Japanese architecture. In light of the Great Tohoku Earthquake in March 2011, the relationship between society and the built environment have become emphasized in Japan. Further, Japan's unique building construction culture allows for the creation of innovative architecture juxtaposed with a rich traditional architecture. Six projects built within the last ten years were selected for the Japanese case studies. After visiting the buildings and conducting interviews at the offices of ADH Architects, Eastern Design Office, Junya Ishigami and Associates, Kengo Kuma + Associates, Kishi + Associates, and Sou Fujimoto Architects, it became clear that although the social impact of each respective building was not necessarily a major consideration in the design, the architecture still demonstrated design decisions to better facilitate and maintain the interactions of the users. This semester is a continuation of the investigation into social sustainability, supplementing the Japanese case studies with case studies in the United States, particularly Utah. Ultimately, the research will become integrated into my final studio project. The final project will be real-ized as a building proposal for affordable mixed-use housing in Salt Lake's Granary District, incorporating approaches to social sustainability in the design of the building. The outcome of this thesis is intended to emphasize the relationship between the social impact of architec-ture and sustainable practice in architectural design. SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY IN ARCHITECTURE Phillip J. Nakamura (Mira A. Locher) School of Architecture University of Utah honors college Phillip J. Nakamura Mira A. Locher |
