Aesthetics of Sustainability

Contemporary architectural practice is situated in a complex flux of global and

local market forces and this has reflected in the academic discourse relating to
architecture and sustainability . Academic discourse with its debate centred on
the dichotomies of : the local – global and tradition – technology , has often taken
highly polarised positions without creating a middle ground.
Aesthetics plays an active role in the social , ecological , cultural and economic
well being of a society. Is a cohesive theorization of aesthetics possible ? Or are
we in better off with a multitude of perspectives which are seemingly distinct? As
we address a large pluralistic society which has grown amidst an enormous
diversity of ecological and cultural landscapes, it seems clear that the complexity
of the problem can’t solely be addressed from within the profession .
The theme calls outs for interdisciplinary deliberations on aesthetics of
Sustainability. It aims to create a common ground for building ideas and ethics
for long term sustainability , a common knowledge base on meaningful aesthetics
informed by diverse social and creative practices .The participants were allowed
to see the theme through different disciplinary and methodological lenses which
included General aesthetic theory, Architectural / Art theory , Sustainable practice
and theory and Critical Theory. The section is envisioned to help architectural
education through new aesthetic paradigms and new entry points into
interdisciplinary research.