No one likes to change, not even us. We have set routines, set ways to do things, habits we cannot break if we tried, and even ways we’ve developed to do things based on many, many years of experience learning to get it right. Regardless of whether another way seems like a better choice to you, if we haven’t decided on the necessity of change ourselves, nothing will be done.

Balance will become a significant issue. This problem can arise from a loss of physical strength, effects of different medications, cognitive and visual impairments. Without thinking through a strategy to prevent or at least minimize falls, an issue with balance can become a significant health hazard.

Every design or building issue dealing with the disabled or handicapped cannot be dealt with here. Massive laws have been passed for the purpose of guiding design decisions for buildings intended for use by the disabled. Many of these focus on commercial buildings financed with taxpayer funds, institutional projects where users regularly come when facing health challenges, and multi-family housing of various types, possibly used for occupancy by the elderly.

A year before, she had slipped on ice taking trash out from a back deck. Falling on the steps, she had broken one of her kneecaps. Given her advanced age, it was slow to heal. In the process, favoring one leg had put undue stress on the opposite side hip, which had begun to severely deteriorate. Now, though it seemed her knee had mended, she would not leave the home. And the suddenly obvious answer flashes into your mind: your mother is afraid of her steps. Literally. The memory of the intense pain from the fall, coupled with the weakness in her hip, has left her afraid and unsure of her ability to successfully climb down the front or back steps. Pain, and the fear of more pain, has made her a prisoner in her slightly elevated home.

Over three dozen experts “from diverse fields—and spanning academia, practice and policy” (p. 3) were included in a discussion that took more than a year to culminate in this succinct and well-thought out document. Their main goal was to identify “ways to advance [the] current understanding and practice of design for sustainability in the environment” (p. 3).

Interstellar Lab, a Parisian research group, is looking to simulate building and living conditions on Mars in the Mojave Desert. The group’s founder and CEO, Barbara Belvisi, believes that the extreme sustainability issues astronauts will face on Mars are like those that many scientists believe are required to help solve sustainability issues we face here on Earth. Belvisi states that “what we need to bring on Mars for life is what we need to protect Earth right now.”

The mid-2000s saw 3D printing really hit its stride, after 3D printers became commercially viable and affordable.  Within the last decade, we have seen immense growth within the 3D printing industry, to the point where 3D printers are now affordable enough to be purchased by hobbyists. These developments have led to big things in the world of architecture, and so we’ve compiled a list of notable milestones within the last 10 years.

Compared to traditional roofs, green roofs have many benefits that increase the efficacy of the under-utilized space with few drawbacks. “Green roofs last longer than conventional roofs, reduce energy costs with natural insulation, create peaceful retreats for people and animals, and absorb storm water, potentially lessening the need for complex and expensive drainage systems. On a wider scale, green roofs improve air quality and help reduce the Urban Heat Island Effect, a condition in which city and suburban developments absorb and trap heat. Anyone who has walked across a scalding parking lot on a hot, summer day has felt one effect of an Urban Heat Island” (howstuffworks.com).

Architects in South Dakota are required to complete 30-hours including 20-hours of Technical Subjects relating to Architecture and only 10-hours in professional management. (HSW courses will satisfy this requirement.) Licenses must be renewed every two years on the last day of the month of initial licensure.

New Hampshire architects must complete a minimum of 24 continuing education hours including 8-hours of HSW and 4-hours of Sustainable Design by the last day of their birth month every two years.