L’edonismo sostenibile: la progettazione consapevole del futuro, Hedonistic Sustainability: conscious design of the future

Contemporary architecture needs to take a step forward in order to respond to the environmental degradation. A whole revolution at the expense of the human being, as it is obvious in these last few years, appears futile and unenforceable. For these reasons, a new approach that considers human and environment at the same level of importance is fundamental: here is where hedonistic sustainability takes over. This discipline blends environment protection with a possible lifestyle, which does not represent a hymn to renunciation. The hedonistic sustainability concept criticizes the idea of sustainability that societies are adopting right now, because it is the same as forcing the human being to stop consuming, which it is ultimately impracticable. As a consequence, there must be a bilateral process that considers both human beings and the environment. This paper explains how this new vision can be the most efficient solution to fight climate change; although it can be used in every aspect of our everyday life, this approach works properly for the construction sector which includes architecture, engineering and design. Hedonistic sustainability strongly relies on sustainable projects, fun activities and a warm sense of community. Bjarke Ingles’ projects are the clearest examples of it, blending modern structures with green areas and public spots.