I am reading a book by Sally Coulthard entitled Biophilia: You + Nature + Home that sums up the current situation perfectly:

“Most modern buildings bear little relation to their surroundings. They use materials shipped from huge distances, standardized building techniques and styles that say very little about the culture, nature and heritage of a place.”

“But why is this a problem? Ecologically, many modern buildings aren’t very friendly. They often have high energy costs in terms of materials, don’t contribute to the local eco-system and take a lot of resources to heat, cool and light. And, because they don’t take into account their natural surroundings, they often prevent the people who live in them from making any meaningful connection with their surroundings or sense of place.”

Architects and interior designers with their clients get so caught up with what is trending in Elle Decor and or Architectural Digest that they either unfamiliar with Biophilia and Ecodesign or would rather have a designer chair created from another part of the world that costs over $56,000 like I saw recently in Architectural Digest!

Hugh Simpson