Environmental Ethics in the Built Environment

(3678)
Muhammad Adil Rauf
mpc.adil@gmail.com

REFERENCE BOOKS:
• Ethics and the Built environment by Warwick Fox
• Urban Ethics (Design in the Contemporary City) by Eamonn
Objectives
• Introduce the basic concept of ethics, principles of ethics and ethics in
Built Environment.
• Raise awareness on the conceptual basis of building ethics including
values and value judgment.
• Sensitize the building design professionals towards the competing
logics of green buildings and its related ethical issues.
Course Contents
• Unit 1: Islam, Ethics and Environment
• Islamic Beliefs and Ethical Practices
• Islam and Environment
• Ethical Values and Environmental Practices
• Unit 2: Identifying Ethical Dimensions in the built Environment
• 2.1 Principles of Ethics
• 2.2 Social and Ethical Context
• 2.3 The Self-Interest of Healthy Buildings
• 2.4 Self-Interest and Energy Efficiency
Course Contents
• Unit.4. Evaluation Practices
• 4.1. Planning for adaptability
• 4.2. Building Appraisal- Measuring the Capacity of Office Building to
• Accommodate Change
• 4.3. Organizational Workplace Analysis for Selecting and Designing
• Alternative Workplace Strategies
• 4.4. User Satisfaction
• Unit.5. Matching Demand and Supply
• 5.1. Physical Building Audit Procedures and Maintenance Management
• 5.2. Functional Suitability Assessment
• 5.3. Building Quantity Assessment
• 5.4. Serviceability Tools and Methods:
• Matching Occupant Requirement and Facilities
Course Contents
• Unit 3: Building, Global Warming and Ethical Concerns
• 3.1 Ethical Concerns in Relation to Global Warming
• 3.2 Different Ethical Positions
• 3.3 The Building Design problems
• Unit 4: The Conceptual Basis of Building Ethics
• 4.1 Values in Ethics
• 4.2 Values and Value Judgment in Buildings
• 4.3 Value related Issues in Buildings
• 4.4 Responsive Cohesion as the Foundation of Value Theory
• 4.5 Responsive Cohesion and the Built Environment
Course Contents
• Unit 5: Ethics of Architecture
• 5.1 Architecture and need for Dedicated Ethical Analysis
• 5.2 Addressing Ethical Problems in Architecture
• 5.3 An Analytic Ethics of Architecture
• Unit 6: Ethics and Architectural Aesthetics
• 6.1 Ethics, Aesthetics and Architectural Criticisms
• 6.2 Ethical Criticisms of the Aesthetics of Architecture
• 6.3 Aesthetic Attention to the whole of a Building
Course Contents
• Unit 7: Green Building and the Ethical Challenge
• 7.1 The Competing logics of Green Buildings and Ethics
• 7.2 Green Building as Technique – The Ecological and Smart Logics
• 7.3 Green Buildings as Appropriate Form – The Aesthetic and Symbolic Logics
• 7.4 Green Buildings as Social Concerns – The Comfort and Community Logics
• Unit 8: Transformative and Vernacular Architecture
• 8.1 Transformative Architecture (Synthesis of Ecological and
Participatory Design)
• 8.2 The Healing Transformation
• 8.3 Transformation to Ownership
• 8.4 Ethics and Vernacular Architecture
Course Contents
• Unit 9: The Ethics of Urbanism
• 9.1 Pattern and (City layout and Transport route)
• 9.2 Narratives (Building Form)
• 9.3 Spaces (Commercial/Utility Spaces)
• 9.4 Monuments (Commonplaces/Communal Places)
• 9.5 Case Studies (Regional and Local)
Islam
Shahadah (Faith) Prayer Fasting Zakat Hajj
Only one Allah Thanks Allah Self reflection Charity Cleanse
Submission Seeking help Improvement Social inclusion Purification
Recognition Respect & love Jamma
Responsibility

• Accountability – Judgement day

• Submission , Surrender
• Love and respect
• Honesty - Sacrifice
• Shariah – Ethical System and legal framework
• Principle of analogy – Comparing – linking present issue with Hadith
• Ijmah – Collective decision on a point of law
Islam and Environment
Islam and Environment
Islam and Environment
Islam and Environment
 Islam and Environment
Al Qamar - 54

• Prophet said, “The believer is not he who eats his fill while his neighbor is
hungry.” (Authenticated by Al-Albani)
• The Prophet said, “Whoever kills a sparrow or anything bigger than that without a
just cause, Allah will hold him accountable on the Day of Judgment.“
Islam and Environment
• “If a Muslim plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a
person or an animal eats from it, it is regarded as a charitable gift
(sadaqah) for him.” (Bukhari)
• The Prophet said, “Don’t waste water, even if you are at a flowing
river.
• “Beware of the three acts that cause you to be cursed: relieving
yourselves in shaded places (that people utilize), in a walkway or in
a watering place.” (Ranked sound, hasan, by Al-Albani)
• “Removing harmful things from the road is an act of charity
(sadaqah).” (Authenticated by Al-Albani
Build Environment
• What is it ….
• Buildings – Engineering Structures – Spaces – Mix and Juxtaposition
• Lifecycle
• Planning – inception – design – development control – construction –
occupation – demolition – and start again
• Stakeholders
• Professionals – Client – Suppliers – Users – Bystander
• Decision making
• Technical – Economical – Need – Social – Sustainable – Environment
A person’s right to do AND right thing to do

The right thing to do is

the action taken in
response to a situation
that will result in the
greatest benefit and the
least harm to all the
stakeholders.
Right to-do is often
described by law
Ethics
• Moral principles that govern a person's behaviour or the conducting of an
activity……..
• Doing what is right – Who sets – Society driven values – Laws
• Overcoming self-interest for ethical decision
• Unethical vs. illegal
• Business Ethics
• Social Ethics
• Religious Ethics
• Environmental Ethics
• Ethics of Nature
Six Pillars of Character
Ethical Business
• Fair competition – Monopoly –
Exploitation
• Fair Advertisement – misleading –
emotional exploitation -
• Emotional exploitation
• Stealing company proprietary secrets
both unethical and illegal
Moral & Ethics
• Generally same and considered synonymous
• Slight difference emerged over a period of time
• Morals more described by customs and traditions and may change
over a period of time
• Euthanasia & Murder, both involved killing of a person by other
• Not to Murder is absolute ethical value
• Euthanasia (Doctors assisted suicide) is moral value, initially banned
later legalized.
Self-interest
• Self-interest generally refers to a focus on the needs or desires
(interests) of the self. A number of philosophical, psychological,
and economictheories examine the role of self-interest in
motivating human action.
Self-interest and interdependence
• Interdependence and collaboration will increasingly be used to create
wealth, and independence and greed that does not recognize the
negative impact of self interest on others will be increasingly
disapproved and punished
• And doing economically well will increasingly required that you do
social, ecological and cultural good-the paradigm of global capitalism,
rather than while creating social, ecological and cultural bad – the
paradigm of global cowboy capitalism.

Peter Ellyard, preferred futures institute, 2012

Environmental Ethics
• Environmental ethics is the discipline in philosophy that studies the
moral relationship of human beings to, and also the value and moral
status of, the environment and its nonhuman contents.
(Standord Encyclopedia of philosophy)
Human being and Environment
• Society faces conflict between Economy and Environment

• Should be allow generation of electricity from coal or drilling for oil

• DDT was banned and now its believed that it could be used to prevent
malaria in developing countries
• Environment Ethics means doing the right thing ……

• Should we allow a large manufacturing plant in a wild near and small town
that it could employ thousands of workers?
Environmental Ethics and its dimensions
• Anthropocentric
• Human centered
• Environment is only for human service
• Its value derives from the value it creates for human
• Biocentrism
• Biological world is placed at the center of the planet
• All life possess intrinsic value by inherentance
Environment and Economics
• Conventional Economic System
• Current economic system emphases are only on continuing unlimited
growth. In that case, equity and sustainability is either ignored or kept on
least priority.
• Environmental Economics – Tech Optimistic / Weak Sustainability
• Based on week sustainability approach with the proposition that natural
capital can be substituted by human-made capital
• Ecological Economics – Tech Pessimistic / Strong Sustainability
• focus on nature, justice, and time. Issues of intergenerational equity,
irreversibility of environmental change, uncertainty of long-term outcomes
Ecosystem Services and Balance of life
• Ecosystem Services are the processes by which the environment
produces resources that we often take for granted such as clean
water, timber and habitat for fisheries, and pollination of native and
agricultural plants.
• Population is increasing, cities are growing with increasing demand of
energy. All power sources; such as oil wells, tar sand, wind, hydro,
nuclear and coal power plants have adverse affects on the
environment.
Transformation – Polanyi economic integration
• Four basic forms of economic integration:
• reciprocity (e.g. gift exchange),
• House holding (self-sufficient household economies),
• redistribution (in which resources are collected to a center which allocates
and distributes them) and
• the market economy.
Later the economy is institutionalized and remained central in
economic anthropology, and may also be traced in modern economic
theory, e.g. the so-called New Institutional Economics.
Transformation - Disembedding
• The great transformation deals with the social and political changes
happened in England during the rise of the market economy.
• Market society emerged from disembedding market from the society in
oppose to general concept of embedded markets which social norms and
morality determine the scope of the market.
• 19th century civilization was rested on four institutions:
• The balance of power,
• gold standard,
• self regulating and
• liberal state.
After the great transformation humanity’s economic mentalities were
changed and became rational utility maximizers.
Transformation – Market Society
• Polanyi contends this transformation and called this “Market Society”.
• He argued that market economy and the modern state should be considered as
one unit human invention. As per Polanyi, driving source of the system was self-
regulation whereas, balance of power was erected on it, Gold standard was an
attempt for globalization and liberal state its self is created by self-regulating
market.
• The liberal vision of the market society cannot solve the three important
problems to which any social design must offer solution;
• the economic problem of coordination,
• ethical problem of individual freedom and
• society problem of order.
• Polanyi’s central argument is that a self-regulating economic system is a
completely imaginary construction; as such, it is completely impossible to achieve
or maintain.
Society Environment Interaction
Food Cultural
Culture
Food
Eco Energy
Living Services
Exchange

Regulating
Co-Adaptation

Cold & Hot Weather

Land Modification
Ecosystem
Environment
Food
Food

Culture Energy
Exchange
Liberal Economy Cultural
Regulating Living

Eco
Services
 Socio Economic Transformation
100% Profit Controlled
Change
Living
Regulating Standards

Food

Cultural Forms &Consumption

Culture
Human
Energy For Sale
Food Values & ethics
Modification
Bottom Lines – Losing Sustainable State

Lost Resources Maximization

Inequity

Eco-Services
Economy Human &
Society

COST ?? COST ??
Counter approach
• “This disruption has not been so kind to businesses operating by the
rules of the old model. We don't have to watch their ads anymore.
We don't believe their marketing hype anymore.
• We don't want to eat their junk ingredients anymore. We don't have
to buy from their stores anymore. And we don't want the best of
them to just be profit machines anymore.
• We want more, when we want it, how we want it, and at the price we
want it.”
– Idris Mootee – CEO Idea couture
System Thinking
• Systems thinking has been defined as an approach to problem solving
that attempts to balance holistic thinking and reductionistic thinking.
• In systems science, it is argued that the only way to fully understand
why a problem or element occurs and persists is to understand the parts
in relation to the whole (Capra, F. (1996)
• Systems thinking involves the use of various techniques to study
systems of many kinds.
• In nature, examples of the objects of systems thinking include ecosystems - in
which various elements (such as air, water, movement, plants, and animals)
interact.
• In organizations, systems consist of people, structures, and processes that
operate together to make an organization "healthy" or "unhealthy“ (Ackoff, R.
2010)
Environment, Economics and Society
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Creating social impact
• Integrated financial and sustainability reporting
• Bottom of the pyramid
Construction Ethics
• Honesty: Acting honestly and avoiding conduct likely to result, directly or
indirectly, in the deception of others.
• Fairness: Not seeking to obtain a benefit which arises directly or indirectly
from the unfair treatment of others.
• Fair reward: Avoidance of acts likely to deprive another party of a fair
reward for work.
• Reliability: Only provide services and skills within areas of competence.
• Integrity: Regard for the public interest.
• Objectivity: Identify potential conflicts of interest and disclose this to the
party who would be adversely affected by it.
• Accountability: Provide appropriate information so effective action can be
taken where necessary.
Unethical behavior
• Stealing • Organization abuse
• Lying • Noncompliance
• Fraud • Accessory – Closing eye
• Influence • Dilemmas – holding toxic release
• Hiding report under the non disclosure
clause of the contract
• Cheating
• Below-par work
• Interpersonal abuse
Ethical Decision Making
• Ethical decision making is affected by
• Competence in identifying issues
• Evaluating consequences
• Self-confidence in seeking different options
Built Environment
• Buildings account for 40% of energy use worldwide (WBCSD).
• Energy used during its lifetime causes as much as 90% of
environmental impacts from buildings (Journal of Green Building).
• Building operations consume more than 2/3 of all
electricity(BuildingScience.com)
• Residential and commercial buildings consume 40% of the primary
energy and 71% of the total electricity in the United States.
Ethical Design
• “ The world will not evolve past its current state of crisis by using the
same thinking that created the situation:
• Albert Einstein

• The current environment problems of the world are the result of

Design …. The world of DESIGN needs some Radical thinking if we are
to design ourselves out of the problem.

• "It's not about the world of design, but the design of the world".
– Bruce Mau
Ethical Design

Ethics
- Morals
- Values
- Trust
Diversity
Social Impact

Maheen Sohail
Ethical Is
• Straight Talking – Honest – Fair
• Even better – Open minded
• Daring to be different – Good
• Problem solving – Empowering
• Conscious decision making – Caring
• Awareness that our actions have an impact and a comeback
• Making sure that comeback is a considerate one
• Keeping the planet happy, after all we keep all our stuff there
• More important that the bottom line.
• Inspired by the power and beauty of humans who pioneer for humanity
https://onelinestudio.co.uk/why-ethical/ols-ethical-design-fair-trade/
Design thinking
• Cope with disruptions in Society
• Industrial revolution – 1, 2, 3, 4
• Economic revolution
• Capitalism
• Liberalism
• Global Trade

• Focus on humans, not users

• Innovate or be swept away with the TIDE
Design Thinking – How it can help
• Redefining value
• Human-centred innovation
• Quality of life
• Problems affecting diverse groups of
people
• Involves multiple systems
• Shifting markets and behaviours
• Coping with rapid social or market
changes
• Issues relating to corporate culture
• Issues relating to new technology
• Re-inventing business models
• Addressing rapid changes in society
• Complex unsolved societal
challenges
• Scenarios involving multidisciplinary
teams
• Entrepreneurial initiatives
• Educational advances
• Medical breakthroughs
• Inspiration is needed
• Problems that data can't solve
Green Design
• Take less from the earth and more to the people
• Energy efficient design
• Ecological Design – Weather, Material and Usage
• Diversification and Flexible
• Innovative
• Human centered
• Values and Customs
As for philosophy, it makes an architect high-minded and not self-assuming, but rather renders him
courteous, just, and honest without avariciousness (greed).
This is very important, for no work can be rightly done without honesty and incorruptibility. Let him
not be grasping nor have his mind preoccupied with the idea of receiving perquisites, but let him
with dignity keep up his position by cherishing a good reputation. (Vetruvius, a Roman Architect)
Architects Code of Ethics
• Architects will act with integrity, honesty and professional competence
• Architects will have regard for the best interests for both their clients and
the public
• Architects will honestly represent the extent of their expertise
• Architects will respect the rights of their colleagues and appropriately
recognize their contributions
• Architects will demonstrate respect for the natural and cultural
environment of the people and places that are influenced by their work.
• Architects will provide mentorship and guidance in the interest of the
profession.
Responsive Cohesion
• Responsive Cohesion is a kind of relation between 'things' (objects,
ideas, people, processes or systems) and other 'things' or contexts, in
which cohesion is achieved by the way they respond to each other.
Responsive Cohesion
• Things can be ordered, organized, hold together, or exhibit cohesion
(or not) in any of three main ways.
• Hold together – fixed – Rigid ---- may or may not be responsive
• Scattered – chaotic – without logic – all over places
Out of Context
Out of Context
Out of Context
• “Another point that adds to the effect of alienation is the fact that
most of the architecture I create is isolated from its environment. You
could say that they are decontextualized, in order to become more
abstract. In the end you get images that are too abstract to be real
and too true-to-life to be fictitious.” Filip DUJARDIN

• The parameters of the environment and territory – parameters of

context determine the architecture of space and time. These known
factors can be organized, selected, evaluated and analyzed through
different processes.
Cohesion
Context of what
• “what constitutes the context of what” reveals that the biophysical
realm of nature constitutes the basic context for the development
and continuance of the linguistically mediated human social realm,
and that the human social realm in turn constitutes the basic context
for the development and continuance of the human-constructed
realm.” (Fox 2006b)
Vernacular Architecture
• Vernacular architecture is an architectural style that is designed
based on local needs, availability of construction materials and
reflecting local traditions. At least originally, vernacular
architecture did not use formally-schooled architects, but relied on
the design skills and tradition of local builders.
Value Theory
• Value theory is a range of approaches to understanding how, why, and
to what degree persons value things; whether the object or subject of
valuing is a person, idea, object, or anything else. This investigation
began in ancient philosophy, where it is called axiology or ethics
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/theory-knowledge/201410/theory-
Ethical criticisms of the Aesthetics of
architecture by Nigel Taylor
1. Support or criticise architectural forms in terms of their structural
honesty
2. Deploying ethical reasons for favouring (or criticising) a particular
aesthetic style
3. Evaluation of building in terms of progressive tendency in a given
culture or period – ‘Sprit of the age’
Design