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Green is Beautiful

Contributed By: Amy Feezor

The latest addition to our bookshelves? The Shape of Green by Lance Hosey. It’s the first book to outline principles for the aesthetics of sustainable design, arguing that beauty is inherent to sustainability — for how things look and feel are as important as how they’re made. Moreover, it explains, not only is beauty often more streamlined, but it also encourages us to love a product…and be less likely to replace it so quickly.

In addition to taking a look at what makes something attractive or emotionally pleasing, the book takes on practical design challenges. Can the shape of a car make it more aerodynamic and more attractive at the same time? Could buildings be constructed of porous materials that simultaneously clean the air and soothe the skin? Can cities become verdant, productive landscapes instead of concrete wastelands?

True to its own philosophy, The Shape of Green is a beautiful book that designers (and design lovers) will turn to time and again. Read a chapter recently excerpted at Design Observer, and get the book now at islandpress.org.