May 13, 2010 - Frank Gehry Calls Sustainable Design & LEED ‘Political'.

In a public appearance on April 6th Frank Gehry, one of the world's most famous architects, dropped a verbal bomb on LEED and sustainability saying the highly prized certifications are awarded for ‘bogus stuff' and that climate change and sustainable design have become "political" issues.

Regardless of whether Gehry's recent statements are true or not will undoubtedly spark conversations amongst the environmental and design camps because either way you look at it, creating the most energy efficient buildings as possible has the potential to cut CO2 emissions drastically.

While speaking to the CEO of the Pritzker Organization writer Blair Kamin noted that Gehry did not seem to feel strongly about environmental concerns surrounding construction and its processes. Even when directly asked about his stance on energy-saving green architecture and global warming, Gehry still gave the topic the cold shoulder saying "I think the issue is finally a political one,".

The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system for buildings awards points for incorporating energy-saving features into buildings, but has been criticized in the past by those who consider some features (such as bike racks) superficial additions. Referring to the certification system, Gehry said: "A lot of LEED is given for bogus stuff." Ultimately the financial cost of designing and building a green structure are "enormous," he said, and "they don't pay back in your lifetime."

Honestly, Gehry is right.  It can be expensive. In some countries making the average family home more energy efficient can cost as much as $12,000. However, we beg to ask if Gehry considered the costs aside from the financial one's: CO2 emissions are the main cause of global warming, so the environmental costs of making buildings more eco-friendly are certainly paid back, and felt, in our lifetime.

Digging deeper though, LEED certification is a more complicated issue; if we believe what Gehry says and merely installing a bike rack classifies a building as being environmentally friendly then a rethink of some of the criteria is in order. Encouraging your staff to cycle to work is not the same as reducing the building's emissions output and LEED should address this point as soon as possible.