Course Information: ARCH 4621
Department of Architecture, Cornell University

ARCH 4621 Sustainable Architecture: the Science and Politics of Green Building

Spring 2021

Jonathan Ochshorn

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Assignment for week 7

Read the following (and watch linked videos):

USGBC, LEED 2009 "Introduction" and LEED v.4 "Preface"
Murphy, The Green Tragedy: LEED's Lost Decade (Part I)
Video: USGBC: What is Green Building
Video: Should Cornell Buildings Be LEED-Certified?

For all students:

Read all selections.
Email the writing assignment (selected students only) or paragraph response (all other students) to me no later than 11:00 am on the day of class. Writing assignments can be sent as attachments (PDF or word.doc). Paragraph responses can be embedded directly into the body of the email.

Writing assignment (only for selected students)

Writing assignment (only for selected students): Read all selections and watch the two videos (see links above). How can there be such a difference of opinion regarding the merits of the LEED rating system within (a) the USGBC's Introduction/Preface versus (b) Murphy's "Green Tragedy"? Are they discussing, or valuing, the same things?
Be prepared to read (or otherwise present) a condensed version of your paper in class (7–10 minutes).
Paper should be 1000–1300 words, or approximately 3–4 typed pages, 1.5 line spacing.

For all students except those selected for the writing assignment.

Write a short (1-paragraph) response to a sentence extracted from one of the readings that you found interesting or provocative. Provide a footnote citation for the quotation you have chosen using the "notes and bibliography system."¹

¹ You can find information on citations in the Chicago Manual of Style. (You can leave out page numbers.)