SUSTAINING BEAUTY: HOW PAUL RAFF STUDIO ARCHITECTS SUCCEED BY BEING ENVIRONMENTALLY AWARE

Given that materials such as brick, glass and concrete are used in building, new thinking is needed, and this is where Paul RaffStudio is being socially conscious and globally minded

- RICK MULLER

Sustainability has now become part of our everyday thinking and ongoing dialogue — sustainability of our food supply, climate, natural resources, water systems and irrigation, and even our delicate ecosystems. We have been blessed by a good Earth and have one shot at keeping it sustainable by our own actions, especially for those who will inherit it.

But what about “sustainable architecture”? The notion seems odd at first, given the materials such as brick, glass, steel and concrete that are used in building. But how thought is given to the permanence of architecture and building is where sustainable architecture flourishes, and where Paul Raff Studio architects of Toronto are leading in this transformational field, being architecturally aware of the environment when designing and creating.

“The idea of just reducing everything and living with less is never going to fly with people on the whole to make sustainability palatable with the masses,” says Raff in a recent interview with Dolce. “We need to figure out how to be sustainable and deliver more. More fresh air, more quality places to live, work and go to school. We simply need to find a way to be sustainable and deliver more.”