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The Relationship between Ethics and Aesthetics in Sustainable Architecture of the Baltic Sea Region

Author

Listed:
  • Aurelija Daugelaite

    (Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Kaunas University of Technology, 44249 Kaunas, Lithuania)

  • Indre Grazuleviciute-Vileniske

    (Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Kaunas University of Technology, 44249 Kaunas, Lithuania)

Abstract

Architecture, as a mean of art and as a factor that physically shapes the environment, undoubtedly serves as a form of expression of ethical attitudes. It combines ethical values and responsibility for solving environmental problems with aesthetic qualities of the built environment. The holistic approach is gaining ground in the paradigm of sustainability, where architectural concepts such as biophilic, biomimetic, resilient, restorative, and others reinforce the idea of coexistence between humans and nature. In the 21st century, sustainability has become a global phenomenon; therefore, contemporary architecture is expected to reflect the idea of sustainability in its expression. This study explores the relationship between ethics and aesthetics in sustainable architecture in practice. Furthermore, this study attempts to illustrate how the architectural expression of certified sustainable buildings in the Baltic Sea region reflects the trends of sustainability within an ethical paradigm. The research question of this study is as follows: what are the prevailing aesthetic trends and are environmental ethical values expressed in the sustainable architecture of the Baltic Sea region? The study of examples of sustainable architecture was carried out by analyzing the three main databases of certified sustainable buildings—Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen (DGNB), Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM). The study found eight predominant groups of aesthetic expressions of sustainable buildings and the absence of a distinctive architectural expression that could be considered as sustainability aesthetics. It can be hypothesized that the lack of aesthetic distinctiveness of certified sustainable buildings could be related to the absence of cultural, aesthetically oriented criteria in building sustainability rating systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Aurelija Daugelaite & Indre Grazuleviciute-Vileniske, 2021. "The Relationship between Ethics and Aesthetics in Sustainable Architecture of the Baltic Sea Region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-15, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:4:p:2259-:d:502194
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Po-Ching Wang & Chi-Ying Yu, 2018. "Aesthetic Experience as an Essential Factor to Trigger Positive Environmental Consciousness," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(4), pages 1-16, April.
    2. Umberto Berardi, 2012. "Sustainability Assessment in the Construction Sector: Rating Systems and Rated Buildings," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 20(6), pages 411-424, November.
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    1. Vijay Kumar Jain & Anu Gupta & Hemraj Verma, 2024. "Goodbye materialism: exploring antecedents of minimalism and its impact on millennials well-being," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(8), pages 19779-19805, August.
    2. Hisham Alghamdi & Aníbal Alviz-Meza, 2023. "A Novel Strategy for Converting Conventional Structures into Net-Zero-Energy Buildings without Destruction," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-14, July.

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