SEEKING GREEN NORMAL WITH THE CEC

With a total population of over 400 million, North America is the largest free-trade zone in the world, thanks to the North American Free Trade Agreement approved by the United States, Canada, and Mexico in 1994. When NAFTA was finalized, the three governments also agreed on a side accord, the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation, in order to address concerns about unequal environmental regulations in the three countries.

THE SUSTAINABILITY OF NINA MARITZ

Architects practicing in wealthy countries are becoming increasingly aware that our resources are finite and that if climate change goes unchecked, we could face a much warmer, harsher environment. Scientists present us with images of expanding deserts, sinking water tables, and material scarcity.

For Namibian architect Nina Maritz, the challenges of working in a harsh environment with limited means are already an everyday reality. Her work presents a model for making compelling buildings despite "a poverty of resources."

HOUSE RECYCLING

Depending on your generation, you may have been taught: "Waste not, want not." Thrift is certainly one incentive for deconstructing buildings for reuse. In addition, many of us are motivated by a desire to be environmentally sensitive, a fondness for antiques and other items from the past, a yearning to have more control over the quality of materials used in construction, or a recognition that many of the materials available for salvage are of higher quality than those produced today.

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