“Physical poverty is not an abstraction, but we almost never think of impoverishment as evidence of a world that exists. Much less do we imagine that it‘s a condition from which we may draw enlightenment in a very practical way.”– Sambo Mockbee
From time to time we like to showcase the work of interesting people who in one way or another influenced the way we think about design and how we approach sustainable architecture. A lot of architects these days claim to be “Green Architects” only because they strive to satisfy assessment schemes like LEED & BREEAM, but the problem is that these schemes are designed to provide the construction industry with a benchmark to rate new buildings in a way that satisfies governing and funding bodies, but often ignore true concepts of sustainability in favour of industry standard approaches to “green architecture.” In essence, Green architecture is about more than just slapping a bunch of renewables on to a design to gain ‘green credits’ and about more than just using materials from ‘sustainable’ sources or obscure traditional materials that achieve good ratings just because they are durable (BREEAM considers UPVC windows to be A+ rated according to their green guide to specification!).
Green architecture and sustainable development is really about social inclusion and the ability to provide housing for everyone today without destroying the planet for future generations. Samuel Mockbee understood this principle and probably more than any other Architect of his time, showed us through his work how it was possible to produce great architecture in the simplest of settings without negating its beauty.
Samuel Mockbee – “Sambo” to those who knew him – was a green architect, educator and artist who dedicated his life to teaching, and to providing sustainable, low-cost homes to those who could not afford them. As the co-founder of the Rural Studio in Alabama, and as a professor at Auburn University, he co-created a program dedicated to building houses, community centers and other structures for the residents of poverty-stricken Hale County, Alabama, while introducing his students to the merits and possibilities of their chosen art form.
The Rural Studio
“As an artist or an architect, I have the opportunity to address wrongs and try to correct them,” Mockbee once said.
In 1992, Mockbee was hired as a professor within Auburn University’s School of Architecture. Viewing the opportunity to help less fortunate citizens while teaching architecture students to care for their community, he co-founded the Rural Studio with longtime friend and colleague D.K. Ruth.
To date, Rural Studio has constructed more than 80 homes and civic buildings in Hale County. The structures are often a perfect storm of design-build ingenuity – sustainable, cost-efficient and bold.
“Architecture is a social art,” Mockbee said. “And as a social art, it is our social responsibility to make sure that we are delivering architecture that meets not only functional and creature comforts, but also spiritual comfort.”
