Visiting Artist_Julia Walker

I attended the artist lecture last tuesday. I was impressed by Julia, she seemed intelligent and clearly explained her topic. She focused on the idea of Sustainable Chic as a style of architecture that have become popular. She describes this style by showing us ultra modern housing in the American Southwest that are supposedly "sustainable". We see huge homes that are catering to the area in that they use Southwestern vernacular, appeal to a modernist aesthetic and must overcome the harsh desert climate. She talked a bit about Frank Lloyd Wright and how he "brought modernism to the desert". She also showed us his famous Taliesin West. Many of the home she showed were architecturally spectacular. Very beautiful and modern, many of them were huge. They were sustainable by using recycled materials, solar panels, heat resistant glass, special hvac systems, etc. After viewing all of these homes and sort of convincing us of their sustainability she explains that these are not truly sustainable. She makes the point that just using recycled materials does not mean sustainable. Some of these homes are like oxymorons in that they are massive, yet sustainable? That doesn't make sense. Homes that are sustainable should not have 17 rooms, that just unnecessary and excessive. She describes this new sustainable chic trend as just that, a trend. She argues that sustainability is much more than a style, it should be a method. There should be standards to which sustainable housing should be held to. I was disappointed that she never really explained what truly green housing is like, she only showed this "sustainable chic" style. I would have liked her to contrast the negative with a positive. Overall, I found her talk interesting and engaging. She also seemed enthusiastic and genuine when answering questions.