Luxury and sustainability —these words do not immediately seem to go together, more often as if they are from different planets.
Luxury conjures up concepts of extravagance, excessive display of wealth; more—more space, consumption, resources and waste (and not always good taste – however the onlooker may define that term).
Sustainability on the other hand prioritises longevity, functionality, aesthetic appeal, and environmental wellness, with a holistic approach to all aspects of the use of materials, energy, space and natural resources. Sustainability emphasises moderation, calibration, efficiency, and mindful consumption, rather the opposite of the general idea of luxury.
So, can these two concepts be compatible? Can one have sustainable luxury?
Take buildings as an example. They are responsible for up to 39% of the pollution in our cities, compared to 16% that comes from car emissions. There are buildings which are built at the lowest cost to make the maximum profit for the developer. They are then fitted out to look luxurious but are highly inefficient in terms of their energy efficiency and overall running and maintenance costs. This is the case with most new houses in England over recent years. They also have a relatively short life compared to buildings designed and constructed with sustainability as a basic concept.-
Sustainable luxury in architecture is about creating bespoke designs with spaces that are custom-made, innovative, unique, and timeless, always connected with nature – biophilic.
Energy efficiency is part of the essence of the Passive House concept, developed in the 1980’s in Germany by Professor Dr W. Feist, in order to build houses with minimum energy consumption, and if at all possible, null consumption. (Our EcoHouse is designed to Passivhaus Standard in Montenegro)
Another factor is greed, and the desire to make short-term profit disregarding the longer-term impact on the environment, and therefore society. The environmental impact of luxury trends of the modern day, particularly here in Montenegro, has been detrimental to the health of the natural ecosystems. Some beautiful beaches here have been decimated, a delicate balance between ecological and economic considerations has yet to be accepted as the norm. Although Montenegro declared itself to be an ‘Ecological State’ in its Constitution of 20 September 1990, there is still a lot to be done to make that a reality for the whole country, not just those diminishing areas which have yet to be developed. The current policy on tourism is aimed to increase facilities at the up-market luxury end.
Perhaps, with the popularity of luxury sustainability trends, “people today not only believe in living an aspirational life, but it is added with environmental consciousness” (Times of India https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/voices/the-rise-of-sustainable-architecture-in-luxury-real-estate/ sourced 14 Sep 2024)
published on 15.09.2024 in Linked-in