Co-creating cultures of sustainability and co-imagining the teaching green building: the use of a participatory Photovoice process in a HPGB context

Abstract

Plain English Summary There is not enough action to address the global challenge of climate change, despite understanding how severe this crisis is. While emissions from buildings do contribute significantly to climate change, buildings can also contribute to urgent climate solutions. High-performance green buildings (HPGBs) can reduce operational building-level emissions dramatically and offer other benefits, including potentially supporting the wellbeing and sustainable behaviours of building users. HPGBs can provide an important place to engage and influence culture toward supporting a culture of sustainability (COS), and can act as publicly visible symbols of the new clean economy. However, a gap remains in how best to support the emergence of cultures of sustainability led by building users within green building environments. To investigate and support an emergent citizen-led COS in a green building, this study applied an empowerment-based Photovoice method in the context of a HPGB, named evolv1 and located in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. As part of this Photovoice study, six building users (citizens) took and selected photos, participated in facilitated group discussions and individual interviews, and contributed toward three public exhibitions based on research findings. Thematic analysis of the data resulted in findings suggesting that building citizens know what a COS means to them, and existing barriers and enablers within the evolv1 building toward achieving this. In addition, participants recognized the impact of specific green building features on their own personal values and practices related to sustainability, including the influence of sustainability symbolism within the building environment. Participants also shared specific recommendations for further promoting and growing a COS at evolv1. Findings are discussed in relation to and expansion of Cole (2014)’s Teaching Green Building Model for Learning, providing early insights into the degree to which evolv1 may or may not presently embody key aspects of a Teaching Green Building. This study deepens understandings of how researchers and building citizens can support the emergence of cultures of sustainability within green buildings and related environments, with key takeaways that can be usefully applied to other settings, and both theoretical and practical implications. Research findings encourage action toward supporting engaged, citizen-led COS, for more sustainable futures.

Keywords

• Culture of sustainability
• Climate change
• Green buildings
• Climate solutions
• Sustainability
• Action research