This presentation demonstrates, through historical analysis, that architects have generally abandoned the social contract upon which our authority to practice is based. Some believe the new codes related to the concept of sustainability—primarily LEED and Green Globe—are an attempt to reconstruct the political foundation of architecture practice first articulated by the Illinois registration law of 1898. But these two codes compete fiercely for dominance because they are based upon very different social values and technological networks—a condition that is far more political than scientific.

    Learning objectives:

• Review the various proposals for sustainable, regenerative, or green technology as a historical critique of modern architecture production
• Compare and contrast the social and technical assumptions that lie behind the LEED and Green Globe rating systems
• Discuss the aesthetic, political, and environmental boundaries of architecture practice