Sustainability is a way of being on the land. A way that honors the property, your body, and your wallet.
To me sustainability creates a place that can be enjoyed over a long period of time- this means it does not tax your financial savings to operate a structure, it does not create negative health implications for your body, it does not impose any negative environmental effects on any other areas to source materials, and it does not steal resources from our future generations. Translated into architecture:
energy efficient building techniques that save operational costs of a building: insulation, wall materials…
energy saving systems: HVAC, solar, ground source heating…
healthy indoor air quality: no VOC finishes, air scrubbers,
site design: walkable neighborhood, car charging,