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In 2008 the 20% of the world population was consuming the 80% of the resources of the planet. At the same time, countries like India and China were aspiring to achieve the same consumption patterns. In particular, the building industry demands the 39% of primary energy and has the biggest impact on greenhouse gas emissions. This book provides an analysis of the development that architecture has encountered in the centuries, identifying 4 main categories, according to features like architectural composition, material use and energy requirements. The analysis focuses especially on the category of the active architectures, highlighting the transformation of housing from a pure architectonic composition process to a wider concept of sustainable energy producer. The development of smart grids, water management and biogas production are analysed as important tools for the development of architectures as diffuse small energy facilities and responsible resources consumers. The analysis should help to understand the links that architecture has with our economy and style of life, and should be especially useful to all those who are interested in sustainability

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Ivan Cusini was born in Italy in 1981. He studied Architecture and Design at Politecnico of Milan. In 2005 he was exchange student at QUT University of Brisbane, Australia. In 2007 he started his career in Den Haag, Holland, before becoming Environmental Engineer for Sustainable Infrastructures at the KTH University of Stockholm in 2010.

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