The question of how to give meaning to the concept of sustainability in architectural design\npractices is highly contested today. Although architects, engineers, clients, politicians, and others seem\nto agree that sustainability must be addressed, behind this apparent consensus many ambiguities,\ncontradictions, and open questions emerge. Opinions largely vary on how to define the sustainability\nchallenges that architectural design is to respond to, how to align the various stakeholders involved,\nwhich scales and elements to consider, and how to transform these questions into design strategies,\nspatial configurations, and materiality of buildings. These practices cannot be confined merely\nto technological problem-solving as they essentially mesh a range of cognitive, social, cultural,\nand material elements. This article draws on the interdisciplinary field of Science and Technology\nStudies (STS) to set out the transferable analytical framework of ââ?¬Ë?translationââ?¬â?¢ through which to\nexplain how the concept of sustainability is continuously transformed within contingent, complex,\nand dynamic architectural design practices as buildings materialize. The framework of translation is\nparticularly well adapted to unpack claims, make them more accountable, and thereby support the\nlarger project of sustainability.
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