Abstract

" This paper reviews the image of sustainable architecture in Chile, with the aim of exploring the dialogue between local and global patterns. The methodology was based on an extensive review of buildings that have been published by the local architectural media under a ""sustainable"" or ""green"" label during the period 1996-2009, without trying to look for a particular concept of sustainable architecture. Forty nine buildings were identified and organized under three groups that reflect different images of sustainability: natural, cultural and technical images. The results show that, although most of the buildings reflect a technical image, an important number of them reflect a natural and cultural image. The technical image is mostly associated with corporative buildings located in urban; the cultural image is related to the idea of place and local traditions; while the natural image responds to natural landscapes and brings elements of nature to urban contexts. The conclusions stress out that there is no single image of sustainable architecture in Chile, but a rich scope of images that put emphasis on different factors that lead towards sustainability. The analysis of these images put forward elements of local identity that should not be kept aside when aiming for sustainability. "