Designing of buildings in the age of the Anthropocene: Is environmental sustainability the answer?

This systematic review examines 87 academic papers that were published from 2014 to 2024, which provide a critical analysis of environmental sustainability in the arena of Anthropocene architecture. The research ties to development from green building metrics based in technology to a holistic approach by regenerative, context-responsive and post-humanist design principles. There are still traditional programs such as LEED and BREEAM that have an important role, but they face challenges in terms of their inflexibility and inequity, which has birthed the birth of regenerative architecture and circular design and localism. The review identifies five key sustainability strategies that focus on renewable materials, net zero design, smart systems, urban-scale planning, and local-global hybrid models, allowing a greater array of sustainability tasks that go beyond buildings. Post-sustainability frameworks promote co-evolution between the human race and the environment, question the existing dominant design norms, and promote incorporation of numerous species. One realizes that the convergence of theory is overtaken by regulatory barriers, limitation of technology and epistemological barriers to practical sustainability. The body of work reveals an urgent call for development of architectural methodologies, which needs to move from addressing mere reduction of harm to ecological restoration, as well as resilience and culturally inclusive design