It seems like it definitely could or should be. If you look at the architectural side with guys like Ludwig Mies van der Rohes’ “less is more’ approach,” you can see how minimalist design could be considered sustainable in a way. If designs aren’t over designed then usually less materials will be used. Often when designers get caught up in artsy or ornate detailing in their design these things end up costing way more than other aspects of the project and also end up more often than not being built out of crazy materials. There are a lot of buildings around Las Vegas considered Green or sustainable and are actually clad in “natural”, rusted steel which is not sustainable at all unless you see it on This Old House where it was harvested from some old farming equipment on site. Anyway, even though design terms like sustainable and green are still way too ambiguous, in my opinion it is a fair stretch to say that less is more minimalism is a sustainable approach.
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