Sustainability must be considered in real estate development. Anything ugly and old can be turned into something beautiful and new, but there’s no point in keeping everything old.
Estonians seem to believe in recycling. This reflects our peasant origin as well as our Protestant cultural background that values austerity and disapproves of excessive spending. Austerity is like the chorus in our attitudes and habits, which all generations come to in their own way.
This was boosted by the economy of deficit in the Soviet times. In those days, finding something you needed in the shops when you needed it tended to be an exception rather than a rule. This made larders and sheds essential for households.
After being back on the market economy for three decades, we’ve once again come to austerity. However, there are increasingly more people who’ve understood that new things come to those who don’t hang on to the old too much. Thus, people in Estonia and elsewhere in the world aren’t just trying to hang on to old items and living environments for as long as possible, but to sort out everything that’s really valuable and stylish. By combining this with things that are new, comfortable and cleaner, we get the kind of living environment where our lives can be the healthiest and most efficient.
