Twentieth-century modernism attempted a radical reinvention of architectural design somewhat hesitantly at first, joining forces in forging a highly rational, functionalist, purportedly style-free vocabulary. But in the end, as Postmodernists disavowed its maxim “form follows function” aesthetic, Modernism, too, became a style, a design option rather than a mandate. Theories of sustainability fit within American values by aligning their concepts with the pulses of the time. Consequently bromides operating by themselves are bounded by the period of their invention. Instead of taking them at face value, eco-designers will need to add to their profundity by investigating there relationship to present day environmental sciences.