This publication, with its website (http://www.sorryoutofgas.org), is part of a continuum of topical environmental and energy-related issues that the CCA has engaged and actively addressed for some years. Taking its title from the familiar signs at gas stations throughout North America in 1973, the book was conceived as an almanac; the themes, projects, and people were selected not only for their importance to the history of architecture, but also for their continued relevance. In this respect, the book could also be considered a homage to all the architects, engineers, craftsmen, and thinkers who invested their skills and ingenuity in finding answers to the problems the 1973 oil crisis presented. The texts in Sorry, Out of Gas constitute an overview of the architectural innovation spurred by the 1973 oil crisis, when the value of oil increased exponentially and triggered economic, political, and social upheaval across the world. The book examines how architecture and urbanism responded to this new reality. In contrast to the era's sense of austerity, it was a time of significant developments and intense experimentation in the field of architecture, combining investigations from diverse fields, including the development and applications of both active and passive solar technologies, experiments with earth shelter building, improvements in insulation and construction materials, advances in wind power technology, and the design of "integrated systems" to manage energy sources in larger contexts. The publication includes a specifically commissioned story by the British illustrator Harriet Russell entitled "An Endangered Species," which humorously introduces the book's subject to a broader audience of young readers. While influential at the time, much of the innovative work of architects, engineers, and activist groups of the period was forgotten once financial markets and energy distribution systems adjusted, and political focus diminished. A closer look at their solutions, projects, and experiments reveals much that can be applied to the challenges of today's world.

Giovanna Borasi is an architect, editor, and curator. She joined the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA) in 2005 and has been the director of the CCA since January 2020. Borasi’s work explores alternative ways of practicing and evaluating architecture, considering the impact of contemporary environmental, political, and social issues on urbanism and the built environment. She studied architecture at the Politecnico di Milano, worked as an editor of Lotus International (1998–2005) and Lotus Navigator (2000–04) and was the deputy editor in chief of Abitare (2011–13). One of Borasi’s latest curatorial projects is a three-part documentary film series that reconsiders architecture’s relationship to and understanding of home and homelessness, living alone, and the elderly. The first film What It Takes to Make a Home (2019) screened at film festivals and institutions worldwide.

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Mirko Zardini (born 1955) is the current Director and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA) in Montreal, Quebec.

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