An idea that is currently attracting an increasing number of supporters within sustainable architecture is the belief that technology should be as passive as possible and, as a counterpart to this, residents should be actively involved in its use and management, especially as regards the overseeing of its energy, water and waste. Consequently, here, the foundations we propose for constructing a sustainable building are: i) passive design; ii) efficient resource monitoring and control and iii) the sustainable behaviour of the occupants, where sustainability is a lesson that has to be learnt and acquired through practice rather than via abstract theory. The main argument underpinning our conception of sustainable buildings as “schools of sustainability” is that sustainable practices are more of a cultural than a techno-scientific or political problem. Here, these design principles, as well as the pedagogic and philosophical foundations of this holistic approach, are analysed and discussed.