What is green building design? It is an attempt to design a building to minimize the impacts on the environment and improve the health of people. Thoughtful building design can minimize the effect on the environment by reducing the amount of energy spent constructing and operating the building throughout its lifecycle. To accomplish these goals, building designers can choose from a wide variety of techniques, practices and materials developed over the past several decades.
A green building design typically includes sustainable materials. Those materials may be locally available or recyclable. Materials that are non-toxic, renewable or reusable are also often included. The orientation of the building on the site is often an important choice. Thoughtful orientation to take advantage of, or avoid, specific local conditions, such as sun or wind, can pay dividends over time in energy saved.
The specific techniques and methods of construction chosen by the building designer can minimize the impact of the construction process on the environment. Use of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power may be part of green building design. High efficiency water, waste and energy systems can reduce both the energy required, and environmental impact of the design over the lifetime of the building.
The number of green buildings is expected to increase in spite of the global economic downturn. An increasing number of government initiatives and growing public demand are fueling the growth. The public now prefers and even expects products and services, and even companies to be "green."
Even countries such as Malaysia, Mexico, Britain, South Africa, India, Israel, Canada and others have sustainable building design initiatives. Each of these countries has considered, explored, recommended or implemented green building standards or initiatives.
Dozens of green building standards currently exist due to the public demand for everything green. The best known of these standards was created by the US Green Building Council, and is called LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The problem is that there is no national standard yet.
The lack of a strong national green building standard has led to some problems. Some buildings that claim to be green are in fact not green at all. Some companies feel they cannot compete without a claim to one standard or the other. In the worst cases, the issue of sustainable or green practices and materials has never even been considered, much less implemented.
The future of green building design and practices looks bright. Many believe this trend will only grow. Some say these green design and building practices will become much less discretionary and much more the industry standard. We're not yet there, but every indication is that we're moving quickly in that direction.
A green building design typically includes sustainable materials. Those materials may be locally available or recyclable. Materials that are non-toxic, renewable or reusable are also often included. The orientation of the building on the site is often an important choice. Thoughtful orientation to take advantage of, or avoid, specific local conditions, such as sun or wind, can pay dividends over time in energy saved.
The specific techniques and methods of construction chosen by the building designer can minimize the impact of the construction process on the environment. Use of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power may be part of green building design. High efficiency water, waste and energy systems can reduce both the energy required, and environmental impact of the design over the lifetime of the building.
The number of green buildings is expected to increase in spite of the global economic downturn. An increasing number of government initiatives and growing public demand are fueling the growth. The public now prefers and even expects products and services, and even companies to be "green."
Even countries such as Malaysia, Mexico, Britain, South Africa, India, Israel, Canada and others have sustainable building design initiatives. Each of these countries has considered, explored, recommended or implemented green building standards or initiatives.
Dozens of green building standards currently exist due to the public demand for everything green. The best known of these standards was created by the US Green Building Council, and is called LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The problem is that there is no national standard yet.
The lack of a strong national green building standard has led to some problems. Some buildings that claim to be green are in fact not green at all. Some companies feel they cannot compete without a claim to one standard or the other. In the worst cases, the issue of sustainable or green practices and materials has never even been considered, much less implemented.
The future of green building design and practices looks bright. Many believe this trend will only grow. Some say these green design and building practices will become much less discretionary and much more the industry standard. We're not yet there, but every indication is that we're moving quickly in that direction.
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