GE ELECTIVE 2-MODULE 1

GREEN ARCHITECTURE

GREEN ARCHITECTURE • Green building involves consideration in four

main areas: site development, material
• Green architecture, or green design, is an
selection and minimization, energy efficiency,
approach to building that minimizes harmful
and indoor air quality.
effects on human health and the environment.
• Consider site development to reduce the impact
• The "green" architect or designer attempts to of development on the natural environment. For
safeguard air, water, and earth by choosing example, orient the buildings to take advantage of
eco-friendly building materials and solar access, shading and wind patterns that will
construction practices. lessen heating and cooling loads.
• Carefully select materials that are durable,
COMMON CHARACTERISTICS OF A "GREEN" BUILDING contain recycled content, and are locally
manufactured to reduce negative environmental
Green architecture may have many of these features: impacts.
• Ventilation systems designed for efficient • Incorporate energy-efficient design into buildings
heating and cooling to create an efficient and comfortable
• Energy-efficient lighting and appliances environment. Take advantage of the natural
• Water-saving plumbing fixtures elements and technologies to conserve resources
• Landscapes planned to maximize passive solar and increase occupant comfort/productivity while
energy lowering long-term operational costs and
• Minimal harm to the natural habitat pollutants.
• Alternate power sources such as solar power or • Design for high indoor air quality to promote
wind power occupant health and productivity.
• Non-synthetic, non-toxic materials used inside • Minimize the waste in construction and
and out demolition processes by recovering materials and
• Locally-obtained woods and stone, eliminating reusing or recycling those.
long-haul transportation
• Responsibly-harvested woods BUILDING DESIGN
• Adaptive reuse of older buildings • It should be the way of doing the business of
• Use of recycled architectural salvage creating a built environment. NIBS suggests
• Efficient use of space that these systems must be understood,
• Optimal location on the land, maximizing evaluated, and appropriately applied:
sunlight, winds, and natural sheltering • accessibility
• While most green buildings do not have all of • aesthetics
these features, the highest goal of green • cost-effectiveness
architecture is to be fully sustainable. • functional or operational
• Simply put, you do "green" things in order to • historic preservation
achieve sustainability • productivity (comfort and health of the
occupants)
RELATED NAMES AND CONCEPTS: • security and safety
• sustainable development • sustainability
• eco-design
• eco-friendly architecture
• earth-friendly architecture THE 2030 CHALLENGE
• environmental architecture • Climate change will not destroy the Earth. The
• natural architecture planet will go on for millions of years, long
after human life has expired. Climate change,
however, will destroy the species of life on
CONSIDERATION FOR GREEN BUILDING
 GE ELECTIVE 2-MODULE 1
GREEN ARCHITECTURE

Earth that cannot adapt fast enough to new OTHER BENEFITS

conditions.
ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF GREEN BUILDING:
• The building trades have collectively
recognized its role in contributing to the • Reduce operating costs
greenhouse gases put into the atmosphere. For • Improve occupant productivity
example, the manufacturing of cement, the • Enhance asset value and profits
basic ingredient in concrete, is reportedly one • Optimize life-cycle economic performance
of the largest global contributors to carbon SOCIAL BENEFITS OF GREEN BUILDING:
dioxide emissions. From poor designs to
construction materials, the industry is • Enhance occupant health and comfort
challenged to change its ways. • Improve indoor air quality
• Architect Edward Mazria has taken the lead to • Minimize strain on local utility infrastructure
transform the building industry from a major • Improve overall quality of life
polluter to an agent of change. He has
suspended his own architectural practice to THE CONCEPT OF GREEN BUILDING:
concentrate on the nonprofit organization he
established in 2002. The goal set for • concentrates mainly on two points:
Architecture 2030 is simply this: "All new • Increasing the efficiency with which buildings
buildings, developments, and major use energy, water and materials
renovations shall be carbon-neutral by 2030." • Reducing building impacts of human health
and the environment, through better site
GREEN BUILDINGS selection, design, construction, operation,
• What is green building? Green building, or maintenance, and removal throughout the
sustainable design, is the practice of increasing complete life cycle.
the efficiency with which buildings and their • Going Green in Building constructions avails us
sites use energy, water, and materials, and of many Environmental, Economical as well as
reducing impacts on human health and the Social benefits.
environment for the entire lifecycle of a
building. HISTORY AND COMPONENTS OF GREEN BUILDING

• Green-building concepts extend beyond the • The increase of fuel costs in 1970’s along with
walls of buildings and include site planning, the concern for environment kindled the
community and land-use planning issues as awareness and encouragement towards Green
well. Why is green building important? The Buildings.
growth and development of our communities • Architects and ecologists started looking for
has a large impact on our natural environment. solutions like reflective roofing materials,
triple-glazed windows to achieve energy
• The manufacturing, design, construction and savings. But with the decrease of fuel prices,
operation of the buildings in which we live and the Green movement was slowed down and
work are responsible for the consumption of did not receive much encouragement.
many of our natural resources. • It was later in early 90’s that the movement got
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS OF GREEN BUILDING kick start and awareness began to spread
about need for sustainable buildings.
• Enhance and protect biodiversity and • An official Green home building program
ecosystems started in Austin, Texas in 1991. The movement
• Improve air and water quality has gradually gained momentum since then
• Reduce waste streams and we can now find significant changes in the
• Conserve and restore natural resources newer buildings.
 GE ELECTIVE 2-MODULE 1
GREEN ARCHITECTURE

5 BASIC PRINCIPLES OF GREEN BUILDING 4. CONSERVATION OF RESOURCES AND REUSE OF

MATERIALS
1. SUSTAINABLE SITE DESIGN
a key aspect of creating eco-friendly and • using environmentally friendly materials that
efficient buildings. It focuses on reducing the are renewable, recyclable, or made from
environmental impact of construction and recycled content. It also means sourcing
operation. materials locally to reduce transportation
emissions and support the local economy.
5 FACTORS Incorporating the principles of green
SITE SELECTION architecture into materials selection ensures
LAND USE that sustainability is at the forefront of the
WATER MANAGEMENT design and construction process.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
FACTORS
MATERIAL SELECTION
SUSTAINABLE MATERIAL OPTIONS
LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
4 TRENDS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
PARKING LAYOUT
GREEN SPACE
5. INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
ALTERNATE MOBILITY
STORM WATER MANAGEMENT • focuses on the well-being and comfort of the
building’s occupants.
2. WATER CONSERVATION AND QUALITY
- can reduce water consumption without • It involves creating a healthy indoor
sacrificing comfort or functionality environment
-involves implementing sustainable water • promote physical health and improve
management practices such as collecting productivity, morale, and overall satisfaction
rainwater, using low-flow fixtures, and recycling for those who spend time in the building
greywater for non-potable purposes.
FACTORS
FACTORS AIR QUALITY
WATER CONSERVING FIXTURES NATURAL LIGHT AND VIEWS
GREYWATER RECYCLING SYSTEM THERMAL COMFORT
LANDSCAPING DESIGN

3. ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT

-designing and constructing buildings requiring

less energy while meeting the occupants’
needs
-Utilizing renewable energy sources, such as
solar or wind power, is a popular way to
achieve this principle

FACTORS
BUILDING ENVELOPE
LIGHTING DESIGN
HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEMS