Green Architecture: A Sustainable Solution to the Construction Sector's Environmental Challenges
Green architecture offers a sustainable solution to the environmental challenges faced by the construction sector, incorporating energy-efficient designs, resource conservation, and environmentally conscious practices to minimize the industry's ecological footprint.
PHOTO: Carles Rabada on Unsplash
While essential for human development, the construction sector poses significant global environmental challenges that demand urgent attention. The construction industry's extensive use of energy, water, and raw materials, coupled with its contribution to pollution and waste generation, has profound implications for global environmental sustainability.
Amidst all these environmental problems caused by construction, green architecture has emerged as a vital concept in promoting sustainability. It seeks to create buildings and structures that harmoniously coexist with their surroundings, utilizing renewable energy sources, optimizing energy efficiency, and employing eco-friendly materials. By embracing sustainable principles, green architecture plays a pivotal role in fostering a more sustainable future.
Principles of Green Architecture
The principles of Green Architecture focus on minimizing harm to the surrounding ecosystems, conserving natural resources, and creating healthy and livable spaces for humans.
Energy Efficiency
PHOTO: Bullitt Center / ArchDaily
Green architecture principles encompass a range of strategies aimed at promoting energy efficiency. These strategies involve the implementation of designs that minimize energy consumption, including the utilization of alternative and sustainable energy sources like wind and solar power.
The Bullitt Center in Seattle, United States, is known as the world's greenest commercial building. It exemplifies energy efficiency through its net-zero energy generation, passive design, efficient HVAC systems, rainwater harvesting, and sustainable materials.
Water Efficiency
The Edge, Amsterdam / PHOTO: PLP Architecture
Green architecture also believes in promoting the efficient utilization of water resources. This principle of green architecture ensures that water is harvested, utilized, purified, and recycled throughout the construction process.
The EDGE Eastside, a green office building in Amsterdam, utilizes a closed-loop system that collects, treats, and recirculates greywater for toilet flushing and landscape irrigation, minimizing its reliance on municipal water sources.
Land Use Efficiency
Nanjing Vertical Forest / PHOTO: Stefano Boeri Architteti / ArchDaily
Additionally, it believes in land use efficiency. It involves architectural designs that promote appropriate site development while considering the preservation of the surrounding environment and the reuse of locally available materials.
The Nanjing Vertical Forest in China showcases land efficiency by incorporating lush vertical greenery and terraced gardens within a compact urban footprint.
Sustainable Design
1 Angel Square / PHOTO: Daniel Hopkinson / ArchDaily
Another fundamental principle of green architecture is to employ sustainable designs that minimize environmental impacts. Specifically, this principle focuses on preventing site degradation during construction, managing urban sprawl, utilizing resources judiciously, and constructing energy-efficient buildings to reduce overall environmental impacts.
The One Angel Square building in Manchester, UK, is a notable instance of sustainable design with its natural ventilation system, rainwater harvesting, and use of renewable energy sources.
Material Efficiency
Effective management and utilization of construction materials are also significant concerns in green architecture. To address this, green architecture plays a vital role in implementing proper construction techniques. Material efficiency is a key principle of green architecture that focuses on creating designs that promote sustainable construction by optimizing construction processes.
The Earthship Biotecture community in Taos, New Mexico, demonstrates material efficiency by constructing homes from recycled and locally sourced materials, reducing waste and minimizing environmental impact.
Waste Reduction
Green architectural designs provide convenient methods for reducing the amount of waste generated by building occupants. This is achieved through the integration of on-site solutions such as compost bins and eco-friendly waste management systems.
The Binishell Dome Homes in Italy showcase waste reduction by utilizing a unique construction technique that repurposes air-inflated concrete shells, reducing the need for traditional formwork and generating minimal waste during the building process.
Renewable Energy
Another core principle of green architecture is the incorporation of renewable energy sources. This principle emphasizes the integration of renewable energy technologies as an integral part of architectural design or as strongly recommended features. Examples of such technologies include wind power, solar energy, and biogas.
The Apple Park located in Cupertino, California, incorporates solar panels on its roof and carports to harness solar energy, contributing to its renewable energy sources and reducing its carbon footprint.
Another example is BillionBricks, headquartered in Singapore and present in the Philippines, designs net-zero homes that are equipped with integrated solar panels. These solar panels produce electricity through sunlight, which is a clean and sustainable energy source. With the electricity generated from solar panels, BillionBricks net-zero homes are designed to produce more energy than they consume, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, saving money, and supporting a more sustainable future.
Green Building Certification and Standards
In recent years, there has been a growing global emphasis on sustainability and environmental responsibility in the construction industry. Green building certification and standards have emerged as crucial frameworks that promote environmentally friendly practices, energy efficiency, and the reduction of carbon footprints. These certifications and standards serve as beacons guiding architects, developers, and policymakers toward sustainable building practices.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
Bank of America Tower / PHOTO: David Sundberg / Esto / ArchDaily
One popular certification is the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). It is a green building certification program established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Its purpose is to validate that buildings meet defined sustainability standards, including energy efficiency, water conservation, and reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. The certification level is determined by the accumulation of points, with higher scores resulting in Platinum, Gold, Silver, or Certified ratings. LEED certification can be granted to both new construction projects and building renovations.
The Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park in New York City holds LEED Platinum certification, showcasing its commitment to sustainable design and construction through features like efficient lighting, water conservation, and use of recycled materials.
BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method)
Bloomberg's European HQ / PHOTO: Nigel Young / ArchDaily
Another certification is the BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method), which was introduced by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) in 1990. It is applicable to both new construction projects and building renovations. BREEAM evaluates the environmental impact of buildings across nine categories, considering not only the design and construction aspects but also the procurement and operation processes. The assessment enables benchmarking and comparison of environmental performance against similar buildings, resulting in ratings such as Outstanding, Excellent, Very Good, Good, Pass, and Unclassified.
The Bloomberg European Headquarters in London has achieved a BREEAM Outstanding certification, highlighting its exemplary sustainability features including energy-efficient design, innovative water management, and high-performance building materials.
EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies)
Bosco Verticale / PHOTO: Paolo Rosselli / ArchDaily
We also have EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies). The EDGE certification was created by the International Finance Corporation (IFC). It promotes resource-efficient design and construction practices in emerging markets. It assesses energy, water, and materials used in the building process.
Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest) residential towers in Milan, Italy, have achieved EDGE certification due to their energy-efficient features and innovative sustainable design, including vegetation-covered balconies that enhance insulation and reduce energy consumption.
Green building certification and standards play a vital role in promoting sustainable construction practices and mitigating the environmental impact of buildings. By embracing green building certification and adhering to recognized standards, we can create a built environment that not only meets our present needs but also ensures a sustainable and resilient future.
Why We Should Embrace Green Architecture
Embracing green architecture is imperative in our pursuit of a sustainable and resilient future. By prioritizing energy efficiency, resource conservation, and environmentally conscious design, green architecture reduces the carbon footprint of buildings and houses, minimizes waste generation, and promotes the health and well-being of occupants. Furthermore, green buildings contribute to mitigating climate change and result in long-term cost savings through reduced energy and water usage.
At BillionBricks, our mission is to build a net-zero future and make sustainability accessible to all. One of our sustainability efforts is building net-zero homes and communities that integrate renewable energy resources such as solar power.
If you want to learn more about BillionBricks and our net zero homes, visit billionbricks.org or contact us at hello@billionbricks.org.
Sources
Conserve Energy Future. (n.d.). Green Architecture: Materials Used and Principles of Green Architecture. Retrieved from https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/materials-used-and-principles-green-architecture.php
Britannica. (n.d.). Principles of building green. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/art/architectural-rendering
USGBC. (n.d.). LEED rating system. Retrieved from https://www.usgbc.org/leed
BRE group. (n.d.). How BREEAM works. https://bregroup.com/products/breeam/how-breeam-works/?_its=JTdCJTIydmlkJTIyJTNBJTIyNWRmZTQwYTItNjA5My00MTgwLWE0NWQtYjFiM2FhZDQ0ZjUwJTIyJTJDJTIyc3RhdGUlMjIlM0ElMjJybHR%2BMTY4OTMxNzM5Mn5sYW5kfjJfNzc4NzNfc2VvXzU2NDY1ZmIyMWI0NzQ1YjczMmI5ODk4YWI0ZGFiZTlkJTIyJTJDJTIyc2l0ZUlkJTIyJTNBOTgwMCU3RA%3D%3D
EDGE buildings. (n.d.). EDGE Building. Retrieved from https://edgebuildings.com
