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WHAT IS GREEN DESIGN.

Design and construction practices that significantly reduce or eliminate

the negative impact of buildings on the environment and occupants in

five broad areas:

Sustainable site planning

Safeguarding water and water efficiency

Energy efficiency and renewable energy

Conservation of materials and resources

Indoor environmental quality

Reduced maintenance/replacement costs over the life of the building

Materials for green buildings

Green concrete

Green Concrete as the name suggests is eco friendly and saves the

environment by using waste products generated by industries in various

forms like rice husk, ash, micro silicates. to make resource-saving concrete

structures .Use of green concrete helps in saving energy, emissions, waste

water Green concrete is very often also cheap to produce as it uses waste

products directly as a partial substitute for cement, thus saving energyconsumption in production of per unit of cement. Over and above all green

concrete has greater strength and durability than the normal concrete

Green Building Materials

Green building materials offer specific benefits to the building owner and building

occupants:

Reduced maintenance/replacement costs over the life of the building

Energy conservation

Improved occupant health and productivity

Lower costs associated with changing space configurations

Greater design flexibility

Building and construction activities worldwide consume 3 billion tons of raw

materials each year or 40% of total global use . Using green building materials

and products promotes conservation of dwindling nonrenewable resources

internationally. Green building materials are composed of renewable, rather than


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nonrenewable resources. Green materials are environmentally responsible

because impacts are considered over the life of the product . (Renewable

resources such as solar energy, wind, hydropower, and geothermal energy have

many benefits. These resources can reduce carbon dioxide emission, water

consumption, and waste. Clean air is vital on this planet because it can reduce

human health problems such as asthma (children are at a higher risk) and lung

disease. Renewable resources can also lead to environment sustainability

because these resources will not be depleted and stimulate the economy by

creating more job opportunities.)In addition, integrating green building materials

into building projects can help reduce the environmental impacts associated with

the extraction, transport, processing, fabrication, installation, reuse, recycling,

and disposal of these building industry source materials.

Depending upon project-specific goals, an assessment of green materials may

involve an evaluation of one or more of the criteria listed below.

Green building material/product selection criteria

Overall material/product selection criteria:

Resource efficiency

Indoor air quality Energy efficiency

Water conservation

Affordability

Resource Efficiency can be accomplished by utilizing materials that meet the

following criteria:

Recycled Content: Products with identifiable recycled content, including

postindustrial content with a preference for post consumer content.

1. Fly ash, slag cement, and silica fume are industrial by-products that areused as a partial replacement for portland cement in concrete. Thesesupplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) are pre-consumermaterials.

2. Recycled material or recycled concrete can be used as aggregates inconcrete.

3.Spent solvents, used oils, tires, and medical waste are used as fuel inmany cement plants. Industrial byproducts are used as ingredients formanufacturing portland cement.


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Natural, plentiful or renewable: Materials harvested from sustainably

managed sources and preferably have an independent certification and

are certified by an independent third party.

Resource efficient manufacturing process: Products manufactured

with resource-efficient processes including reducing energy consumption,

minimizing waste (recycled, recyclable and or source reduced product

packaging), and reducing greenhouse gases.

Locally available: Building materials, components, and systems found

locally or regionally saving energy and resources in transportation to the

project site.

Salvaged, refurbished, or remanufactured: Includes saving a materialfrom disposal and renovating, repairing, restoring, or generally improving

the appearance, performance, quality, functionality, or value of a product.

Reusable or recyclable: Select materials that can be easily dismantled

and reused or recycled at the end of their useful life.

Recycled or recyclable product packaging: Products enclosed in

recycled content or recyclable packaging.

Durable: Materials that are longer lasting or are comparable to

conventional products with long life expectancies.

Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is enhanced by utilizing materials that meet the

following criteria:

Low or non-toxic: Materials that emit few or no carcinogens,

reproductive toxicants, or irritants as demonstrated by the manufacturer

through appropriate testing.

Minimal chemical emissions: Products that have minimal emissions of

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). Products that also maximize

resource and energy efficiency while reducing chemical emissions.

Low-VOC assembly: Materials installed with minimal VOC-producingcompounds, or no-VOC mechanical attachment methods and minimalhazards. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are organic chemicals that have a highvapor pressure at ordinary, room-temperature conditions. Their high vapor pressure results

from a low boiling point, which causes large numbers of molecules to evaporate or sublimate

from the liquid or solid form of the compound and enter the surrounding air. An example is

formaldehyde, with a boiling point of19 C (2 F), slowly exiting paint and getting into

the air.
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Many VOCs are dangerous to human health or cause harm to the environment. VOCs are

numerous, varied, and ubiquitous. They include both man-made and naturally occurring

chemical compounds. VOCs play an important role in communication between plants.[1]

Anthropogenic VOCs are regulated by law, especially indoors, where concentrations are the

highest. VOCs are typically not acutely toxic, but instead have compounding long-term

health effects. Because the concentrations are usually low and the symptoms slow to develop,research into VOCs and their effects is difficult.

Moisture resistant: Products and systems that resist moisture or inhibit

the growth of biological contaminants in buildings.

Healthfully maintained: Materials, components, and systems that

require only simple, non-toxic, or low-VOC methods of cleaning.

Systems or equipment: Products that promote healthy IAQ by

identifying indoor air pollutants or enhancing the air quality.

Materials, components, and systems that help reduce energy consumption in

buildings and facilities. Energy Efficiency can be maximized by utilizing materials

and systems that meet the following criteria:

Water Conservation can be obtained by utilizing materials and systems that

meet the following criteria:

Products and systems that help reduce water consumption in buildings

and conserve water in landscaped areas. (See Green Building Basics formore 0information.)

Affordability can be considered when building product life-cycle costs are

comparable to conventional materials or as a whole, are within a project-defined

percentage of the overall budget.
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Lately, the construction of green homes has become increasingly prosperous.

The building materials used in this case are eco-friendly and have little impact

on the environment.

For constructing a house, a large variety of construction materials are needed,such as bricks, wood, cement, lime, etc. Not only are trees being cut down every

year, but in the process of obtaining construction materials harmful substances

are being released into the atmosphere.

Using green building materials would reduce the emission of harmful substances

into the atmosphere.

Following materials are considered eco-friendly: Recycled products, Long lastingproducts, Products which can be found in nature and represent renewable

resources, Products which generate little or no pollution.

During construction it is best to use less polluting materials, which shouldnt hold

in their composition too many harmful chemicals. A more elaborate thinking is

expected from every architect, because the choices which he makes are crucial,

as they affect the shape, aesthetics and the structure of the green home, not to

mention the costs.


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Below you will find some suggestions of green materials, which can be used in

the construction of green homes:

Medium-density Fiberboards for the outside, to protect the house against cold

winters, hot summers and wind; it provides additional insulation, prevents

moisture from penetrating the layers of insulation and behaves as an isolated

layer.

Fiberboards for indoor use have a high capacity of absorbing and afterwards

releasing moisture, keeping the entire structure of the house dry.

Natural paints for interior and exterior walls. In the past, binders used for

natural paint were made of bones, starch or leather, but nowadays, we use

methylcellulose which has a higher quality and is less polluting.

Reinforced Concrete with natural or artificial fibers, lightweight aggregate

concrete, eco-friendly cement with a reduced carbon percentage of 40%. Fiber-

reinforced concrete (FRC) isconcretecontaining fibrous material which increases its structural

integrity. It contains short discretefibersthat are uniformly distributed and randomly oriented. Fibers

include steel fibers,glass fibers,synthetic fibersandnatural fibers. Within these different fibers that

character of fiber-reinforced concrete changes with varying concretes, fiber materials, geometries,

distribution, orientation and densities.

Recycled building materials, such as nonwoven geotextiles and cotton and

polyester for insulation
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The latest construction materials are aerogel (a porous solid with the lowest bulk

density, which delivers outstanding performance in the field of insulation) andelectrochromic and thermochromic windows

Using solar power for generating heat and electricity are of major importance in

the construction of green homes. The use of solar panels is already widespread

and will continue to expand in the near future. Photovoltaic solar panels produce

energy without fuel consumption. Energy is stored in batteries and can be used

at night or later on. The only disadvantage of using photovoltaic systems is that

photovoltaic panels require convenient location. Wind energy represents also a

green alternative, when it comes to generating electricity. It is used extensively

today which has developed rapidly over the past few years. The problem is that

the wind turbines must be placed in locations constantly high wind speed.
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INTRODUCTION:-Huge variety of components are used in buildings, which

include bricks, cement, aggregates, steel, aluminium, wood, cladding and

partitioning materials, electrical and sanitary items, coatings, etc.Building

materials account for 65-75 % of the total cost of construction.Wood alone

shares about 12-15% cost of a house. Thus as per the new housing and habitat

policy 1998, around Rs. 312 to 450 crores would be required every year for

timber alone.But due to the depleting forest wealth of the country and its effects

on environment, Government of India has taken steps to conserve its forest

wealth. Another problem is the existing buildings are responsible for more than

40% of the worlds total primary energy consumption and for 24% of global

carbon dioxide emissions.( The International Energy Agency ) It is, therefore,necessary to think over this problem seriously to provide some sustainable and

economical solutions to make the alternative cost effective building materials

available to the people with housing problem, without effecting the environment

and at low cost.

What Does green Building mean

Green Building is a fairly broad concept, but the core ideas of green buildingentail the following:


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Environmentally Friendly

So, what does it mean that a building is environmentally friendly? It simply

means two things; constructing the building is safe for the surrounding

environment and will not significantly interfere with the wild life, its patterns of

daily life, and that it will not negatively affect the natural environment. Nearby,

It also means that building is constructed from environmentally friendly

materials that are available locally and that the construction process is well

designed to reduce the unnecessary pollution and negative effects on `the

environment. Another important feature of a green building is its design aimed

at providing comfortable and safe environment for the human occupants. It

means that building will be pleasant and safe for people to be inEfficient use of Resources

In green building practices, efficient use of resources means using 1) water

saving taps and plumbing elements, 2) energy efficient lighting units and passive

solar design. It also involves, the use of energy efficient building materials aimed

to attain highly energy efficient building envelope with well insulated walls(The

latest construction materials are aerogel (a porous solid with the lowest bulk

density, which delivers outstanding performance in the field of insulation) and

electrochromic and thermochromic windows)

, floors and ceilings. A well insulated building envelope will helps keepingbuilding cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Reduced energyconsumption provides financial benefits for the building owners and helps reducethe carbon monoxide footprint of the building on the environment. Reconstitutedwood, fiber composites in inorganic and polymer matrices, MDF boards,polymer sheets etc. are finding increasing uses in buildings. Cement bonded fibrereinforced boards are gaining momentum in the area of doors, windows, cladding,

partitioning, false ceiling applications in buildings

Designed for health and wellbeing of the building occupants.

Another important feature of a green building is its design aimed at providing

comfortable and safe environment for the human occupants. It means that

building will be pleasant and safe for people to be in. It could contain the

elements of intuitive floor plans, spacious and well lit hallways, fresh-air

circulation and monitoring units, dampness and temperature controls. Use of

Human safe materials and pleasant architectural design that provides

psychological and physiological benefits for human occupants.


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Green Building Benefits

The most fundamental benefit of Green Building is that it is

environmentally friendly and safe for people occupying the building. A well

designed and constructed green building is well integrated into the

environment in which it is built and does not detract from it. It is pleasant

and safe for people who use the building on a daily basis. Its aesthetic

appeal of carefully designed and well integrated architectural features,

such as efficient use of space, intuitive layouts and [pleasant lighting

offers psychological benefits to people. While, elements such as clean air

monitoring and circulating systems, handicap access, clean water and

other elements make it safe and beneficial to human health.Another important benefit of Green Building is Energy Efficiency, which results in

reduced energy consumption for AC and Heating needs. It may feature elements

like effective use of natural lighting, cool roof and wall panels, and green energy

generating systems all aimed reducing energy consumption, which results in

cleaner environment and direct cost savings to the building owners.

Green Building Materials

Sustainability and environmental friendliness are two key requirements to green

building materials. Many green building materials also offer energy efficiency

benefits. For instance, use of metal in residential and commercial construction is

considered environmentally friendly because metal is recyclable and long lasting

building material that also offers excellent solar reflective benefits making it an

energy efficient choice for roofing and wall panels when constructing a building

envelope.

Bamboo is another green building material because it grows quickly and thus can

be easily sustained. Specially grown Cedar can be considered sustainable

building material when its grown locally and cut in a sustainable manner that will

ensure future growth and availability.

Green Energy Generation Systems


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Energy Generating systems are considered to be the most expensive elements of

a green building design, but the initial cost of this type of investment is justified

when calculated for future energy savings for the building owner. It is also

environmentally sound choice that not only results in free energy, but also earns

LEED / green building credits to the building owner.

Two most commonly used green energy generating are solar and wind electricity

generating systems:

Solar Power System

The use of solar energy in green building can provide free electricity for the

building owners. Solar panels can be installed on the roof top of the building

where the solar energy will be converted to electricity.

Wind Turbine Energy

Another way to generate electricity is through the use of wind energy. Wind

turbine can be set up in pathway of winds, which can provide significant amount

of free electricity for the building owners.

Green Building Guide to Costs and Prices

Without a doubt, building green is initially pricier than the cost of conventional

construction, but from a long term perspective integrating green building

elements will result in energy savings and longer lasting building that will pay for

the difference in initial investment and then some.

Year 2009, also offers financial benefits and incentives that will make green

building technology more affordable for homeowners and commercial buildings.

Homeowners can greatly benefit from the use of green building technology in

new home construction and for the existing homes. In fact, there are quite a few

green building elements that homeowners of existing homes can benefit from:

Use of energy efficient windows and blinds


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Replacing existing windows with energy efficient ones will increase the existing

insulation level / R-value of your home, which will help keep your rooms warmer

in the winter and cooler in the summer. This will also translate into energy

savings and better and cleaner environment.

Installing mini window blinds or other horizontal blind treatments will further

help maintain the home's temperature and can easily be adjusted to maximize

the use of natural light.

Insulating Walls, floors, and ceilings in your home

A well insulated home can help save well over fifty percent on your heating bill in

the winter, and lower your cooling bill in the summer. A well insulated building

will not leak warmer air out or allow cooler air in the winter, and will provide for

similar effect in the summer. Not only will well insulated walls and ceilings help

you save money by reducing your energy bill, but it can also help the longevity

of your home. In fact one of the most frequent damages to homes in the winter

are ice dam formation, and one of the easiest ways to prevent ice dam build up

is to have a well insulated attic, which will keep it cool and prevent the melting

of the snow on your roof.

Cool Roofing and Solar Panels

Another great way to make your home more energy efficient is by replacing or

upgrading your existing roof with energy efficient roof such as metal or cool flat

roofing membrane for lower slope roofs. Not only can you keep your home

cooler and safer with a longer lasting metal roof, but you can further integrate it

withgreen solar roofingpanels that would convert solar energy to free electricity

for your home.

In modern construction, a thoughtful integration of Green Building technology

can make a tremendous difference in an overall appeal of a newly constructed

building. Green Building helps preserve the external environment and provides

great benefits to Humans through the use of environmentally safe and energy

efficient building materials, efficient use of natural resources, human safety,

wellbeing and health and wellness considerations
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Building Materials Directory of links

This directory provides Building Materials Manufacturers information, and lists

building material suppliers in the U.S and Canada and World-wide. Companies

are listed by the specific location where they offer building matetrials,

conservatories, orangeries, home building kits and additions. contracting

services. Building Material links provided under the state categories will take you

to a web-site of a particular building materials supply company.

Building Materials and Construction Equipment suppliers

Browse Building Materials Suppliers Directory of galvanized sheets, hot dip

galvanized steel,galvanized pipesandstreet polesat Tradekey.com.
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Green Building Supply Directory:

www.GreenBuildingSupply.com- Offers natural and non-toxic building materials

that are certified, safe, environmentally friendly and sustainable.

www.EnvironmentalHomeCenter.com - Offers Green Building materials and

sustainable home improvement products.

www.EcoHomeMagazine.com - Offers Green Building Industry news, Green

Home information and guides for homeowners.

www.GreenDepot.com - Offers Green Building products and supplies including

paint and finishes, lighting and green household products.

Sustainable Building Materials Directory

www.EcoHaus.com- Sells green building materials, sustainable heating, cooling,

and lighting, green flooring, eco baths. Contains online building product catalog

with 1 800 number to order. Also, has two store locations; Portland, Oregon,

and Seattle, Washington.

Wholesale Glass Blocks Directory

Wholesale Glass Blocks- For over 30 years Quality Glass Block has worked with

homeowners and builders alike in order to increase energy efficiency through

ideal insulation. We are capable of assisting in large-scale projects as well as

with customized requirements.

Building Materials Information & Resources

www.eBuild.com - Directory of building materials, construction tools

and building products for homebuilders and remodelers.
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Building Materials : Conservatories and Orangeries :

United kingdom

Industrial Lubricants - Offers machinery fuel and industrial machinery

and plant lubricants in the UK.

Country Hardwood Conservatories - Custom designed hardwood

conservatories, garden rooms, swimming pool enclosures and

orangeries from Country Hardwood conservatory experts.

Low-rise Residence

Industrialized Production System of GBS Building

1. Light Weight

The weight of GBS building equals to 1/4 of traditional concrete building, so the

load-bearing requirement of foundation is much lowered to reduce the cost, and

the overall project cost of GBS building is generally the same with that of

traditional building.

2. Short Construction Period

The construction period of our house is approximately equivalent to 1/3 that of

traditional house, the shorter construction period can not only quicken capital

flow and lower risk, but also improve investment efficiency.

3. Environment-friendly Building

Organized site construction process limits the construction pollution on the

environment. The steel structure part in the house can be recycled 100%, and

other materials can also be recycled mostly.4. Great Earthquake Resistance and Wind Load

The flexible structure is made of steel beam and stud can absorb partial seismic

shock and defend 8 degree earthquake, suitable for the buildings along the coast

or in the seismic zone.

5. Thin Wall

All the pipes can be laid through the wall and floor to increase the building usage

space dramatically, which is at least 10% more than traditional building.

6. Industrialized Manufacture
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All the components in GBS building system can be produced according

to standardizing process so as to keep stable and solid quality, which could help

the development of house industrialization.

7. Complete Dry Construction

All the components are connected by high intensity screws, the construction

period will not be influenced by seasons.

8. GBS Structure and Relative Enclosure System

GBS system ensures better building performance than traditional building in

terms of thermal insulation and acoustic control .

9. Convenient Installation

Labor cost can be decreased and components maintainance will be more

convenient.

Reducing environmental impact

Green building practices aim to reduce the environmental impact of buildings,and the very first rule is, do not build in sprawl (spreading in disordered

fashion). No matter how much grass you put on your roof, no matter how many

energy-efficient windows, etc., you use, if you build in sprawl, you've just

defeated your purpose. Buildings account for a large amount of land. According

to the National Resources Inventory, approximately 107 million acres (430,000

km2) of land in the United States are developed. The International Energy

Agency released a publication that estimated that existing buildings are

responsible for more than 40% of the worlds total primary energy consumption

and for 24% of global carbon dioxide emissions.[5]

[edit] Goals of green building
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the Blu Homes mkSolaire, a green building designed byMichelle Kaufmann.

The concept of sustainable development can be traced to the energy (especially

fossil oil) crisis and the environment pollution concern in the 1970s.[6]The green

building movement in the U.S. originated from the need and desire for more

energy efficient and environmentally friendly construction practices. There are a

number of motives to building green, including environmental, economic, and

social benefits. However, modern sustainability initiatives call for an integrated

and synergistic design to both new construction and in the retrofitting of an

existing structure. Also known as sustainable design, this approach integrates

the building life-cycle with each green practice employed with a design-purposeto create a synergy (cooperation of two or more things to produce a combine

effect greater than the sum of their separate effect) amongst the practices used.

Green building brings together a vast array (collections) of practices and

techniques to reduce and ultimately eliminate the impacts of buildings on the

environment and human health. It often emphasizes taking advantage of

renewable resources, e.g., using sunlight through passive solar, active solar, and

photovoltaic techniques and using plants and trees through green roofs, rain

gardens, and for reduction of rainwater run-off. Many other techniques, such as

using packed gravel or permeable concrete instead of conventional concrete or

asphalt to enhance replenishment of ground water, are used as well.

While the practices, or technologies, employed in green building are constantly

evolving and may differ from region to region, there are fundamental principles

that persist from which the method is derived: Siting and Structure Design

Efficiency, Energy Efficiency, Water Efficiency, Materials Efficiency, Indoor

Environmental Quality Enhancement,Operations and Maintenance Optimization,

and Waste and Toxics Reduction.[7][8] The essence of green building is an

optimization of one or more of these principles. Also, with the proper synergistic

design, individual green building technologies may work together to produce a

greater cumulative effect.

On the aesthetic side of green architecture or sustainable design is the

philosophy of designing a building that is in harmony with the natural features
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and resources surrounding the site. There are several key steps in designing

sustainable buildings: specify 'green' building materials from local sources,

reduce loads, optimize systems, and generate on-site renewable energy.

[edit] Life cycle assessment (LCA)

Alife cycle assessment(LCA) can help avoid a narrow outlook on environmental,

social and economic concerns[9]by assessing a full range of impacts associated

with all the stages of a process from cradle-to-grave (i.e., from extraction of raw

materials through materials processing, manufacture, distribution, use, repair

and maintenance, and disposal or recycling). Impacts taken into account include

(among others) embodied energy, global warming potential, resource use, air

pollution, water pollution, and waste.

In terms of green building, the last few years have seen a shift away from a

prescriptive approach, which assumes that certain prescribed practices are

better for the environment, toward the scientific evaluation of actual

performance through LCA.

Although LCA is widely recognized as the best way to evaluate the

environmental impacts of buildings (ISO 14040 provides a recognized LCA

methodology), it is not yet a consistent requirement of green building rating

systems and codes, despite the fact that embodied energy and other life cycle

impacts are critical to the design of environmentally responsible buildings.

In North America, LCA is rewarded to some extent in the Green Globes rating

system, and is part of the new American National Standard based on Green

Globes, ANSI/GBI 01-2010: Green Building Protocol for Commercial Buildings.LCA is also included as a pilot credit in the LEED system, though a decision has

not been made as to whether it will be incorporated fully into the next major

revision. The state of California also included LCA as a voluntary measure in its

2010 draft Green Building Standards Code.

Although LCA is often perceived as overly complex and time consuming for

regular use by design professionals, research organizations such as BRE in the
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UK and the Athena Sustainable Materials Institute in North America are working

to make it more accessible.

In the UK, the BRE Green Guide to Specifications offers ratings for 1,500

building materials based on LCA.

In North America, the ATHENA EcoCalculator for Assemblies provides LCA

results for several hundred common building assembles based on data

generated by its more complex parent software, the ATHENA Impact Estimator

for Buildings. (The EcoCalculator is available free at www.athenasmi.org.)

Athena software tools are especially useful early in the design process when

material choices have far-reaching implications for overall environmental impact.

They allow designers to experiment with different material mixes to achieve the

most effective combination.

A more product-oriented tool is the BEES (Building for Environmental and

Economic Sustainability) software,[10] which combines environmental measures

with economic indicators to provide a final rating. Particularly useful at the

specification and procurement stage of a project, BEES 4.0 includes data on 230

products (including generic and manufacturer brands) such as siding andsheathing.

[edit] Siting and structure design efficiency

See also:Sustainable design

The foundation of any construction project is rooted in the concept and design

stages. The concept stage, in fact, is one of the major steps in a project life

cycle, as it has the largest impact on cost and performance.

[11]

In designingenvironmentally optimal buildings, the objective is to minimize the total

environmental impact associated with all life-cycle stages of the building project.

However, building as a process is not as streamlined as an industrial process,

and varies from one building to the other, never repeating itself identically. In

addition, buildings are much more complex products, composed of a multitude of

materials and components each constituting various design variables to be

decided at the design stage. A variation of every design variable may affect the

environment during all the building's relevant life-cycle stages.[12]
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[edit] Energy efficiency

Main articles:Low-energy houseandZero-energy building

An eco-house atFindhorn Ecovillagewith a turf roof andsolar panels

Green buildings often include measures to reduce energy consumption both

the embodied energy required to extract, process, transport and install building

materials and operating energy to provide services such as heating and power

for equipment.

As high-performance buildings use less operating energy, embodied energy has

assumed much greater importance and may make up as much as 30% of the

overall life cycle energy consumption. Studies such as the U.S. LCI Database

Project [13]show buildings built primarily with wood will have a lower embodied

energy than those built primarily with brick, concrete or steel.[14]

To reduce operating energy use, high-efficiency windows and insulation in walls,

ceilings, and floors increase the efficiency of the building envelope, (the barrier

between conditioned and unconditioned space). Another strategy, passive solar

building design, is often implemented in low-energy homes. Designers orient

windows and walls and place awnings, porches, and trees[15]

to shade windowsand roofs during the summer while maximizing solar gain in the winter. In

addition, effective window placement (daylighting) can provide more natural

light and lessen the need for electric lighting during the day.Solar water heating

further reduces energy costs.

Onsite generation ofrenewable energythroughsolar power,wind power,hydro

power, or biomass can significantly reduce the environmental impact of the
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building. Power generation is generally the most expensive feature to add to a

building.

[edit] Water efficiency

See also:Water conservation

Reducing water consumption and protecting water quality are key objectives in

sustainable building. One critical issue of water consumption is that in many

areas, the demands on the supplying aquifer exceed its ability to replenish itself.

To the maximum extent feasible, facilities should increase their dependence on

water that is collected, used, purified, and reused on-site. The protection and

conservation of water throughout the life of a building may be accomplished by

designing for dual plumbing that recycles water in toilet flushing Dual

flushtoiletshandle solid and liquid waste differently from standard American style toilets, giving the

user a choice of flushes. It's an interactive toilet design that helps conservewaterthat has caught onquickly in countries where water is in short supply, likeAustralia, and in areas where water supply and

treatment facilities are older or overtaxed. TheEnvironmental Protection Agency(EPA) reports that by

the year 2013, an estimated 36 states will experience water shortages as a result of increased water

usage and inefficient water management from aging regional infrastructures. Using less water to flush

liquid waste makes sense, but in the United States there may be cultural biases that make accepting

a more hands-on approach to personal waste harder to accept [source:Safe Plumbing].

For a time, toilets were called necessaries, one in a long line of euphemisms used to describe the

business end of handling a simple biological process. One problem is that bodily waste is a delicate

topic, so delicate that culture can be as much a factor in affecting change as necessity. Consider thewords: defecate, poop and pee. They're not accepted in polite conversation, are they? We keep our

bodily functions under wraps, so any changes in our approach to handling them can create culture

shock and resistance.

Imagine being in charge of a household that relied on the safe and familiar use of the family outhouse.

Now, consider the reaction you may have had when the outhouse moved indoors. Walking the privies,

another euphemism for going to the outhouse, might have seemed a more sanitary option than

moving personal waste management into your home, yet the bathroom still made its way inside.

Dual flush toilets may be another defining moment in the development of the American john: the

introduction of environmental conservation to the process of elimination. Interest in low flow and dual

flush toilets is on the rise in the United States, due in part to increased government regulation and the

rising cost of water, and there are incentives for making changes in the way we use the commode. In

the next sections, we'll see why change may be a good thing, learn more about the specifics of the

dual flush and find out how government and business are coming together to help America flush

responsibly.

Next up, let's take a closer look at the dual flush toilet's history and popularity around the world.

. Waste-water may be minimized by utilizing water conserving fixtures such as

ultra-low flush toilets and low-flow shower heads. Bidets help eliminate the use
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of toilet paper, reducing sewer traffic and increasing possibilities of re-using

water on-site. Point of use water treatment and heating improves both water

quality and energy efficiency while reducing the amount of water in circulation.

The use of non-sewage and greywaterfor on-site use such as site-irrigation will

minimize demands on the local aquifer.[16]

[edit] Materials efficiency

See also:Sustainable architecture

Building materials typically considered to be 'green' include lumber from forests

that have been certified to a third-party forest standard, rapidly renewable plant

materials like bamboo and straw, dimension stone, recycled stone, recycled

metal, and other products that are non-toxic, reusable, renewable, and/or

recyclable (e.g., Trass, Linoleum, sheep wool, panels made from paper flakes,

compressed earth block, adobe, baked earth, rammed earth, clay, vermiculite,

flax linen, sisal, seagrass, cork, expanded clay grains, coconut, wood fibre

plates, calcium sand stone, concrete (high and ultra high performance, roman

self-healing concrete[17]) , etc.[18][19]) The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)

also suggests using recycled industrial goods, such as coal combustion products,

foundry sand, and demolition debris in construction projects [20] Building

materials should be extracted and manufactured locally to the building site to

minimize the energy embedded in their transportation. Where possible, building

elements should be manufactured off-site and delivered to site, to maximise

benefits of off-site manufacture including minimising waste, maximising

recycling (because manufacture is in one location), high quality elements, better

OHS management, less noise and dust.

[edit] Indoor environmental quality enhancement

See also:Indoor Air Quality

The Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) category in LEED standards, one of the

five environmental categories, was created to provide comfort, well-being, and

productivity of occupants. The LEED IEQ category addresses design and

construction guidelines especially: indoor air quality (IAQ), thermal quality, and

lighting quality.[21]
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Indoor Air Quality seeks to reduce volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, and

other air impurities such as microbial contaminants. Buildings rely on a properly

designed ventilation system (passively/naturally- or mechanically-powered) to

provide adequate ventilation of cleaner air from outdoors or recirculated, filtered

air as well as isolated operations (kitchens, dry cleaners, etc.) from other

occupancies. During the design and construction process choosing construction

materials and interior finish products with zero or low VOC emissions will

improve IAQ. Most building materials and cleaning/maintenance products emit

gases, some of them toxic, such as many VOCs including formaldehyde. These

gases can have a detrimental impact on occupants' health, comfort, and

productivity. Avoiding these products will increase a building's IEQ. LEED [22],

HQE[23] and Green Star contain specifications on use of low-emitting interior.

Draft LEED 2012[24] is about to expand the scope of the involved products.

BREEAM[25]limits formaldehyde emissions, no other VOCs.

Also important to indoor air quality is the control of moisture accumulation

(dampness) leading to mold growth and the presence of bacteria and viruses as

well as dust mites and other organisms and microbiological concerns. Water

intrusion through a building's envelope or water condensing on cold surfaces on

the building's interior can enhance and sustain microbial growth. A well-insulated

and tightly-sealed envelope will reduce moisture problems but adequate

ventilation is also necessary to eliminate moisture from sources indoors including

human metabolic processes, cooking, bathing, cleaning, and other activities.

Personal temperature and airflow control over the HVAC system coupled with a

properly designed building envelope will also aid in increasing a building's

thermal quality. Creating a high performance luminous environment through the

careful integration of daylight and electrical light sources will improve on the

lighting quality and energy performance of a structure.[16][26]

Solid wood products, particularly flooring, are often specified in environments

where occupants are known to have allergies to dust or other particulates. Wood

itself is considered to be hypo-allergenic and its smooth surfaces prevent the

buildup of particles common in soft finishes like carpet. The Asthma and Allergy

Foundation of American recommends hardwood, vinyl, linoleum tile or slate
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flooring instead of carpet.[27] The use of wood products can also improve air

quality by absorbing or releasing moisture in the air to moderate humidity.[28]

Interactions among all the indoor components and the occupants together form

the processes that determine the indoor air quality. Extensive investigation of

such processes is the subject of indoor air scientific research and is well

documented in the journal Indoor Air, available at

http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0905-6947. An extensive

set of resources on indoor air quality is available at

http://www.buildingecology.com/iaq.[29]

[edit] Operations and maintenance optimization

No matter how sustainable a building may have been in its design and

construction, it can only remain so if it is operated responsibly and maintained

properly. Ensuring operations and maintenance(O&M) personnel are part of the

project's planning and development process will help retain the green criteria

designed at the onset of the project.[30] Every aspect of green building is

integrated into the O&M phase of a building's life. The addition of new green

technologies also falls on the O&M staff. Although the goal of waste reductionmay be applied during the design, construction and demolition phases of a

building's life-cycle, it is in the O&M phase that green practices such as recycling

and air quality enhancement take place.

[edit] Waste reduction

Green architecture also seeks to reduce waste of energy, water and materials

used during construction. For example, in California nearly 60% of the state'swaste comes from commercial buildings[31]During the construction phase, one

goal should be to reduce the amount of material going tolandfills. Well-designed

buildings also help reduce the amount of waste generated by the occupants as

well, by providing on-site solutions such ascompost binsto reduce matter going

to landfills.

To reduce the amount of wood that goes to landfill, the CO2 Neutral Alliance (a

coalition of government, NGOs and the forest industry) created the website
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dontwastewood.com. The site includes a variety of resources for regulators,

municipalities, developers, contractors, owner/operators and

individuals/homeowners looking for information on wood recycling.

When buildings reach the end of their useful life, they are typically demolished

and hauled to landfills. Deconstruction is a method of harvesting what is

commonly considered waste and reclaiming it into useful building material.[32]

Extending the useful life of a structure also reduces waste building materials

such as wood that are light and easy to work with make renovations easier.[33]

To reduce the impact onwellsor water treatment plants, several options exist.

"Greywater", wastewater from sources such as dishwashing or washing

machines, can be used for subsurface irrigation, or if treated, for non-potable

purposes, e.g., to flush toilets and wash cars. Rainwater collectors are used for

similar purposes.

Centralized wastewater treatment systems can be costly and use a lot of energy.

An alternative to this process is converting waste and wastewater into fertilizer,

which avoids these costs and shows other benefits. By collecting human waste at

the source and running it to a semi-centralizedbiogasplant with other biologicalwaste, liquid fertilizer can be produced. This concept was demonstrated by a

settlement in Lubeck Germany in the late 1990s. Practices like these provide soil

with organic nutrients and create carbon sinksthat remove carbon dioxide from

the atmosphere, offsettinggreenhouse gasemission. Producing artificialfertilizer

is also more costly in energy than this process.[34]

[edit] Cost and payoff

The most criticized issue about constructing environmentally friendly buildings is

the price. Photo-voltaics, new appliances, and modern technologies tend to cost

more money. Most green buildings cost a premium of


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higher worker or student productivity can be factored into savings and cost

deductions.

Studies have shown over a 20 year life period, some green buildings have

yielded $53 to $71 per square foot back on investment.[38] Confirming the

rentability of green building investments, further studies of the commercial real

estate market have found that LEED and Energy Star certified buildings achieve

significantly higher rents, sale prices and occupancy rates as well as lower

capitalization rates potentially reflecting lower investment risk.[39][40][41]

[edit] Regulation and operation

As a result of the increased interest in green building concepts and practices, a

number of organizations have developed standards, codes and rating systems

that let government regulators, building professionals and consumers embrace

green building with confidence. In some cases, codes are written so local

governments can adopt them as bylaws to reduce the local environmental

impact of buildings.

Green building rating systems such as BREEAM (United Kingdom), LEED (United

States and Canada), and CASBEE (Japan) help consumers determine a

structures level of environmental performance. They award credits for optional

building features that support green design in categories such as location and

maintenance of building site, conservation of water, energy, and building

materials, and occupant comfort and health. The number of credits generally

determines the level of achievement.[42]

Green building codes and standards, such as the International Code Councilsdraft International Green Construction Code,[43] are sets of rules created by

standards development organizations that establish minimum requirements for

elements of green building such as materials or heating and cooling.

Some of the major building environmental assessment tools currently in use

include:

Green building (also known as green construction or sustainable building)

refers to a structure and using process that is environmentally responsible and
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resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from siting to design,

construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition. This practice

expands and complements the classical building design concerns of economy,

utility, durability, and comfort.[1]

Although new technologies are constantly being developed to complement

current practices in creating greener structures, the common objective is that

green buildings are designed to reduce the overall impact of the built

environment on human health and the natural environment by:

Efficiently using energy, water, and other resources

Protecting occupant health and improving employee productivity

Reducing waste, pollution andenvironmental degradation[1]

A similar concept isnatural building, which is usually on a smaller scale and

tends to focus on the use ofnatural materialsthat are available locally.[2]Other

related topics includesustainable designandgreen architecture. Sustainability

may be defined as meeting the needs of present generations without

compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.[3]Green

building does not specifically address the issue of the retrofitting existing homes.

A 2009 report by the U.S. General Services Administration found 12 sustainably

designed buildings cost less to operate and have excellent energy performance.

In addition, occupants were more satisfied with the overall building than those in

typical commercial buildings.[4]
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passive solar building design, windows, walls, and floors are made to collect,

store, and distributesolar energyin the form of heat in the winter and reject

solar heat in the summer. This is called passive solar design or climatic designbecause, unlike activesolar heatingsystems, it doesn't involve the use of

mechanical and electrical devices.

The key to designing a passive solar building is to best take advantage of the

localclimate. Elements to be considered include window placement and glazing

type,thermal insulation,thermal mass, and shading. Passive solar design

techniques can be applied most easily to new buildings, but existing buildings

can be adapted or "retrofitted".

Active solar technologies are employed to convertsolar energyinto another

more useful form of energy. This would normally be a conversion to heat or

electrical energy. Inside a building this energy would be used for heating,

cooling, or off-setting other energy use or costs
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green building 1

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