Introduction to Green, High Performance Buildings

Lecture 3

Industry Response: Green, High Performance Buildings

What is Green Building? The creation and maintenance of a healthy built environment based on resource efficient and ecological principles.

Also referred to as High Performance buildings And sometimes referred to as Sustainable

Construction Architects refer to the process as Ecological Design or

Ecologically Sustainable Design.

Principles of Green Construction

1. Minimize resource consumption (Conserve)2. Maximize resource reuse (Reuse)3. Use renewable or recyclable resources

(Renew/Recycle)4. Protect the natural environment (Protect

nature)5. Create a healthy, non-toxic human

environment (Non-Toxics)6. Apply Life Cycle Cost Analysis (Economics)7. Pursue Quality in creating the built

environment (Quality)

The Process

Principles

ConserveReuseRenew/RecycleProtect NatureNon-ToxicsEconomicsQuality

Use

Phases

Planning

Development

Design

Deconstruction

Maintenance Operation

Energy Water Materials Land Biota

Resources

Green Buildings (1) Energy

Passive Design: energy, lighting, envelope (skin, windows, door)

Renewable energy: solar HW, PV High efficiency: lighting, HVAC, transformers,

appliances Water

Low flow fixtures, greywater, rainwater harvesting, reclaimed water

Indoor Environmental Quality Zero emission finishes, properly sized HVAC,

attention to details (moisture control)

Green Buildings (2)

Materials Zero emissions Deconstructable, DFE Renewable, Recyclable, Recycled Content,

Reused Landscaping

Native and adapted species, low water use Construction Process

Low waste, protection of natural environment Contracting Process

Based on performance

Greening Movement in Construction

The U.S. Green Building Council is the major US force in greening the built environment

LEED: U.S. Green Building Rating System NAHB chapters engaged in green building New Urbanism and Sustainable Architecture are

rapidly increasing in influence Green Materials are becoming more prevalent Energy efficiency is increasing Healthy interior environments are critical

The U.S. Green Building Council

www.usgbc.org

US Green Home Builder Programs

Greater Atlanta HBA

Sustainable Forestry

Thomas Fisher, Architectural Design, Charlottesville, VA

City Programs

Austin, Texas: A voluntary program that certifies green homes on a scale of one to four stars, with more stars being awarded to homes with more green features. The program also provides assistance to building professionals, such as architects, engineers, and builders, in exchange for offering and promoting green building practices.

Portland, Oregon: An integrated, conservation-based effort to promote resource-efficient building and sustainable site design practices throughout the City. Coordinating the expertise and resources of six City bureaus, this intiative sets aggressive goals and recommends a carefully selected set of strategies to leverage local expertise and develop cost-effective solutions for builders, developers, and building owners and users.

State Programs

Federal Government

National Park Service

Rocky Mountain Institute Building

Darmstadt Passivhaus

De Montefort University

ING Bank, Amsterdam

Raw Materials for an Earthship

Earthship under Construction

Shopping Center

Strip Mall

‘Green’ Building Materials

Hebel Block ACC

Truss Joist McMillan Engineered Lumber

Concluding Thoughts Green building is a recent phenomenon and

movement (1993 in the U.S.) The main proponent in the U.S. is the USGBC

which created the LEED standard There is a rapidly emerging demand and market

for green buildings and products and services that support this new direction for construction

Federal, state, and local governments are creating a good percentage of the demand.

The private sector is rapidly coming on board, especially software, telecommunications, and aircraft industries.