Green Building
The process:
Green building is an environmentally responsible process that efficiently uses resources and lean production in order to minimize carbon emissions and damage towards the environment. This is a socially responsible practice that takes the effects of building into consideration. 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 and reducing waste, pollution and environmental degradation. Green building does not specifically address the issue of the retrofitting existing homes.
Building’s life-cycle:
The building life-cycle ranges from design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, to demolition. This practice expands and complements the classical building design concerns of economy, utility, durability, and comfort.
Natural building:
This is a similar concept which is usually on a smaller scale and tends to focus on the use of natural materials that are available locally. Green architecture and sustainable design are other related topics. Sustainability may be defined as meeting the needs of present generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
Green Building at CAC:
The new elementary building at the Cairo American College (CAC) in Egypt was designed while meeting the standards of triple bottom line sustainability, “An expanded spectrum of values and criteria for measuring organizational success: economic, environmental and social.” The school also uses appropriate technology and focuses on sustainable development. This is shown through sustainable building.
Objectives for sustainable buildings:
- resource efficiency
- energy efficiency
- pollution prevention (including indoor air quality and noise abatement)
- harmonization with the environment (including environmental assessment)
- Integrated and systemic approaches (including environmental management systems).
Video on sustainable buildings:
watch?v=nAMrtHC2Ev0&feature=player_embedded
Sources:
http://www.getloans.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/sustainable-building-design.jpg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAMrtHC2Ev0&feature=player_embedded