Green Architecture and the Environment

According to a “go green” blog named 2B Green World Website-LEED Consultants, “buildings represent over 50% of US wealth; $800 billion is the amount of renovation and new construction in the United States, buildings account for 1/6 of the worlds freshwater withdrawals, ¼ of its wood harvest and 2/5 of its material and energy flow” (Go Green Facts 1).These figures represent the disadvantages of a world without green building. Throughout this report the focus is on LEED certification and accreditation, and the impact LEED has on several different service firms. The report begins with background information about the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED, and LEED

This manifesto proposes an approach to sustainable design that I am interested in exploring during my time studying architecture. The idea of sustainability is a complex one, not without apparent contradictions. This makes it difficult to define in a wholly satisfactory manner. For the purposes of this manifesto I will advert to the definition proposed by Jason McLennan who asserts that sustainable design: “seeks to maximize the quality of the built environment, while minimizing or eliminating negative impact to the natural environment.” I find this definition particularly useful in the emphasis which it places on quality. By quality, in this

Designing a home for yourself can be an exciting thing. However, it is critical to consider what is important to put in the design. Most people will take everything the standard way and not even contemplate taking the extra time in the building and design process. However, doing this can save them time, money, and hassle later. So, to save yourself some trouble, you should put in the extra thought now and design the home you will want later. With this in mind, you should consider what will make your home sustainable. A sustainable home is a home that uses less resources and gives more. A sustainable home will reduce its impact in the environment. Also, a sustainable home is usually built with materials that are made to last for a long time, so they will not need to be replaced often. Have I sold you on sustainable homes? Well here are some ideas for you to ponder; a rain / grey water collecting system, a solar panel or two, a rooftop water tank, and a garden.

Sustainable Architecture - a broad concept and has meaning. But there are also simple to understand, overview and detail at the factors that make sustainability. What material

Green Buildings can help the earth in so many ways. Being certified means that you build more environmentally friendly, which means that building green friendly can reduce the negative effect buildings and operations have on the environment. Also green building greatly decreases the chances of fire, explosions, spills or splashes. Building green also reduces health problems such as allergies.

We can give any room in your home a green remodel. Green remodeling means conserving resources, and being energy efficient. We do this by reusing or repurposing materials instead of buying everything new. We also ensure that the room is as energy efficient as possible, and most importantly of all, we ensure the environment is healthy. During a green remodel, harmful chemicals are kept out, alternative, healthier methods are used. To learn more about this type or remodeling and all of our other services visit out website at

Green buildings could become one of the main factors to preserve our rapidly decaying environment. There is no easy way to define a green building, but a green building is essentially a structure that amplifies the positives and mitigates the negatives throughout the entire life cycle of the building (Kriss, 2014). There are many definitions for a green building, but all of them include the planning, designing, constructing, and operating of the building while taking into huge considerations of the energy use, water use, indoor air environment, materials used and the effect it has on the site the green building is being built on. The first green buildings dates back to as far as the 1970’s, when solar panels went from experiments to reality. Green buildings were not as popular as they are today due to their extremely high pricing. With technology rapidly growing, solar panels are becoming cheaper and cheaper, making the transition to creating green buildings more affordable. This is the primary reason for the increased growth of green buildings today. A modern company that is paving the way to the growth of green buildings named LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, focuses primarily on new and effective ideas for environmentally friendly buildings projects. With more than 60,000 commercial projects worldwide and 1.7 million square feet being certified every day, LEED is one of the leading groups for promoting green buildings. LEED has popularized the entire

I plan to change America through sustainable architecture, because it helps maintain our environment clean and healthy. Through sustainable architecture you can take advantage of a site through its climate and it surrounding resources. By using solar power you use natural resources cleanly and help against greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the use of fossil fuels. Using solar power could also reduce cost by about 50%. Burning fossil fuels harms the environment because it releases Carbon dioxide which pollutes the air and could cause lung cancer. By changing the orientation of a building and its windows you could also save energy. The orientation of a structure should be from East to West, because you will gain more heat in the winter and

Going green is a phrase that has swept America back and forth multiple times over the past few decades. No matter where one is to go, a person is likely to see something that contributes to the environment. This could be anything from community cleanup programs, to designated bins for trash and recyclables. Even the way buildings are made contribute to the topic of going green. One reason why industries take up the theme of going green is to the fact that there is money to be made. Minimizing waste in construction and manufacturing help companies to save money.

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. Do something great. Donate your time to recycling. We hear it all the time to save our environment through recycling. What we do not hear too often is that there is potential for the costs of recycling to outweigh the perceived benefits. More specifically one way to recycle is through the process of greywater recycling. “Greywater is household waste water from all household plumbing fixtures except toilets and garbage disposals, which is considered black water” (The Natural Home Building Source). This includes water from bathing, bathroom sinks, and laundry that doesn’t include dirty diapers (Curry 2010). The relevance of this topic derives from the fact that everyone within this world needs water, but it turns out the supply of freshwater is effectively reduced by pollution and contamination (Coleridge).

Sustainability, according to Landlearn NSW Website: ‘Sustainability could be defined as an ability or capacity of something to be maintained or to sustain itself. It’s about taking what we need to live now, without jeopardising the potential for people in the future to meet their needs’. Sustainability in design can be defined as to living in a way of reducing negative impacts onto the environment and

Producing guidelines, standards and codes such as Building Code of Australia, Green Star ratings and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) ratings for new building and refurbishment projects is a good method to encourage, identify and implement sustainability in construction. In the past, sustainable construction meant traditional approaches to construction was more complex and extensive and less profits in projects to adopt sustainability products and processes. Sustainable construction however should be seen although complex, incorporates aspects of economic efficiency, environmental performance and social responsibility with the aim to meet the needs of today without compromising future’s needs (Lafarge Holcim Foundation

Water is an essential compound for survival. It is vital because every organism depends on it for various reasons. As humans, we depend on it for health, hygiene, and to nourish the environment. However, the misuse of water has profoundly affected water supply in many states. An immense amount of drinking water is wasted daily. Since more than half of the water supply is used for agriculture, an excessive amount of drinking water is wasted on crops. There is a misuse of water in agriculture because farmers are not educated about sustainable farming, which is damaging the freshwater ecosystems, drying bodies of water, and causing cities to face a shrinkage in water supply.

In the book Building Green Skyscrapers by Mary Reid, the solution that would be more effective to solve the problems that skyscrapers create is the Hearst Tower in New York City because this tower saves water and steel. First, the Hearst Tower saves water and also reuses it at the same time. It is used as a cooling system and for watering the plants. In the text, it states “The waterfall cools and adds moisture and freshness to the dry indoor air. The water comes from rainwater that the Hearst Tower collects on the roof” (Reid 20). This proves that this building is very eco-friendly and that it can help people save water. Next, the Hearst Tower saves steel, because they used the steel that they recycled to build the buildings. In the text,

In this part, government attitude and policies are focused on, as well as advanced technologies are considered. Finally, this paper also turn to highlight the relevant field in China and what availability would suit for China, especially focus on what recommendations be suggested to local authorities in order to guide the whole society to aware the importance of green building and accelerate the development of this industry.