You’ve probably noticed that green is everywhere in this day and age – in the news, politics, technology and even fashion. Going green isn’t just about helping to preserve equatorial rain forests, it can also mean saving your money, improving your health, and ultimately, improving your overall quality of life. All that and you can save plants, animals as well as the environment around you. That is why so many people that begin to think of green building.
Green building (also known as green construction or sustainable building) refers to the building project that would allow you to preserve most of the natural environment around the project site while still being able to make a building which is going to serve a purpose. In other words, a green building is a building that, in its design, construction or operation, uses energy, water, and other resources more efficiently, lessen the building’s impact on the climate and the natural environment, leaving a smaller carbon footprint or improving employee productivity. A green building preserves precious natural resources for the future generations and improves our quality of life.
In fact, more local governments and states are taking action to incorporate green building techniques and practices into their planning as a foundation for resource efficiency, sustainable development, and a green economy. According to the University of Delaware’s Center for Energy and Environmental Policy, seventeen states have adopted legislation to promote green design and construction.
There are various features which can make a green building. These include:
- Efficient use of energy, water, and other resources
- Use of non-toxic, ethical and sustainable materials
- Pollution and waste reduction measures, and the enabling of re-use and recycling
- Use of renewable energy, such as wind energy, solar energy
- Good indoor environmental air quality
- Consideration of the natural environment in design, construction, and operation
- A design that enables adaptation to a changing environment
- Consideration of the quality of the occupants’ life in design, construction, and operation
A home, an office, a hospital, a school, a community center, or any other type of structure can be a green building as long as it includes features listed above.
However, not all green buildings are the same. Different regions and countries have various characteristics such as unique cultures and traditions, distinctive climatic conditions or wide-ranging economic, social and environmental priorities – all of which shape their approach to green building.
In this guide, you will find a lot of links to helpful resources about green building. Feel free to review the following information to learn more.
What is Green Building?
Green Building | US EPA – Useful web page which provides all basic information involving green building.
Green Building Background | Indiana University Bloomington – Overview of green building and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). And the reason why commit to LEED and green building.
What is green building? | U.S. Green Building Council – Informative page with a definition and information on green building.
Importance Of Green Building | Green Built Alliance – Information on why green building is an important part of the environment and economy.
Green Building Tips – You will find a lot of helpful information and tips about green building in this page.
Green Building Types – Every green building type has a different design and efficiency needs depending on its function. And the EPA provides helpful tools for the certain building types. Click on the link to learn more.
Ways to make a building green | World Green Building Council – Check this useful page to explore ways to make a building green.
Green building – Inside, you can find a number of downloadable materials that are related to the green building including green building case study, Infographic, report.
Infographic: USGBC’s Green Building Economic Impact Report – Check the infographic below to get a quick briefing on the report’s findings.
Infographic by usgbc.org
Benefits of Green Building
The Benefits of Building Green | UMass Lowell (PDF) – Information for the public providing facts on why green building is important.
Green Building Facts – Useful page which present facts on why green building is important to our environment.
Does Green Building Create Value? (PDF) – You will find a lot of studies, data, and research that show the real benefits of building green.
Green Building Materials
Green building materials | Green Building Solutions – Check this page to discover green building materials that will help you learn more about sustainable ideas and resources for your green project.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) – You will learn how LCA can help to navigate the claims and confidently pick the best green-building materials.
Green Building Materials Resources – A resourceful page which lists many factors about how the material is produced and disposed of that can be important to consider.
All about green building materials – Check the link to learn more about different types of eco-friendly blocks, blocks, and other building materials.
Green Building Practices
What are Green Building Practices? | Town of Hilton Head – You will learn the definition of green building practices and many techniques that can lower operating costs and use fewer natural resources.
Guiding principles of green building practices – Helpful article with five principles of green building practices.
Sustainable Design, Planning and Green Building Practices – Informative page with some of the principles and challenges involved in sustainable architecture.
Green building practices (Video) – In this video, you will learn the concept of green building practices. It also explains how green building strategies may be used by local governments to design and build healthy, cost-efficient and environmentally friendly living and working environments.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
What is LEED– Inside, you will find how LEED works, explore current LEED projects and learn why green buildings matter for economic growth.
The Value of Green Building LEED Valuation Phase I Report (PDF) – Initial research, summarized in this report provides a lot of data, research and the value and valuation of green building.
Guide to LEED Certification – This page contains helpful links to all information on LEED Certification such as LEED certification fees, LEED Certification deadlines.
Green house plans – Benefits of LEED certification – Article which lists several key benefits of green building.
LEED Cost Analysis Summary (PDF) – Web page which provides information on the cost of obtaining LEED Certification.
LEED Online Training | Green-Buildings.com – Online LEED training courses for continuing education and test preparation.
Green Building Websites
The Environmental Protection Agency’s website is all about eco-friendly. Bookmark the site to stay up-to-date on the latest issues in the environmental industry and learn more about green building, energy conservation and many more.
Founded in 2001, the Green Built Alliance is a nonprofit organization with the mission of advancing sustainability in the built environment through sustainability programs, education, and advocacy. The Green Built Alliance has a long record of success in educating and transforming the building industry throughout the western region of North Carolina.
In the site’s blog, you can also find a lot of advice and tips on green living and energy conservation.
This website, which contains all information on green building, is the great source for people who are building new homes and those who are remodeling.
Tree Hugger provides helpful guides, advice, and solutions for green living along with the latest green news.
If you want to learn more about sustainable building, the PlayHaven Farm’s website is really the great resource for you since it contains lots of great information on sustainable building as well as sustainable farming.
This organization focuses on keeping people informed about global environmental concerns and solutions. It provides educational sessions and grants for educators about green living including water and energy efficiency and environmental quality.
I hope that this information has been helpful for you to learn more about green building and how important it is for improving our quality of life. Feel free to bookmark this page, share this on your own website, or tell others about this information.