green building

Green building
A sustainable building, or green building is an outcome of a design which
focuses on increasing the efficiency of resource use — energy, water, and materials
— while reducing building impacts on human health and the environment during the
building's lifecycle, through better siting, design, construction, operation,
maintenance, and removal.[1]

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 and environmental degradation[2]

A similar concept is natural building, which is usually on a smaller scale and tends
to focus on the use of natural materials that are available locally. Other commonly
used terms include sustainable design and green architecture.

The related concepts of sustainable development and sustainability are integral to

green building. Effective green building can lead to 1) reduced operating costs by
increasing productivity and using less energy and water, 2) improved public and
occupant health due to improved indoor air quality, and 3) reduced environmental
impacts by, for example, lessening storm water runoff and the heat island effect.
Practitioners of green building often seek to achieve not only ecological but
aesthetic harmony between a structure and its surrounding natural and built
environment, although the appearance and style of sustainable buildings is not
necessarily distinguishable from their less sustainable counterparts.

Reducing environmental impact

Green building practices aim to reduce the environmental impact of buildings.

Buildings account for a large amount of land use, energy and water consumption,
and air and atmosphere alteration. In the United States, more than 2,000,000 acres
(8,100 km2) of open space, wildlife SUPS habitat, and wetlands are developed each
year.

As of 2006, buildings used 40 percent of the total energy consumed in both the US
and European Union. In the US, 54 percent of that percentage was consumed by
residential buildings and 46 percent by commercial buildings. In 2002, buildings
used approximately 68 percent of the total electricity consumed in the United
States with 51 percent for residential use and 49 percent for commercial use.
38 percent of the total amount of carbon dioxide in the United States can be
attributed to buildings, 21 percent from homes and 17.5 percent from commercial
uses. Buildings account for 12.2 percent of the total amount of water consumed per
day in the United States.
green building
Considering these statistics, reducing the amount of natural resources buildings
consume and the amount of pollution given off is seen as crucial for future
sustainability, according to EPA.

The environmental impact of buildings is often underestimated, while the perceived

costs of green buildings are overestimated. A recent survey by the World Business
Council for Sustainable Development finds that green costs are overestimated by
300 percent, as key players in real estate and construction estimate the additional
cost at 17 percent above conventional construction, more than triple the true
average cost difference of about 5 percent.

Practices

Green building brings together a vast array 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 permiable concrete
instead of conventional concrete or asphalt to enhance replenishment of ground
water, are used as well. Effective green buildings are more than just a random
collection of environmental friendly technologies, however.[9] They require careful,
systemic attention to the full life cycle impacts of the resources embodied in the
building and to the resource consumption and pollution emissions over the
building's complete life cycle.

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 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.

Materials

Building materials typically considered to be 'green' include rapidly renewable plant

materials like bamboo (because bamboo grows quickly) and straw, lumber from
forests certified to be sustainably managed, ecology blocks, 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) , etc. The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) also
suggests using recycled industrial goods, such as coal combustion products,
foundry sand, and demolition debris in construction projects [13] Polyurethane
heavily reduces carbon emissions as well. Polyurethane blocks are being used
instead of CMTs by companies like American Insulock. Polyurethane blocks provide
more speed, less cost, and they are environmentally friendly. [14] Building materials
green building
should be extracted and manufactured locally to the building site to minimize the
energy embedded in their transportation.

Reduced energy use

Green buildings often include measures to reduce energy use. To increase the
efficiency of the building envelope, (the barrier between conditioned and
unconditioned space), they may use high-efficiency windows and insulation in walls,
ceilings, and floors. Another strategy, passive solar building design, is often
implemented in low-energy homes. Designers orient windows and walls and place
awnings, porches, and trees to shade windows and 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 loads.

Finally, onsite generation of renewable energy through solar power, wind power,
hydro power, or biomass can significantly reduce the environmental impact of the
building. Power generation is generally the most expensive feature to add to a
building.

Reduced waste

Green architecture also seeks to reduce waste of energy, water and materials used
during construction. For example, in California nearly 60% of the state's waste
comes from commercial buildings During the construction phase, one goal should
be to reduce the amount of material going to landfills. Well-designed buildings also
help reduce the amount of waste generated by the occupants as well, by providing
on-site solutions such as compost bins to reduce matter going to landfills.

To reduce the impact on wells or 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-centralized biogas plant with other biological waste,
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 sinks that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere,
offsetting greenhouse gas emission. Producing artificial fertilizer is also more costly
in energy than this process
green building

Sustainable (Green) Building

Green Building Basics
Buildings account for one-sixth of the world's fresh water withdrawals, one-quarter
of its wood harvest, and two-fifths of its material and energy flows (Roodman and
Lenssen, 1995). Building "green" is an opportunity to use our resources efficiently
while creating healthier buildings that improve human health, build a better
environment, and provide cost savings.

What Makes a Building Green?

A green building, also known as a sustainable building, is a structure that is

designed, built, renovated, operated, or reused in an ecological and resource-
efficient manner. Green buildings are designed to meet certain objectives such as
protecting occupant health; improving employee productivity; using energy, water,
and other resources more efficiently; and reducing the overall impact to the
environment.

What Are the Economic Benefits of Green Buildings?

A green building may cost more up front, but saves through lower operating costs
over the life of the building. The green building approach applies a project life cycle
cost analysis for determining the appropriate up-front expenditure. This analytical
method calculates costs over the useful life of the asset.

These and other cost savings can only be fully realized when they are incorporated
at the project's conceptual design phase with the assistance of an integrated team
of professionals. The integrated systems approach ensures that the building is
designed as one system rather than a collection of stand-alone systems.

Some benefits, such as improving occupant health, comfort, productivity, reducing

pollution and landfill waste are not easily quantified. Consequently, they are not
adequately considered in cost analysis. For this reason, consider setting aside a
green building
small portion of the building budget to cover differential costs associated with less
tangible green building benefits or to cover the cost of researching and analyzing
green building options.

Even with a tight budget, many green building measures can be incorporated with
minimal or zero increased up-front costs and they can yield enormous savings
(Environmental Building News, 1999).

What Are the Elements of Green Buildings?

Siting

• Start by selecting a site well suited to take advantage of mass transit.

• Protect and retain existing landscaping and natural features. Select plants
that have low water and pesticide needs, and generate minimum plant
trimmings. Use compost and mulches. This will save water and time.
• Recycled content paving materials, furnishings, and mulches help close the
recycling loop.

Energy Efficiency

Most buildings can reach energy efficiency levels far beyond California Title 24
standards, yet most only strive to meet the standard. It is reasonable to strive for
40 percent less energy than Title 24 standards. The following strategies contribute
to this goal.

• Passive design strategies can dramatically affect building energy

performance. These measures include building shape and orientation,
passive solar design, and the use of natural lighting.
• Develop strategies to provide natural lighting. Studies have shown that it has
a positive impact on productivity and well being.
• Install high-efficiency lighting systems with advanced lighting
controls. Include motion sensors tied to dimmable lighting controls. Task
lighting reduces general overhead light levels.
• Use a properly sized and energy-efficient heat/cooling system in conjunction
with a thermally efficient building shell. Maximize light colors for roofing and
wall finish materials; install high R-value wall and ceiling insulation; and use
minimal glass on east and west exposures.
• Minimize the electric loads from lighting, equipment, and appliances.
• Consider alternative energy sources such as photovoltaics and fuel cells that
are now available in new products and applications. Renewable energy
sources provide a great symbol of emerging technologies for the future.
• Computer modeling is an extremely useful tool in optimizing design of
electrical and mechanical systems and the building shell.

Materials Efficiency
green building
• Select sustainable construction materials and products by evaluating several
characteristics such as reused and recycled content, zero or low off gassing
of harmful air emissions, zero or low toxicity, sustainably harvested
materials, high recyclability, durability, longevity, and local production. Such
products promote resource conservation and efficiency. Using recycled-
content products also helps develop markets for recycled materials that are
being diverted from California's landfills, as mandated by the Integrated
Waste Management Act.
• Use dimensional planning and other material efficiency strategies. These
strategies reduce the amount of building materials needed and cut
construction costs. For example, design rooms on 4-foot multiples to
conform to standard-sized wallboard and plywood sheets.
• Reuse and recycle construction and demolition materials. For example, using
inert demolition materials as a base course for a parking lot keeps materials
out of landfills and costs less.
• Require plans for managing materials through deconstruction, demolition,
and construction.
• Design with adequate space to facilitate recycling collection and to
incorporate a solid waste management program that prevents waste
generation.

Water Efficiency

• Design for dual plumbing to use recycled water for toilet flushing or a gray
water system that recovers rainwater or other nonpotable water for site
irrigation.
• Minimize wastewater by using ultra low-flush toilets, low-flow shower heads,
and other water conserving fixtures.
• Use recirculating systems for centralized hot water distribution.
• Install point-of-use hot water heating systems for more distant locations.
• Use a water budget approach that schedules irrigation using the California
Irrigation Management Information System data for landscaping.
• Meter the landscape separately from buildings. Use micro-irrigation (which
excludes sprinklers and high-pressure sprayers) to supply water in nonturf
areas.
• Use state-of-the-art irrigation controllers and self-closing nozzles on hoses.

Occupant Health and Safety

Recent studies reveal that buildings with good overall environmental quality can
reduce the rate of respiratory disease, allergy, asthma, sick building symptoms, and
enhance worker performance. The potential financial benefits of improving indoor
environments exceed costs by a factor of 8 and 14 (Fisk and Rosenfeld, 1998).

Choose construction materials and interior finish products with zero or low
emissions to improve indoor air quality. Many building materials and
green building
cleaning/maintenance products emit toxic gases, such as volatile organic
compounds (VOC) and formaldehyde. These gases can have a detrimental impact
on occupants' health and productivity.

Provide adequate ventilation and a high-efficiency, in-duct filtration system. Heating

and cooling systems that ensure adequate ventilation and proper filtration can have
a dramatic and positive impact on indoor air quality.

Prevent indoor microbial contamination through selection of materials resistant to

microbial growth, provide effective drainage from the roof and surrounding
landscape, install adequate ventilation in bathrooms, allow proper drainage of air-
conditioning coils, and design other building systems to control humidity.

Building Operation and Maintenance

Green building measures cannot achieve their goals unless they work as intended.
Building commissioning includes testing and adjusting the mechanical, electrical,
and plumbing systems to ensure that all equipment meets design criteria. It also
includes instructing the staff on the operation and maintenance of equipment.

Over time, building performance can be assured through measurement,

adjustment, and upgrading. Proper maintenance ensures that a building continues
to perform as designed and commissioned.

Steps to Ensure Success

• Establish a vision that embraces sustainable principles and an integrated

design approach.
• Develop a clear statement of the project's vision, goals, design criteria, and
priorities.
• Develop a project budget that covers green building measures. Allocate
contingencies for additional research and analysis of specific options. Seek
sponsorship or grant opportunities.
• Seek advice of a design professional with green building experience.
• Select a design and construction team that is committed to the project vision.
Modify the RFQ/RFP selection process to ensure the contractors have
appropriate qualifications to identify, select, and implement an integrated
system of green building measures.
• Develop a project schedule that allows for systems testing and
commissioning.
• Develop contract plans and specifications to ensure that the building design
is at a suitable level of building performance.
• Create effective incentives and oversight.
green building

Sustainable architecture
Sustainable architecture is a general term that describes environmentally-conscious
design techniques in the field of architecture. Sustainable architecture is framed by
the larger discussion of sustainability and the pressing economic and political issues
of our world. In the broad context, sustainable architecture seeks to minimize the
negative environmental impact of buildings by enhancing efficiency and moderation
in the use of materials, energy, and development space. Most simply, the idea of
sustainability, or ecological design, is to ensure that our actions and decisions today
do not inhibit the opportunities of future generations.[1] This term can be used to
describe an energy and ecologically conscious approach to the design of the built
environment.

•
K2 sustainable apartments in Windsor, Victoria, Australia by Hansen Yuncken (2006) features passive
solar design, recycled and sustainable materials, photovoltaic cells, wastewater treatment, rainwater
collection and solar hot water.
green building

The passivhaus standard combines a variety of techniques and technologies to achieve ultra-low energy use.

Energy efficiency over the entire life cycle of a building is the most important single
goal of sustainable architecture. Architects use many different techniques to reduce
the energy needs of buildings and increase their ability to capture or generate their
own energy.

Heating, Ventilation and Cooling System Efficiency

The most important and cost effective element of an efficient heating, ventilating,
and air conditioning (HVAC) system is a well insulated building. A more efficient
building requires less heat generating or dissipating power, but may require more
ventilation capacity to expel polluted indoor air.

Significant amounts of energy are flushed out of buildings in the water, air and
compost streams. Off the shelf, on-site energy recycling technologies can
effectively recapture energy from waste hot water and stale air and transfer that
energy into incoming fresh cold water or fresh air. Recapture of energy for uses
other than gardening from compost leaving buildings requires centralized anaerobic
digesters.

Site and building orientation have some major effects on a building's HVAC
efficiency.

Passive solar building design allows buildings to harness the energy of the sun
efficiently without the use of any active solar mechanisms such as photovoltaic cells
or solar hot water panels. Typically passive solar building designs incorporate
materials with high thermal mass that retain heat effectively and strong insulation
that works to prevent heat escape. Low energy designs also requires the use of
solar shading, by means of awnings, blinds or shutters, to relieve the solar heat gain
in summer and to reduce the need for artificial cooling. In addition, low energy
buildings typically have a very low surface area to volume ratio to minimize heat
loss. This means that sprawling multi-winged building designs (often thought to look
more "organic") are often avoided in favor of more centralized structures.
Traditional cold climate buildings such as American colonial saltbox designs provide
a good historical model for centralized heat efficiency in a small scale building.

Windows are placed to maximize the input of heat-creating light while minimizing
the loss of heat through glass, a poor insulator. In the northern hemisphere this
usually involves installing a large number of south-facing windows to collect direct
sun and severely restricting the number of north-facing windows. Certain window
types, such as double or triple glazed insulated windows with gas filled spaces and
low emissivity (low-E) coatings, provide much better insulation than single-pane
glass windows. Preventing excess solar gain by means of solar shading devices in
the summer months is important to reduce cooling needs. Deciduous trees are
often planted in front of windows to block excessive sun in summer with their leaves
but allow light through in winter when their leaves fall off. Louvers or light shelves
green building
are installed to allow the sunlight in during the winter (when the sun is lower in the
sky) and keep it out in the summer (when the sun is high in the sky). Coniferous or
evergreen plants are often planted to the north of buildings to shield against cold
north winds.

In colder climates, heating systems are a primary focus for sustainable architecture
because they are typically one of the largest single energy drains in buildings.

In warmer climates where cooling is a primary concern, passive solar designs can
also be very effective. Masonry building materials with high thermal mass are very
valuable for retaining the cool temperatures of night throughout the day. In addition
builders often opt for sprawling single story structures in order to maximize surface
area and heat loss. Buildings are often designed to capture and channel existing
winds, particularly the especially cool winds coming from nearby bodies of water.
Many of these valuable strategies are employed in some way by the traditional
architecture of warm regions, such as south-western mission buildings.

In climates with four seasons, an integrated energy system will increase in

efficiency: when the building is well insulated, when it is sited to work with the
forces of nature, when heat is recaptured (to be used immediately or stored), when
the heat plant relying on fossil fuels or electricity is greater than 100% efficient, and
when renewable energy is utilized.

Alternative energy production

Solar Panels

Active solar devices such as photovoltaic solar panels help to provide sustainable
electricity for any use. Roofs are often angled toward the sun to allow photovoltaic
panels to collect at maximum efficiency, and some buildings even move throughout
the day to follow the sun. The Samundra Institute of Maritime Studies (SIMS) at
Lonavala, near Pune India, has the longest photovoltaic wall in the world, at over
ninety meters long.

Wind Turbines

Undersized wind turbines (normal turbines are often over 250 feet) may have been
oversold and do not always provide the returns promised, particularly for North
American households.[3] The use of undersized wind turbines in energy production in
sustainable structures requires the consideration of many factors. In considering
costs, small wind systems are generally more expensive than larger wind turbines
relative to the amount of energy they produce. For small wind turbines,
maintenance costs can be a deciding factor at sites with marginal wind-harnessing
capabilities. At low-wind sites, maintenance can consume much of a small wind
turbine’s revenue.[4]Wind turbines begin operating when winds reach 8 mph,
green building
achieve energy production capacity at speeds of 32-37 mph, and shut off to avoid
damage at speeds exceeding 55 mph. [5]The energy potential of a wind turbine is
proportional to the square of the length of its blades and to the cube of the speed at
which its blades spin. Though wind turbines are available that can supplement
power for a single building, because of these factors, the efficiency of the wind
turbine depends much upon the wind conditions at the building site. For these
reasons, for wind turbines to be at all efficient, they must be installed at locations
that are known to receive a constant amount of wind (with average wind speeds of
more than 15mph), rather than locations that receive wind sporadically. [6] A small
wind turbine can be installed on a roof. Installation issues then include the strength
of the roof, vibration, and the turbulence caused by the roof ledge. Small-scale
rooftop wind turbines have been known to be able to generate power from 10% to
up to 25% of the electricity required of a regular domestic household dwelling.
[7]
Turbines for residential scale use are available. They are usually approximately 7
feet (2 m) to 25 feet (8 m) in diameter and produce electricity at a rate of 900 watts
to 10,000 watts at their tested wind speed. In the United States, residential wind
turbines with outputs of 2-10 kW, typically cost between $12,000 and $55,000
installed ($6 per watt), although there are incentives and rebates available in 19
states that can reduce the purchase price for homeowners by up to 50 percent, to
($3 per watt). [8]

Solar Water Heating

Solar water heaters—also called solar domestic hot water systems—can be a cost-
effective way to generate hot water for your home. They can be used in any
climate, and the fuel they use—sunshine—is free.[9] Solar water heating systems
consist of storage tanks and solar energy collectors, which are then used to heat up
the water. There are also two types of systems, direct circulation systems and
indirect circulation systems. Passive solar water heating systems are typically less
expensive than active systems, but they're usually not as efficient. However,
passive systems can be more reliable and may last longer.[10]

Heat pumps

Ground source heat pumps are an efficient means of heating or cooling a building.
They are not a renewable energy system or source of energy.
green building

Sustainable building materials

Sustainable portable classroom design proposal

Some examples of sustainable building materials include recycled denim or blown-

in fiber glass insulation, sustainably harvested wood, Trass, Linoleum,[11] sheep
wool, concrete (high and ultra high performance[12], roman self-healing concrete[13]),
panels made from paper flakes, baked earth, rammed earth, clay, vermiculite, flax
linnen, sisal, seegrass, cork, expanded clay grains, coconut, wood fibre plates,
calcium sand stone, locally-obtained stone and rock, and bamboo, which is one of
the strongest and fastest growing woody plants, and non-toxic low-VOC glues and
paints.

Recycled Materials

Some sustainable architecture incorporates the use of recycled or second hand

materials, such as reclaimed lumber. The reduction in use of new materials creates
a corresponding reduction in embodied energy (energy used in the production of
materials). Often sustainable architects attempt to retro-fit old structures to serve
new needs in order to avoid unnecessary development. Architectural salvage and
green building
reclaimed materials are used when appropriate. When older buildings are
demolished, frequently any good wood is reclaimed, renewed, and sold as flooring.
Any good dimension stone is similarly reclaimed. Many other parts are reused as
well, such as doors, windows, mantels, and hardware, thus reducing the
consumption of new goods. When new materials are employed, green designers
look for materials that are rapidly replenished, such as bamboo, which can be
harvested for commercial use after only 6 years of growth, sorghum or wheat straw,
both of which are waste material that can be pressed into panels, or cork oak, in
which only the outer bark is removed for use, thus preserving the tree. When
possible, building materials may be gleaned from the site itself; for example, if a
new structure is being constructed in a wooded area, wood from the trees which
were cut to make room for the building

Lower Volatile Organic Compounds

Low-impact building materials are used wherever feasible: for example, insulation
may be made from low VOC (volatile organic compound)-emitting materials such as
recycled denim or cellulose insulation, rather than the building insulation materials
that may contain carcinogenic or toxic materials such as formaldehyde. To
discourage insect damage, these alternate insulation materials may be treated with
boric acid. Organic or milk-based paints may be used. However, a common fallacy
is that "green" materials are always better for the health of occupants or the
environment. Many harmful substances (including formaldehyde, arsenic, and
asbestos) are naturally occurring and are not without their histories of use with the
best of intentions. A study of emissions from materials by the State of California has
shown that there are some green materials that have substantial emissions
whereas some more "traditional" materials actually were lower emitters. Thus, the
subject of emissions must be carefully investigated before concluding that natural
materials are always the healthiest alternatives for occupants and for the Earth.

Volatile organic compounds (VOC) can be found in any indoor environment coming
from a variety of different sources. VOCs have a high vapor pressure and low water
solubility and are suspected of causing sick building syndrome type symptoms. This
is because many VOCs have been known to cause sensory irritation and central
nervous system symptoms characteristic to sick building syndrome, indoor
concentrations of VOCs are higher than in the outdoor atmosphere, and when there
are many VOCs present, they can cause additive and multiplicative effects.

Green products are usually considered to contain fewer VOCs and be better for
human and environmental health. A case study conducted by the Department of
Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering at the University of Miami that
compared three green products and their non-green counterparts found that even
though both the green products and the non-green counterparts both emitted levels
of VOCs, the amount and intensity of the VOCs emitted from the green products
were much safer and comfortable for human exposure.[16]
green building
Waste management

Waste takes the form of spent or useless materials generated from households and
businesses, construction and demolition processes, and manufacturing and
agricultural industries. These materials are loosely categorized as municipal solid
waste, construction and demolition (C&D) debris, and industrial or agricultural by-
products.[17] Sustainable architecture focuses on the on-site use of waste
management, incorporating things such as grey water systems for use on garden
beds, and composting toilets to reduce sewage. These methods, when combined
with on-site food waste composting and off-site recycling, can reduce a house's
waste to a small amount of packaging waste.

Water management

Rainwater harvesting and grey water reuse are some of the possibilities for
reducing water demand.

Building placement

One central and often ignored aspect of sustainable architecture is building

placement. Although many may envision the ideal environmental home or office
structure as an isolated place in the middle of the woods, this kind of placement is
often detrimental to the environment. First, such structures often serve as the
unknowing frontlines of suburban sprawl. Second, they usually increase the energy
consumption required for transportation and lead to unnecessary auto emissions.
Ideally, most building should avoid suburban sprawl in favor of the kind of light
urban development articulated by the New Urbanist movement. Careful mixed use
zoning can make commercial, residential, and light industrial areas more accessible
for those traveling by foot, bicycle, or public transit, as proposed in the Principles of
Intelligent Urbanism.

References:

Green Building: http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/GreenBuilding/

green building
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_building

Sustainable Architecture: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_architecture

http://www.jetsongreen.com/modern_architecture/index.html

Examples of Green Building

This is the Yannell Residence in Chicago, Illinois, a home

that was designed and built as an exercise in net zero
energy living -- it produces at least as much energy as it
uses over the course of a year. It received LEED Platinum
certification in July 2009, and has been on a roll getting
media attention all over the place. Some say it's one of
the greenest houses ever built, but one thing is for sure:
it has a ton of interesting green elements.
green building
Team Germany took first prize at Solar
Decathlon 2007, and they're moving up in
the rankings this year. After the
architectural competition, the team is now
solidly in second place with a few more days
to go. Could the cube with a solar facade
bring last year's victor its second
consecutive win? In 2007, Team Germany
had a beautiful home covered in oak
louvered frames with integrated
photovoltaics. This year, the team of 24
architects and students has furthered the
same theme with 40 single-crystal silicon
panels on the roof and roughly 250 thin-film CIGS panels on the sides.

Yes, it has a Wilson bi-fold garage door. Yes, it

has translucent photovoltaic panels that also
illuminate the interior workspace. Yes, it's heated
and cooled by a geothermal system. And yes, it's
pretty much the most amazing landscape storage
shed around. Designed by Gray Organschi
Architecture, this storage barn -- more
appropriately a storage rack that doubles as an
800 square-foot building -- is the central hub for a
landscape business in Washington, Connecticut.