What is green building?
Put simply green building is the process of construction with an environmentally- conscious perspective.
As time passes and more awareness is brought to light with regards to the damage being done to the planet, green construction is becoming more popular.
Green building practices
Whether one is working on a new project or retrofitting an existing building, many methods can be taken up to implement green building practices. Reducing and eventually eliminating the negative impact a proposed project has on the community and the environment, in general, is the main goal of green thinking approaches.
Some of the green construction practices commonly used include:
1) Using sustainable materials such as recycled glass and steel, while also including renewable materials such as rubber and bamboo
2) Installing energy-efficient windows and doors;
3) Using paints and stains with lower volatile organic compounds
4) Constructing green roof systems which offer numerous benefits such as onsite gardens, rainwater management and protection from harmful UV light.
5) Adding a system for water harvesting and purification that not only manages but also optimises the use of rainfall.
6) By Maximizing natural light one can not only save on lighting needs and energy costs by also helps keep the buildings warm in cooler months.
7) One can use renewable sources of energy to power buildings such as through solar panel system.
Green building benefits
The benefits of eco-friendly construction are various and clear, however, there are other compelling reasons to introduce green building procedures that may not come to mind immediately. These benefits include:
1) Happier and healthier workers
- Employees that work in eco-friendly buildings report substantially fewer headaches, as well as seeing an improvement in asthma and allergy symptoms.
2) Utility costs are reduced due to alternative energy creation
3) When selling property green structures render a larger income than a standard building.
4) Additional business opportunities may arise from appealing to a continuously growing sector of environmentally conscious consumers.