Conserve Nature

Posts Tagged ‘Building’

Article by Elaine VonCannon

Green building is not a new concept, nor is it only for hippies and anarchists. Green building is a new wave of responsible, environmentally conscious and energy-efficient people coming together to create a healthier and less toxic world for our children and grandchildren. According to the Rick Fedrizzi, President and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council the Green building construction market has grown from $ 0 in 2000 to $ 33 billion dollars as of the close of 2004. There are many ways to build green, but first lets discuss some of the reasons why you want to build green.

Why Does Green Building Matter?

According to the Global Green USA website http://www.globalgreen.org building, construction, demolition and the manufacturing of building materials “contribute significantly to environmental problems”. In the United States building account for thirty-six percent of the total energy use, sixty-five percent of electricity consumption, thirty percent of greenhouse gas emissions, thirty percent of raw materials use, thirty percent of waste output (annually 136 tons), and twelve percent of potable water consumption. Global Green also estimates that a 1700 square foot home uses one acre of forest. On top of this, the buildings being constructed in our country are not healthy and thirty percent of the buildings have poor air quality, which according to studies by the US Army and the American Medical Association cost US companies approximately $ 15 billion in productivity losses annually. The Global Green USA web site states, “By the year 2010, another 38 million buildings are expected to be constructed in the US, bringing our country’s total to over 100 million. The challenge is to build those new buildings, and renovate the older ones, in ways that reverse these unhealthy trends. Fortunately, there are ways we – as consumers, designers, builders and product manufacturers – can respond to this challenge. By building green, we can assist in preserving natural habitats, watersheds, and ecosystems, protect air and water quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and solid waste, all while conserving natural resources and creating healthier indoor and outdoor environments.”

How Can Green Building Benefit Me?

Green building positively impacts both economics and public health. Homes and commercial buildings have lower operating expenses, material durability increases so maintenance and repair decreases, and the use of non-toxic materials can protect your employees or the whole family, especially children, from respiratory and other diseases. Green building also builds community by helping homes and other structures to blend and help the environment rather than disturb it.

Article by Swati Pahuja

    

  Experiential field based training A non-profit organisation established in 1983 creating large scale sustainable livelihoodsCapacity Building Series (2008- 09)TrainingOnBuilding for Future: Sustainable Homes (Green Building)From: 19,20 and 21st of March 2009TARA Nirman Kendra, M.G.Road, New Delhi

INTRODUCTIONGlobally, around 40 % of virgin materials and energy and 16 % of the annually available fresh water, is consumed by the construction sector. The construction and operation of buildings together trigger a number of environmental problems such as indiscriminate mining and quarrying, deforestation and electricity consumption, primarily from polluting non-renewable fuels. The unprecedented levels of urbanization and economic growth in Asia will only intensify in the foreseeable future, thus placing an even greater demand on finite natural resources and energy. Many Asian countries have begun to put in place strategies and mechanisms for a larger realization of ‘Green’ buildings. ‘Green’ is now a global buzzword and ‘green buildings’ are rapidly expanding their worldwide footprint. Green or ‘sustainable’ buildings, as they are alternatively referred to, are characterized by reduced operational energy consumption and environmental impact and minimized life-cycle costs. They make the best use of renewable sources, such as sun, wind, rainfall and bio-waste and have a high proportion of building materials that are designed for re-use and recycling. Green buildings, while being energy efficient, must address regional and contextual imperatives. Also, the energy and resources spent in manufacturing building materials is clearly a tipping point in determining the extent of the environmental impact of buildings. Healthier indoor environment resulting in higher human comfort and productivity is also seen as an essential feature of green buildings.There is an urgent need to design and construct buildings in a way which minimizes their ecological footprint. At the same time, there is a need for knowledge dissemination to demystify various facets of green buildings and to highlight potential benefits over their life cycle. Building professionals must have a practical understanding of critical decision making criteria for design and development of green buildings.

OBJECTIVES OF THE TRAINING To provide an overview of design and construction facets of green buildings To establish decision-making criteria for the design and construction of green buildingsTo provide exposure to various alternative building materials and technologies which can be used to construct green buildingsThe training programme will enable the participants to appreciate the various issues in design and construction of green buildings and will equip them with a design methodology which can then be taken up in their respective contexts along with professional expertise.PEDAGOGYThe following techniques would be used to conduct the training program.Lectures/interactive sessionsSite visit to green buildings and guided tourCase study presentationsBrainstorming sessions/ Experience sharing with green building expertsTraining Support materials/ HandoutsSite visit for sharing learnings on construction material, saving costs, green buildings past, present and future.COURSE CONTENTSA. Overview of a green buildingThis section provides the background of the building sector in terms of resource consumption and its implications and therefore the need to bring about a change in design and construction of buildings. The section includes discussion on various design parameters/ characteristics of a building such as building envelope, operational energy, etc. in order to relate with basic requirement of improved practices in a green building. Building materials and construction methods which reduce the embodied energy content of buildings will also be discussed. The session serves to highlight the range of green building issues which can then be explored in detail in successive sessions.B. Green buildings- case studiesThis section presents case studies of green buildings in the context of residential and commercial buildings. Visit will be made to green buildings along with a guided tour of the project. There will be interactive sessions with presentations made by the design team to elaborate critical issues such as Design methodology adopted; Performance targets for aspects like operational energy, material intensity, water consumption, etc; economic aspects – Benefits of energy saving, payback periods; Renewable energy technology integration; project management considerations; Challenges faced and solutions arrived at.

C. Green construction materials and technologiesThis section will cover the construction aspects of green buildings from the point of view of alternative materials and construction methods. Production of these materials will be demonstrated such as pre-cast concrete roofing elements, cavity walls, compressed earth blocks, etc. Also, basic structural design considerations will be highlighted which should be addressed in order to be efficient in utilization of construction materials.D. Design workshopThis session will be conducted in a participatory workshop mode where a green building design approach will be demonstrated in a particular context – type of building, region and climate. The process will be conducted by a team of design and construction experts. Model designs will be developed in response to the given context which will then be evaluated against green building design parameters. The session will serve to highlight critical decision making criteria to be used in the development of a green building project.RESOURCE PERSONMr Pankaj Khanna Seven years experience in building technology development, training systems development and building energy projects. Core team member for the assessment of Training systems of various institutions through an initiative of the HSMI/HUDCO supported by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. Has been instrumental in developing a participatory methodology for assessing sustainability of building practices in habitat development projects. Has been responsible for developing training modules for a variety of construction techniques and has delivered construction trainings across the country. Bachelor of Engineering- Civil – School of Building Science and Technology, CEPT, Ahmedabad, 2000Master of Science, Renewable Energy and Architecture, University of Nottingham, 2006- research thesis on desiccant driven cooling systems for institutional buildings in Delhi’s climate.

Award/Prize/Certificate etc. won by the InvestigatorScholarship from Department for International Development (DFID) for MSc programme at University of Nottingham, UKCOURSE ELIGIBILITY This programme is designed for architects, building engineers; professionals form the construction industry- builders and developers, government housing department professionals. The programme is also suitable for final year architectural students.DURATION3 DaysThe training will be for a period of 3 days.

FeeINR 7,500 per participant The Training fee covers the following:Food during the training hoursCourse material Field visitsYOUR TAKEAWAYS Knowledge and experience from the trainingField Exposure and further learningManuals and training materialNetworking opportunity for youAnd an …………Enriched youIndian participants to make payment through Demand Draft drawn in favour of TARA Livelihood Academypayable at New Delhi. The address for sending the Demand Draft   is- Manager- TrainingTARA Livelihood AcademyDevelopment Alternatives,111/9-Z, Kishangarh, Vasant Kunj,New Delhi-110070Overseas participants may please send the fees through wire transfer. The details of the wire transfer will be sent to each selected trainee once we get their nomination form.To Down load the registration form Click here- http://devalt.org/nomination/.

Article by hi joiney

Construction of ecological civilization is of great significance and far reaching Visit 17 major representatives of the State Forestry Bureau Jia Zhibang quot Hu Jintao general secretary of the party 39 s 17 loudly to the report Banner Clear thinking and profound rich in content has a strong era strategic scientific is a Marxist programmatic document the work of the whole Party and action guide quot 17 great representative of the State Forestry Bureau Jia Zhibang in an interview said quot The report presents a comprehensive goal of building a moderately prosperous society in the new requirements to 39 build an ecological civilization basically forming an energy resources and protecting the environment industrial structure growth Consumption Model 39 refers to the development of a strategic perspective required by 2020 to achieve the objective of building a well when the ecological environment of our country to become a good country This is the first time the CPC Central Committee 39 construction of ecological civilization 39 Write Congress 39 s political report is the idea of building a harmonious society and economic development in eco sublimation not only China 39 s own development has significant and far reaching impact and the maintenance of global ecology Security Is important fully reflects our party attach great importance to ecological construction and ecological problems of the global spirit of responsibility quot Jia Zhibang that ecological civilization refers to the people while transforming the objective world to actively improve and optimize the relationship between man and nature ecological construction and orderly operation mechanism and a good ecological environment is achieved by the material spiritual system results combined It reflects the nature of human relations activities and deal with their own progress in the degree of human and social progress is an important symbol Construction of ecological civilization is to implement the scientific concept of development and new tasks of the Party 39 s governance and rejuvenation of the new development concept ecological construction is the new target Jia Zhibang said the CPC Central Committee and State Council have always attached great importance to ecological construction Since our Party Comrade Hu Jintao as general secretary of the CPC Central Committee has made a quot decision on the development of forestry quot established the ecological based forestry development strategy a strong impetus to the ecological construction has made great achievements National forest cover from the early years of New China 8 6 to 18 21 plantation area of about 800 million acres preserved first in the world in recent years the National Desertification Land Area will decline every year forestry system construction and Management Nature reserves to 1740 accounting for 12 6 of land area 45 of the effective protection of natural wetlands more than 85 of rare wildlife species 1 4 billion mu of natural forests are effectively protected the interests of national and global made a significant contribution to ecological security But overall the state is still very serious ecological conditions ecological awareness of the whole society is still weak from the ecological civilization there is still a good ecological environment Jia Zhibang told reporters Canada Johnson State building economic and social sustainable development survival and development of the Chinese nation is the basic plan Forestry is the key to harmony between man and nature and a link is the main ecological construction ecological products bear the production of material products and the important task of eco cultural products with enormous social economic and ecological benefits Forestry in ecological civilization construction shoulders the important mission only to assume the important task of ecological construction ecological and cultural vanguard is more to do as much as possible to create a rich ecological results physical findings and results of ecological culture to be an ecological civilization construction The guide organizers practitioners and promoters

Green Building Materials

green marble

Imperial Green

rainforest green

When it comes to “Green Architecture Materials” there are abounding options to accept from whether you wish to go absolutely blooming all at already or gradually. These options are accessible to be activated on the exoteric or autogenous or both of any project. The alfresco abstracts are metal roofing, solar panels, and EcoClad siding. The central abstracts are bamboo or cork flooring, recycled adverse tops, and recycled copse planks, and insulation.

MM STONEWORTH INDIA – Manufactured and wholesale Supplier of Circle Stone Paving

Exterior
Metal beam is advised a blooming architecture actual because it helps abate heating and cooling costs and they endure a actual continued time and are added aggressive to accident from all acclimate conditions.

Solar console are advised a blooming architecture actual because they use renewable activity from the sun to accomplish electricity. Solar panels are fabricated up of apparent silicon and gallium arsenide.

MM STONEWORTH INDIA – Manufactured and wholesale Supplier of Indian Slate Stone

EcoClad balustrade is fabricated from recycled paper, copse fibers, and bamboo fibers which is all alloyed with a co-polymer adhesive base. This architecture actual is acclimated for exoteric siding.

Interior
Bamboo attic is advised a blooming architecture actual because it alone takes about 3 to 6 years to regrow. Floors fabricated from bamboo attending a lot like absolute balk floors but they endure a lot longer.

Cork attic accoutrement is fabricated up from the case of a timberline alleged Cork Oak Timberline and it is begin in the Mediterranean. The case from these copse are harvested every 9 years. The actuality that it’s harvested every 9 years makes it a almost fast renewable resource.

When it comes to recycled adverse acme there are aswell abounding options. One advantage is a recycled bottle adverse top and its amount ambit is from $ 30.00 to $ 80.00 per aboveboard foot. Addition one is fabricated from bamboo and the amount ambit for this one is about $ 20.00 to $ 30.00 per aboveboard foot. Next is a adverse top fabricated from recycled cardboard in a adhesive abject and the amount ambit for this one is about $ 20.00 to $ 40.00 per aboveboard foot. Endure but not atomic is a recycled aluminum adverse top and the amount ambit for this one is about $ 30.00 to $ 100.00 per aboveboard foot.

There are aswell actual abounding altered kinds of recycled copse panels. These are Doug Fir panels, Medite II P panels, Skyblend panels, Kirei, Homasote. Recycled insulation is addition blooming architecture actual and it is alleged Ultra Touch Cotton Insulation. This insulation is fabricated from denim decay articles and the amount ambit for this actual is about $ 55.00 to $ 125.00 but it depends on the aboveboard footage ordered.

There are aswell abounding account on the internet for all kinds of little being that be done central or alfresco the home to accomplish it added green.

Related Green Building Articles

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. Considering the 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.

Goals of green building

the Blu Homes mkSolaire, a green building designed by Michelle Kaufmann

The concept of sustainable development can be traced to the energy (especially fossil oil) crisis and the environment pollution concern in the 1970s. The green building movement in the U.S. originated from the need and desire for more energy efficient and environmentally friendly construction practices. There are a number of motives to building green, including environmental, economic, and social benefits. However, modern sustainability initiatives call for an integrated and synergistic design to both new construction and in the retrofitting of an existing structure. Also known as sustainable design, this approach integrates the building life-cycle with each green practice employed with a design-purpose to create a synergy amongst the practices used.

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 permeable concrete instead of conventional concrete or asphalt to enhance replenishment of ground water, are used as well.

While the practices, or technologies, employed in green building are constantly evolving and may differ from region to region, there are fundamental principles that persist from which the method is derived: Siting and Structure Design Efficiency, Energy Efficiency, Water Efficiency, Materials Efficiency, Indoor Environmental Quality Enhancement, Operations and Maintenance Optimization, and Waste and Toxics Reduction. The essence of green building is an optimization of one or more of these principles. Also, with the proper synergistic design, individual green building technologies may work together to produce a greater cumulative effect.

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.

Siting and structure design efficiency

See also: Sustainable design

The foundation of any construction project is rooted in the concept and design stages. The concept stage, in fact, is one of the major steps in a project life cycle, as it has the largest impact on cost and performance. In designing environmentally optimal buildings, the objective function aims at minimizing the total environmental impact associated with all life-cycle stages of the building project. However, building as a process is not as streamlined as an industrial process, and varies from one building to the other, never repeating itself identically. In addition, buildings are much more complex products, composed of a multitude of materials and components each constituting various design variables to be decided at the design stage. A variation of every design variable may affect the environment during all the building’s relevant life-cycle stages.

Energy efficiency

Main articles: Low-energy house and Zero-energy building

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.

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.

Water efficiency

See also: Water Conservation

Reducing water consumption and protecting water quality are key objectives in sustainable building. One critical issue of water consumption is that in many areas of the country, the demands on the supplying aquifer exceed its ability to replenish itself. To the maximum extent feasible, facilities should increase their dependence on water that is collected, used, purified, and reused on-site. The protection and conservation of water throughout the life of a building may be accomplished by designing for dual plumbing that recycles water in toilet flushing. Waste-water may be minimized by utilizing water conserving fixtures such as ultra-low flush toilets and low-flow shower heads. Bidets help eliminate the use of toilet paper, reducing sewer traffic and increasing possibilities of re-using water on-site. Point of use water treatment and heating improves both water quality and energy efficiency while reducing the amount of water in circulation. The use of non-sewage and greywater for on-site use such as site-irrigation will minimize demands on the local aquifer.

Materials efficiency

See also: Sustainable architecture

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 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. Building materials should be extracted and manufactured locally to the building site to minimize the energy embedded in their transportation. Where possible, building elements should be manufactured off-site and delivered to site, to maximise benefits of off-site manufacture including minimising waste, maximising recycling (because manufacture is in one location), high quality elements, better OHS management, less noise and dust.

Indoor environmental quality enhancement

See also: Indoor Air Quality

The Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) category in LEED standards, one of the five environmental categories, was created to provide comfort, well-being, and productivity of occupants. The LEED IEQ category addresses design and construction guidelines especially: indoor air quality (IAQ), thermal quality, and lighting quality.

Indoor Air Quality seeks to reduce volatile organic compounds, or VOC’s, and other air impurities such as microbial contaminants. Buildings rely on a properly designed HVAC system to provide adequate ventilation and air filtration as well as isolate operations (kitchens, dry cleaners, etc.) from other occupancies. During the design and construction process choosing construction materials and interior finish products with zero or low emissions will improve IAQ. Many building materials and cleaning/maintenance products emit toxic gases, such as VOC’s and formaldehyde. These gases can have a detrimental impact on occupants’ health and productivity as well. Avoiding these products will increase a building’s IEQ.

Personal temperature and airflow control over the HVAC system coupled with a properly designed building envelope will also aid in increasing a building’s thermal quality. Creating a high performance luminous environment through the careful integration of natural and artificial light sources will improve on the lighting quality of a structure.

Operations and maintenance optimization

No matter how sustainable a building may have been in its design and construction, it can only remain so if it is operated responsibly and maintained properly. Ensuring operations and maintenance(O&M) personnel are part of the project’s planning and development process will help retain the green criteria designed at the onset of the project. Every aspect of green building is integrated into the O&M phase of a building’s life. The addition of new green technologies also falls on the O&M staff. Although the goal of waste reduction may be applied during the design, construction and demolition phases of a building’s life-cycle, it is in the O&M phase that green practices such as recycling and air quality enhancement take place.

Waste reduction

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.

Cost

The most criticized issue about constructing environmentally friendly buildings is the price. Photo-voltaics, new appliances, and modern technologies tend to cost more money. Most green buildings cost a premium of

Regulation and operation

Many countries have developed their own standards for green building or energy efficiency for buildings. Above some examples of building environmental assessment tools currently in use:

Australia: Nabers / Green Star

Brazil: AQUA

Canada: LEED Canada / Green Globes

China: GBAS

Finland: PromisE

France: HQE

Germany: DGNB / CEPHEUS

Hong Kong: HKBEAM

India: GRIHANational Rating System developed by TERI, LEED India www.igbc.in

Italy: Protocollo Itaca / Green Building Counsil Italia

Malaysia: GBI Malaysia

Mexico

Netherlands: BREEAM Netherlands

New Zealand: Green Star NZ

Philippines: BERDE / Philippine Green Building Council PHILGBC

Portugal: Lider A

Singapore: Green Mark

South Africa: Green Star SA

Spain: VERDE

Switzerland: Minergie

United States: LEED / Living Building Challenge / Green Globes / Build it Green / NAHB NGBS

United Kingdom: BREEAM

International frameworks and assessment tools

IPCC Fourth Assessment Report

Climate Change 2007, the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), is the fourth in a series of such reports. The IPCC was established by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to assess scientific, technical and socio-economic information concerning climate change, its potential effects and options for adaptation and mitigation.

UNEP and Climate change

UNEP works to facilitate the transition to low-carbon societies, support climate proofing efforts, improve understanding of climate change science, and raise public awareness about this global challenge.

GHG Indicator

The GHG Indicator: UNEP Guidelines for Calculating Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Businesses and Non-Commercial Organizations

Agenda 21

Agenda 21 is a programme run by the United Nations (UN) related to sustainable development. It is a comprehensive blueprint of action to be taken globally, nationally and locally by organizations of the UN, governments, and major groups in every area in which humans impact on the environment. The number 21 refers to the 21st century.

FIDIC’s PSM

FIDIC Project Sustainability Management Guidelines were created in order to assist project engineers and other stakeholders in setting sustainable development goals for their projects that are recognized and accepted by as being in the interests of society as a whole. The process is also intended to allow the alignment of project goals with local conditions and priorities and to assist those involved in managing projects to measure and verify their progress.

The PSM Guidelines are structured with Themes and Sub-Themes under the three main sustainability headings of Social, Environmental and Economic. For each individual Sub-Theme a core project indicator is defined along with guidance as to the relevance of that issue in the context of an individual project.

The Sustainability Reporting Framework provides guidance for organizations to use as the basis for disclosure about their sustainability performance, and also provides stakeholders a universally applicable, comparable framework in which to understand disclosed information.

The Reporting Framework contains the core product of the Sustainability Reporting Guidelines, as well as Protocols and Sector Supplements. The Guidelines are used as the basis for all reporting. They are the foundation upon which all other reporting guidance is based, and outline core content for reporting that is broadly relevant to all organizations regardless of size, sector, or location. The Guidelines contain principles and guidance as well as standard disclosures including indicators to outline a disclosure framework that organizations can voluntarily, xibly, and incrementally, adopt.

Protocols underpin each indicator in the Guidelines and include definitions for key terms in the indicator, compilation methodologies, intended scope of the indicator, and other technical references.

Sector Supplements respond to the limits of a one-size-s-all approach. Sector Supplements complement the use of the core Guidelines by capturing the unique set of sustainability issues faced by different sectors such as mining, automotive, banking, public agencies and others.

IPD Environment Code

The IPD Environment Code was launched in February 2008. The Code is intended as a good practice global standard for measuring the environmental performance of corporate buildings. Its aim is to accurately measure and manage the environmental impacts of corporate buildings and enable property executives to generate high quality, comparable performance information about their buildings anywhere in the world. The Code covers a wide range of building types (from ofes to airports) and aims to inform and support the following;

Creating an environmental strategy

Inputting to real estate strategy

Communicating a commitment to environmental improvement

Creating performance targets

Environmental improvement plans

Performance assessment and measurement

Life cycle assessments

Acquisition and disposal of buildings

Supplier management

Information systems and data population

Compliance with regulations

Team and personal objectives

IPD estimate that it will take approximately three years to gather significant data to develop a robust set of baseline data that could be used across a typical corporate estate.

ISO 21931

ISO/TS 21931:2006, Sustainability in building constructionramework for methods of assessment for environmental performance of construction worksart 1: Buildings, is intended to provide a general framework for improving the quality and comparability of methods for assessing the environmental performance of buildings. It identifies and describes issues to be taken into account when using methods for the assessment of environmental performance for new or existing building properties in the design, construction, operation, refurbishment and deconstruction stages. It is not an assessment system in itself but is intended be used in conjunction with, and fo

Article by DesignBuild Media

When the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) launched Green Star, Australia’s first holistic environmental rating system for buildings, in 2003, the benchmarks for a 5 Star Green Star rating seemed outrageously high.

Yet a year later, 8 Brindabella Circuit in Canberra became the first Green Star-rated building in Australia, demonstrating that green building was achievable.Today, the GBCA has certified more than 4.2 million square metres of Green Star space, we have more than 900 member companies and Australia has the second largest GBC of 89 around the world.

The Dow Jones Sustainability Index is overrun with Australian companies – with a third, or seven out of 21, being Australian.

A range of reports has confirmed that green buildings positively impact everything from operational costs to return on investment, and from reputational equity to productivity.The most recent IPD Property Index has found that Green Star-rated buildings deliver a higher return on investment than non-Green Star buildings.

So, when we consider how far we’ve come in the nine years since the GBCA was established we can only assume that we will arrive at a point in the near future – perhaps in five years, perhaps ten – where we are no longer even talking about ‘green’ or ‘sustainable’ buildings anymore.Why? Because all buildings will be sustainable.

Just as we take it for granted that all our buildings will be constructed to high fire safety standards, and just as we take disability access for granted, sustainability will be ‘just the way we build’.

All the trends are pointing to green building becoming the norm.

A recent Jones Lang La Salle global corporate occupier survey found that 64 per cent of respondents believe that sustainability is a critical business issue.

A McGraw Hill Construction report has found that more than half of global construction firms expect to be fully committed to green building by 2013.

And the latest Davis Langdon 2011 Construction Sentiment survey found that sustainability was ranked the number one opportunity for the industry over the next five years and one of the major risks included failing to adapt to a carbon-constrained future.

So, what is the way forward for the built environment? Here are my top ten predictions:

1. The focus on existing buildings will intensify

In the US, the fastest growing rating tool in 2010 was the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Existing Buildings program. Closer to home, policies such as the Australian Government’s Commercial Building Disclosure scheme are already encouraging building owners to upgrade their existing stock. The Australian Financial Review recently said: “the retrofitting of older buildings is no longer an option for owners but a commercial imperative”. To help the industry green its existing stock, the GBCA is developing the Green Star – Performance rating tool, which will assess the operational performance of existing buildings against the nine current Green Star categories. We expect this tool to help revolutionise the industry.

2. Zero net energy designs will gain traction

There will be little room for buildings that aren’t carbon neutral, as well as energy, ecology and water positive. Many GBCA members are active in this space. Woods Bagot with Buro Happold have developed an interactive design platform which tracks energy and carbon footprints for design solutions, enabling designers to experiment with different options and start the design process with the question: ‘what can this building do for the environment?’

3. Building products and materials will become greener

The shift to green materials is being driven by lifecycle assessments of materials – that is, the impact of a material from the beginning to the end of its life. An emerging trend will be more emphasis on ‘cradle-to-cradle’ thinking, where material purchases are made based on both their first and second lives. Organisations such as InterfaceFLOR, which is recognised as the world’s most sustainable carpet manufacturer, has implemented a take-back and recycling program to ensure its products have a useful ‘second life’.

4. Affordable green will be the norm

Many people associate green with higher costs – but that’s changing. New business models, technologies and high performance materials are bringing green within reach. Colonial First State’s Rowan Griffin recently said that there was no longer a premium for green property. “We have already gone to the stage where it’s the norm to be green and energy-efficient, so people expect that out of premium buildings. So it’s more a discount of those that are not energy-efficient and not green” he said.

5. Energy sources will transform

We live in a country with more sunny days than anywhere else on the planet, yet we are lagging behind Asia, Europe and North America in installation of solar photovoltaic panels. Expect this to change, as we begin to see solar, wind and photovoltaics routinely integrated into buildings and used as a building material, rather than simply being installed on top. And many of these renewable energy sources won’t be large. Micro-turbines are already becoming popular in Asia, and we’ll see more Australian innovation in this area as we recognise the benefits of integrated small systems over one giant, geographically remote power source.

6. Building information modelling will become de rigeur

Expect a more sophisticated approach to building monitoring as building information modelling (BIM) systems become more comprehensive. BIM will enable cross-disciplinary teams to share knowledge and track data of complex building projects. The project team on 1 Bligh Street in Sydney, for example, employed 3D BIM technology during the design and construction phases. The BIM model brought together more than 30 individual discipline models and all sub-consultants were in part appointed on the basis of their BIM capability. The team found that 3D BIM saved costs, saved construction time, and supported better building performance and control. Furthermore, DEXUS believes BIM also has the capability to generate efficiencies throughout the life of 1 Bligh Street as all the building data is available on hand for the property managers.

7. Govt. focus on energy efficiency and sustainability will improve

Governments are stepping up their mandates for green buildings for both their own buildings and the private sector. The desire to reduce carbon emissions by going green will lead more government agencies to require green buildings. New schools and hospitals will be built to the highest environmental standards as community demands and government priorities shift towards sustainability. We currently have more than 100 education projects registered to achieve Green Star ratings – and this is only the tip of the iceberg.

8. Investors will demand greater action on climate change

When the GBCA first published The Dollars and Sense of Green Buildings in 2005, little attention was paid to the role of investors. Two years later, our revised version tracked an overwhelming change in attitude. Today, the Investor Group on Climate Change warns that investors are monitoring the approach of companies on climate change and carbon pricing, including what they say in the public realm. In fact, 75 per cent of fund managers believe organisations need to integrate climate change issues into business strategies and set policy commitments on climate change, while 57 per cent of super funds believe companies need to improve their reporting and disclosure on climate change.

9. Blue is the new green

It’s not all about energy. Building designers and managers are taking steps to reduce water consumption through the use of water saving fixtures, rainwater recovery systems and innovative new water technologies. Lot 12, TradeCoast Central, for instance, gained a Green Star innovation point for its shared, precinct non-potable water storage and distribution system. The system reduces potable water consumption by 80 per cent – the equivalent of more than 10,000 litres a day – and the only potable water used within the precinct is for kitchens, showers and hand basins.

10. The demand for green communities, cities and infrastructure will grow

Beyond the building envelope, we’re already seeing the conversation shifting – and we are looking at how to green our communities and cities. The penny has finally dropped: buildings are part of larger systems. In the future we will no longer view our buildings in isolation, but as interconnected pieces of a larger community. The GBCA’s Green Star – Communities project is helping to drive this shift. Currently, 28 projects from around Australia are BETA testing 35 draft credits. The Green Star – Communities rating tool will usher in a new era of sustainable development, one which looks beyond environmental efficiencies in the built environment and looks at how we build entire communities that are liveable and sustainable.