The Global Effects of Green Architecture

Marwa Jowadi

Mrs. Sally Spear

4 January 2018
 According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, green architecture can be described as a

"philosophy of architecture" which uses "sustainable energy sources, the conservation of energy,

the reuse and safety of building materials, and the siting of a building with consideration of its

impact on the environment" (Wines). The first push for greener architecture occurred during the

1960s when families moved to the suburbs. Many activists felt the need to rebel against this

hivemind of migration and decided to live out in rural homes inspired by the Native American

lifestyle. Among these activists were Lewis Mumford, Ian McHarg, and James Lovelock, three

men who defined green architecture and contributed significantly "to the popularization of

environmental principles" (Wines). Mumford proposed an environmental philosophy, McHarg

wrote a book stating the "ground rules" for green architecture, and Lovelock developed the "Gaia

Hypothesis," which can be summarized as the idea that the Earth is one entity constantly striving

for survival. Each of these men did their considerably large share in laying down the foundation

of green architecture.

Since the sixties the concern for greener buildings sky rocketed, to the point where many

societies were established, one being the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (also

known as the LEED) who created the criteria for the design of buildings meant to be

environmentally friendly (Rouse). Due to how modern buildings consume so much energy and

electricity, it's understandable why this organization should be created. Currently, the

construction of a building uses up about "one-fourth of the [global] wood harvest and two-fifths

of [all] fossil fuels and manufactured materials" (Wines 9). With this LEED decided that it is

necessary for there to be some sort of standard to follow to ensure that a building is

environmentally friendly, mainly to avoid the unnecessary consumption of resources. In 2008,

green buildings certified by LEED used up about 25% less energy than commercial buildings

(Makower). In addition to this, green LEED buildings have sparked the "green building

materials" industry as the demands for construction on green buildings arise. Thanks to LEED,

among many other factors, the impacts of green architecture have greatly affected the world

socially, economically, and environmentally.

Knowing that a building was built with the environment in mind improves not just your

mood, but also your health and how you interact with society. In 2000, William J. Fisk published

a study showing how buildings are designed can affect how that building’s occupant’s health is

like, and the usual health risks someone would find in a normal building, like asthma or allergic

reactions, are surprisingly absent in traditionally green buildings. Another of these risks is a

syndrome called “Sick Building” syndrome, or SBS, which “[causes] acute health and comfort

effects” (Hughes), but green buildings are normally designed to combat against SBS by installing

proper exhaust ventilation for any chemicals found leaking in the building, and materials that

would prevent the formation of mold, both major causes for SBS. This study proves how an

occupant’s health can be greatly improved should buildings start being designed with the “green”

principles of design.

A good example of this would be the 4 Times Square building in New York City, given

the title "greenest high rise building in the world" (The Skyscraper Center) because many of the

architectural choices made were eco-friendly like its "special glass [that] allows daylight in to

reduce the need for interior lightning, keeps heat and ultraviolet rays out, and minimizes heat

loss in winter" (Economist). Rather than having artificial lights, they use daylight to light the

building, improving the mood of the employees working inside since they're being exposed to

natural sunlight. Having that sort of “connection to nature” increases productivity in the
workplace. The daylight also manages the temperature within the building by itself, depending

on the weather outside, ensuring that it's not cold during the winter times and keeps it cool

during the summer. With this, it lowers the risk of heat strokes and flu outbreaks within the

building, bettering the health of anyone working inside. All those benefits are only from the glass

of the building, think how many more are hidden in its design.

Mentioned before, being in an eco-friendly building increases the productivity in the

workplace; however, the positivity doesn’t just stop there. Reported by the Department of

Energy, workers “will carry these experiences back to their families and friends in the

community," spreading their positivity to the neighborhood and people around them. With this

comes a shift in behavior among the people; as they’re being influenced by their workplace

being green, so will the people’s actions. Eventually they’ll be recycling more often or invest in

more energy-efficient technologies, subconsciously wanting to give back to the earth. To add on,

if one building becomes green, the “bandwagon” effect will take place as more green buildings

rise, the original building acting as a role model for the other buildings. With the increase of

green buildings comes the previous statement made about improving communities and their

behaviors, all happening one after another like a cycle of good attitudes and green behavior.

From building materials to the sheer attitude of a person, green architecture has the capabilities

of improving one’s quality of life.

Despite how pricey it may seem; eco-friendly buildings actually have huge amounts of

economic benefits. One of their goals is to minimize waste and consumption, so by designing

buildings that focus on re-using and storing, both the utility bills and operating costs will be

reduced. As a result, building owners will recover money quicker from the construction

(Hughes) so much that they'll be able to save money for any future building installments. The
materials necessary for green buildings don't need to be like special glass, for example an

architect from Steven Winters Association named Michael Crosbie has stated that using things

like recycled paper and old jeans as insulation is more efficient than regular insulation

(Economist), and obviously cheaper compared to the normal roll of insulation. This proves that

going green isn't as expensive as the majority of people believes, that such simple and cheap

solutions exist and are still incredibly effective against the traditional methods. Nonetheless, the

rise of green buildings also leads to the rise of the market for green materials. Companies and

factories dealing specifically with green resources are getting good business, their products being

bought at quicker paces than before thanks to the rising demand of green buildings. And while

these specialized materials seem more expensive, there's a reason: they'll last longer than most

building materials. This reduces the need to pay for future repairs since these materials were

made more durable than others, said by the Department of Energy. As a result, this again causes

the owners to save money, stabilizing the building's resale price since it's easier to keep clean

than traditional buildings.

Additionally, going green shows to improve employee satisfaction, specifically when

using things such as natural sunlight with skylights. With that comes a boost in productivity,

leading to happier employees, satisfied customers, and "[a] building's higher construction costs"

(Economist) being paid off within a year. Because they look to be more in tune with the

environment around them, it relives employees of their stress and decreases the amount of

missed work days someone has. This can be proven with the fact that absenteeism fell by 15% in

an aerospace firm Lockheed Martin once their employees moved to a green building

(Economist). Green buildings not only increase productivity in office buildings, but also

increases sales in commercial buildings. According to the Heschong Mahone Group, "...sales
were as much as 40% higher in stores lit with skylights" (Economist), possibly from how

shoppers feel more positive about the store they're in, believing it to be more natural in a sense

that not everything seems fake. In normal department stores that use only windows, the overall

atmosphere feels bland, dreary, and empty, while in stores that take advantage of the sun's light

provides a better atmosphere, the reason for this involving some psychology; however, this can

be summarized with the connotation of the sun, symbolizing life and warmth, taking root in one's

consciousness, influencing our behaviors. This stems back to the fact that stores providing

natural sunlight generally have better sales than stores who don't, proving how green architecture

and consideration for the environment can have its economic benefits. With green architecture

the operating costs will be reduced, the market for green resources and materials will last longer,

productivity will increase in office buildings, and sales will increase in commercial buildings.

Even if it seems a bit pricey at first, the aftermath of saved wealth will prove otherwise.

Lastly the environmental impacts of green architecture have proven to be beneficial since

it “protects environments … improves the quality of air and water, reduces solid waste and

conserves natural resources” (Hughes). Obviously, the primary goal of green architecture is to

protect the environment, ensuring that the buildings humans design isn’t causing harm to the

earth. One example of such design includes storing methods that save recyclable materials, its

goal being to be used later in the development of the building, as well as to be used by its owner

in the future. With this, the amount of waste travelled to a landfill reduces, which in turn reduces

the amount of CO2 resulted in the burning of that waste. It also lessens the amount of pollution

found in wildlife, already a huge problem in the environment since pollution kills 40% of

wildlife, according to a study conducted by Cornell University. Another example of an eco-

friendly design would be the way buildings “incorporate water-saving strategies to optimize use
of rainwater for outdoor purposes, reducing the need to tap into underground sources” (Hughes).

This cuts down on the need to drill into the earth and set up an underground plumbing system

with the risk of damaging the environment surrounding the area. It also saves the amount of

water a normal building would use, so much that, based on the Green Building Impact Report, in

2008 the amount of water saved by LEED buildings would be enough to, when in thirty-two-

ounce bottles, encircle the earth approximately 300 times. These designs show how simple it is

to implement green methods of design into buildings to protect the environment.

There's already buildings that show how effective green designs can be, like the 4 Times

Square Building mentioned before, which along with the specialized glass it has, it also has

“photovoltaic panels on the building provides up to an additional fifteen kilowatts of power”

(Economist). However, the One World Trade Center (OWTC), a building on the site of the old-

World Trade Center, has proven to be one of the most well-known green buildings to this date.

Officially opened during October 2014, the OWTC, previously known as the Freedom Tower,

has a multitude of green amenities and features, including coated glass and it’s building

materials. Firstly, the building is 1776 feet tall with 104 total floors, and starting at the twentieth

floor to the observational deck there is a specially coated glass wall placed to guarantee that 90%

of the building will be lit by natural sunlight. Along with this, the glass helps prevent any ultra-

violet light from getting in, which would cause a glare, upsetting the busy NYC life below it.

Another feature would be that during its construction, over 40% of the building materials used

were recyclable materials like the glass and ceiling tiles, and when they wouldn’t be used they

were promptly recycled. Also, “more than 87 percent of construction waste from the project was

diverted from the landfill” (Williams), meaning that during the construction of the building,

almost 90% of the waste created wasn’t going to end up in a landfill, contributing to the previous
argument of CO2 emissions being reduced when less materials were sent to landfills. Of course,

there are other green features of this building, like its optimal indoor heating and cooling system

as well as its ventilation, both important to prevent any employees working inside from getting

Sick Building Syndrome. To summarize, the OWTC has many green features, each one solving a

common problem found in normal buildings, and in turn gives back to its environment by not

doing as much harm as normal buildings. Reducing waste, improving air quality, protecting our

environment, these things are the most beneficial results when considering the environmental

impacts of green architecture.

To reiterate, the impacts of green architecture has affected a lot of the world from the

social viewpoint, the economic viewpoint, and the environmental viewpoint. Ever since its

beginning in the 1960s, green buildings and its influence has spread all around the globe,

constantly adapting its methods to fit today's standards and improving the quality of life around

them. According to US Statista, there's roughly 162 countries and territories with plans on

building eco-friendly buildings, those plans being certified by LEED. One can only think of the

benefits those buildings will provide to the communities around them.

Socially, green architecture can improve the quality of life by improving the overall

health of its inhabitants. It's been shown that green buildings are significantly healthier than

commercial buildings considering the fact that green buildings typically have better ventilation

systems and are more combative against SBS. It also helps improve the mood of anyone working

or living inside it as they're exposed to nature and in turn feel more connected with it. This sort

of positivity only spreads around the community, eventually encouraging other people to do

greener things, bettering the world around them. Economically, green architecture creates a

market centered around the green resources needed to build and reduces operating costs. Because
green buildings need specialized materials, factories and companies centered around those

materials rise and have a more significant role in the nation's economy. Another thing is that

green buildings are designed to save; to reduce, reuse, and recycle. From this, utility bills and

operating costs will decrease exponentially as the time of construction goes on, possibly

continuing once construction ends should the owner use those features to their advantage

correctly. Environmentally, green architecture reduces how much waste is made, and conserves

the natural resources needed to both live and sustain life on earth. It uses up nearly every

material it needs during construction, using scraps by recycling than reusing them. It also installs

storing methods to be used in the future by a building's future owner in order to save on

resources, specifically those that are meant to be recycled. This ties back in with the "decreased

utility bills" statement previously mentioned since the need for storing counteracts the need to

use resources all at once. These methods show how impactful with the environmental green

architecture can be. In the end, green architecture now has already impacted the world in many

ways, proving itself to one day be a normal, functioning, and beneficial part of society.
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