SUSTAINABLE PLANNONG AND ARCHITECTURE-ASSIGNMENT 3

Q1. Why do green buildings cost more than regular buildings?

Ans. A green building can be built in a cost competitive way or it can be built at a premium. It depends on
what strategies are selected, and what standard it is being compared to.
Design Costs: If the standard buildings around the area are being built without any particular designer input,
then the cost of the design for a green building will be seen as additional cost. Green building design includes
the work of architects, mechanical, electrical, and structural engineers, and specialized green building
consultants.
Construction Costs: If the normal buildings are being built with concrete, brick, glass and steel, and a green
building decides to use local materials like mud or sun-dried bricks, there may actually be some savings
compared to standard buildings. The cost will also depend on the availability and cost of skilled labor for these
alternative building methods. Such strategies using local materials or passive design strategies such as good
building orientation, shading etc. typically do not add much cost if any. But if a building is trying to be green
using high-end technology such as automated controls and sensors, then yes, it would be more expensive and
significantly more complex.
Timing: A lot of strategies to go green cost-effectively can only be used if the planning starts from concept
stage. For example, it is greener to use less windows, but that decision has to be made very early in the design
stage. Almost always, the green strategies that are tacked on at the end cost more.
In a country like the US, where most buildings use a design team anyway, the additional cost for a LEED Gold
building can be as low as around 2% if the design team makes it part of the plan from the very start.

Q2. What are LEED buildings?

Ans. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is their green building rating system, which defines
a voluntary guideline for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings.

LEED has quickly become the industry standard for green building in the United States. Today, LEED buildings
can be found in 12 countries and all 50 states. There are currently over 20,000 LEED Accredited Professionals
trained in this rating system and nearly 2,000 buildings on their way to certification. This represents about 8
percent of the U.S. new construction market, and this number is growing quickly.

Still in it's early stages, some have found LEED to be confusing and difficult to implement. While LEED lists
prescriptive requirements, there are no practical applications listed. A member of the construction team is left
to guess how to meet the qualifications of each LEED point.

The USGBC had enough foresight to understand this, and the LEED system is structured to be open ended and
consensus-based. The systems is continually being refined and draft versions are left open for comment and
debate. In the near future, LEED will simply get better and better.

The LEED system works by dividing the building SUSTAINABLE

Q3. What is a green building?
Ans. A ‘green’ building is a building that, in its design, construction or operation, reduces or eliminates
negative impacts, and can create positive impacts, on our climate and natural environment. Green buildings
preserve precious natural resources and improve our quality of life.
There are a number of features which can make a building ‘green’.
These include:
•Efficient use of energy, water and other resources
•Use of renewable energy, such as solar energy
•Pollution and waste reduction measures, and the enabling of re-use and recycling
•Good indoor environmental air quality
•Use of materials that are non-toxic, ethical and sustainable
•Consideration of the environment in design, construction and operation
•Consideration of the quality of life of occupants in design, construction and operation
•A design that enables adaptation to a changing environment.

Any building can be a green building, whether it’s a home, an office, a school, a hospital, a community
center, or any other type of structure, provided it includes features listed above.
However, it is worth noting that not all green buildings are – and need to be - the same. Different countries
and regions have a variety of characteristics such as distinctive climatic conditions, unique cultures and
traditions, diverse building types and ages, or wide-ranging environmental, economic and social priorities –
all of which shape their approach to green building.

Q4. What is indoor air quality?

ANS. One of the primary causes of asthma is indoor air quality. The toxic chemicals found in most common building
materials have been linked to asthma and other respiratory problems. The importance and need for green building is
increasing exponentially as our health is affected.

Indoor pollution sources that release gases or particles into the air are the primary cause of indoor air quality problems
in homes. Inadequate ventilation can increase indoor pollutant levels by not bringing in enough outdoor air to dilute
emissions from indoor sources and by not carrying indoor air pollutants out of the home. High temperature and
humidity levels can also increase concentrations of some pollutants.

There are many sources of indoor air pollution in any home. These include combustion sources such as oil, gas,
kerosene, coal, wood, and tobacco products; building materials and furnishings as diverse as deteriorated, asbestos-
containing insulation, wet or damp carpet, and cabinetry or furniture made of certain pressed wood products;
products for household cleaning and maintenance, personal care, or hobbies; central heating and cooling systems and
humidification devices; and outdoor sources such as radon, pesticides, and outdoor air pollution.

Apart from controlling the materials inside a building, the best way to control indoor air quality, especially in existing
buildings, is through an increase in natural ventilation. With a lack of fresh air, pollutants will accumulate to levels that
can pose serious health and comfort problems

5. Which is better: a recycled material or a natural material?

Recycled or natural? This question harkens back to the old "paper or plastic?" debate. In reality, most architects and
contractors do not want to get into a philosophical (and perhaps even semantic) argument about the pros and cons
between these two types of materials.
There is no perfect material. All materials have some negative impact on our environment. The key is in setting
priorities for the project.
For instance, for a residential kitchen countertop preference might be given to non-toxic and non-off-gassing
materials. The indoor air quality and the health of the inhabitants (I believe) are more important than anything else. In
the walls, perhaps using recycled plastic vapor barriers makes more sense.
Our society is undergoing a difficult transition as we move out of the Industrial Age and into the "Ecotopian" age. I
have many friends who would eschew any and all plastics, even if they were 100 percent recycled. I tend to be a little
more practical. While we have this over-abundance of plastic heading for a landfill, perhaps it is wise to use this up in
the form of recycled plastic products. I have set the next 5-7 years as a grace period for the use of recycled plastics in
my own practice. After such time, and the supply of virgin plastics have been reused, the need for any oil based
plastics will have been replaced with naturally based alternatives.
6. How can I determine if a material is green or not?

ANS-The biggest obstacle in the adoption of green materials is a lack of understanding of how to look at
materials. Our old method of "price first, features second, appearance last" is short sighted and explains
how we put ourselves in this environmental catastrophe.

The primary thing one must understand about green materials is to realize it is not black and white issue.
There is no one perfect green material. All materials have both positive and negative environmental
attributes. The key is in understanding which of these will benefit your specific project.

For example, many people will ask me if concrete is a "green" material. They want a simple "yes" or "no"
answer. But the real answer is not so black and white.

If we look at the good things about concrete:

•durable, (technically) recyclable, natural, non-off gassing, made from natural sand, stone, and water, and
•we can see it casually appears to be a green material.
But on the other hand, the bad thing about concrete is it's chief ingredient, Portland Cement. Portland
Cement is mined out of the Earth, heated to intense temperatures and as a by-product this releases tons of
greenhouse gas. Suddenly, the green concrete you hoped for is a potentially bad source of pollution.

7. Where can I purchase green building materials and products?

ANS-The primary complaint people make in regard to green materials is their inability to find them. Given
the ubiquity of such systems as LEED and Energy Star, finding green materials has never been easier.

Several clear sources come to mind:

Internet Searches: A recent search for "green materials" on the Internet yielded thousands of results. The
way to filter these into a usable form is to look to the experts.

Building Green- The publishers of the Environmental Building News and GreenSpec have put all of their
unbiased and perfectly presented information together in a wonderfully straightforward site. Their
reasonable fee (one week subscriptions start at $12.95) will provide access to their wealth of research
reports and product findings. Organized by CSI categories and Homeowner Categories, Building Green has
emerged as the Consumer Reports of green building.
Green Home Guide- Although targeted at homeowners, Green Home Guide provides reviews and
descriptions of green products by the real professionals using them. Their Know-How sections provide all
of the information you would need for greening a kitchen or a bathroom.
Sales Reps: If you already have relationships with the sales representatives coming to your office,
communicate to them your desire for more green products. Start the conversation and you will be
surprised by the suggestions they provide.
U.S. Green Building Council-A valuable source for data in regard to green building, great for making the
argument to skeptical developers and city officials. One of the reasons for the creation of the USGBC was
to provide a credible authority on green building, so use them as such. You can point to their combined
experience and knowledge to find hundreds of reports and case studies.
Local Showrooms: Each month new showrooms are opening up around the country offering green
materials. While these initially opened up around the green buildings hubs (San Francisco, Austin, Portland)
new stores are open in Santa Monica, Chicago, and even Fairfield, Iowa.
City Offices: Dozens of cities have a Department of the Environment or equivalent concerning themselves
with green building, environmental justice and toxics disposal. If you cannot locate one in your city, look at
the county and state level. Your local recycling collection company can also point you to a waste
management authority or commission. Such departments are invaluable resources and will be able to
provide you with information you never knew existed
8. Are there any building code restrictions on the use of green materials?

ANS-One would assume a building code would favor green materials, given their tendency toward less toxic
materials.

In reality, building codes have little input in regards to the finishes or fixtures in a building. Generally, codes
exist to protect the health, safety and welfare of the inhabitants. You should be able to use green finish
materials as freely as traditional building materials.

The structural members in a building (walls, floors or beams), do impact the occupant health, safety and
welfare, and, therefore, fall into the purview of the local building code.

Alternative materials such as straw bale or adobe, despite it's time tested history, are still not accepted by
many building departments. Cost-saving measures such as the use of finger jointed wood studs are also
frowned upon by the local building inspectors. You will have to check with your local building department
before planning any construction project with these non-traditional methods.

Any wood intended for structural use must be inspected and grade stamped prior to use, or it will not comply
with the building code. Ask the supplier for grade stamps, some provide this service in house for a reasonable
fee. This does not apply to finish and non-structural wood.

That said, it is always best to check with your local jurisdiction before using any materials.

9. Why should I care about green building?

ANS-With most of us spending more than 90% of our time indoors, green building is the healthy, common
sense choice for a better life. In traditional construction, the quality of our indoor environment is often far
more polluted than outdoor one due to the building materials, inadequate lighting, and a variety of other
variables.

Green Buildings are sited, designed, constructed and operated to enhance the well-being of occupants, and to
minimize negative impacts on the community and natural environment. Our buildings consume 40% of the
world's total energy, 25% of its wood harvest and 16% of its water. Compared to traditional construction, a
green built home takes some of this pressure off the environment.

Logically, our society can no longer build this way. It is simply a matter of time before we run out of the
resources needed. The sooner we change our habits and how we build our buildings, the better position we
will be in to minimize the devastation.

In the future, all buildings will be green. This is inevitable. Soon, we will have no choice.

But perhaps the best justification of Green Building is how you cannot afford to not employ green principles.
The occupants and owners of a building are losing money on every green feature they discarded. Architects
are in a position to save their clients a great deal of money in the operational costs of a building. After all, a
great deal more will be spent on the operations, maintenance and employees in a building than ever was spent
upon initial construction costs.

In short, a green building has the potential to:

Provide a healthier and more comfortable environment

Improve long-term economic performance
Incorporate energy and water efficient technologies
Reduce construction and demolition waste
Bring higher resale value
Include renewable energy technologies
Improve indoor air quality and occupant satisfaction
Are easier to maintain and built to las
10. This all seems to make logical sense to me. Why aren't ALL buildings built to be green?

ANS--Research has shown that 83% of designers feel they have a responsibility to offer green solutions to their
clients, but only 17% do so. They blame this difference on "not enough information."

In truth, the construction industry represents 20% of the U.S. economy, comprising $1.27 trillion of our gross
domestic product. With such large amounts of money and influence, the construction industry is inherently
risk adverse. We have been building our buildings in relatively the same fashion for the last hundred years.
What is the incentive for an architect, contractor or developer to add risk?

Luckily, the numerous benefits within green building are causing the industry to take notice. The initial
acceptance was towards green finishes, where the risk is low. After all, it is the same exact process to install a
bamboo floor as an old growth wood floor.

The next wave of adoption was in systems to add to the building. Solar panels can be placed on the roof
without much risk. They are simply added to the project much in the way one would add a heating system.

The final surge in acceptance is now being seen in structural systems of the building. This final obstacle is
slowly being overcome as developers realize a stuck frame building in Minnesota is different from a stick frame
building in Arizona.

Platform and balloon frame construction have been around since the 1830's. Invented as a direct result of the
mass production of nails and dimensional lumber, balloon framing allowed low skill workers to put together a
building. At the time, this system was ideal for the rapidly growing population and their expansion westward.
The art of joinery was almost completely lost and millions of new homes were able to be built in areas
previously thought impossible.

Now we see the limitations and problems with such a system. Once you build out of sticks, the structure has to
be insulated, sheathed, wrapped and waterproofed. All of these weaknesses are opportunities for you as the
designer to minimize the ecological impact.

The trick to widespread adoption lies in showing the industry the benefits far outweigh any perceived risk. In
order to build out of an alternative construction method, you will have to sell client and contractor on the idea
in order to succeed. You can do this in three simple ways:

1.Experiment with a productized construction system: rather than start with building out of Adobe, perhaps an
easier sell to your client would be an alternative construction system sold as a product. Green construction
methods such as Structural Insulated Panels (SIP's) and Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF's) have emerged as a
viable alternative to the 175 year old method of frame building.
2.Visit other construction sites using this technology; see firsthand how other builders are using these
materials. Talk to them about the process.
3.Ask your sales representative for help: when reviewing any product, the sales reps are there to support your
decision making. Ask them to present to your client or contractor in order to convince them of the viability of
this material.