Explained: The concepts of green architecture and green buildings
You may have come across brilliant pieces of architecture and colossal structures that literally make you marvel at them! Architects around the world continue to create outstanding buildings through innovative ideas. One such innovative idea is the concept of green architecture! What is it, actually? It’s an approach that minimizes the harmful effects of construction on people and the environment. A green architect attempts to protect air, water, and land around his creation by choosing environment-friendly materials and practices. Did you know constructions and buildings account for around 39% of carbon dioxide emissions? Environmentally sound construction practices can help us reduce this and safeguard the environment. So let us explore the world of green architecture and the concept of green buildings!
What is a green building?
What do you call a building created with the concept of green architecture? You guessed it right, a green building! Green buildings have minimum negative impact on their surroundings. They are built with a focus on conserving energy and preserving the biodiversity of the area. However, there is no one perfect way to make a green building. Green buildings utilize eco-friendly and recycled materials. Architects and engineers work with builders and organizations to find sustainable materials. Even the residents of a green building have to participate by minimizing individual energy consumption, water, and general resources. It takes the entire community to make environment-friendly lifestyle choices to make and sustain a green building!
The characteristics of a green building
Every green building features a few unique qualities. Here are they:
- Use of energy, water, and space efficiently
- Eco-friendly construction, design, and operation
- Good indoor air quality
- Enables reuse and recycling
- Measures to reduce pollution and waste management
- Use of solar energy
- Good designs that enable adaptations to a changing environment.
- Use of nontoxic, ethical, and sustainable materials
Not all green buildings will be exactly alike or have all these characteristics. Any building made with the environment in mind can be a green building. Also, different countries and regions have different climates, cultures, and environments. This is why green buildings differ across regions and countries to cater to local conditions. Here are some examples of green buildings worldwide.
Green buildings around the world
- The Vertical Forest of Milan, Italy, built in 2014, is a residential building designed by the Boeri Studio. The building is home to more than thousand planted shrubs. These plants help absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen.
- The Edge is a building located in the Zuidas business district, Amsterdam. It is an office building completely covered in solar panels. Along with the solar panels, the building has digital LED ceilings that adjust according to lighting needs.
- The Bahrain World Trade Complex (2004) is located in Manama, Bahrain. It boasts of three giant wind turbines in its design of the building itself! These wind turbines can fulfil 15% of the energy requirements of the entire complex. This is a bold example of building efficiency into design.
- The Shilda Complex in Kakheti, Georgia, (2016) takes inspiration and celebrates wines, from harvesting to consuming! The building uses the soil to cool down on a sunny day and maintain the internal temperature where wine is stored. This reduces the building’s energy consumption to regulate internal temperatures.