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New Trend in Architecture – Green Building

Summing up the first decades of the green building trend, one expert said, “When all was said and done, there was a lot more said than done.”

Well, that adage has been turned upside down in the last ten years. Call it Green Building 2.0! A new, exciting wave of buildings for residential and commercial use boost eco-friendly design and systems using sustainable materials and methods.

The process begins with architecture.  Designing and building the proper form of a structure to sustain functions allows living and working in ways that have less negative impact on the environment.

Why Do Builders Go Green?

There are several reasons why green designs are rising in numbers and stature around the world.

The Demand

Per the U.S. Green Building Council, “Buildings are responsible for an enormous amount of global energy use, resource consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions.” We’d all like that to change, and, to borrow from Gandhi’s famous line, we want to support the change we want to see in the world. That means living and working in buildings that cause less harm to the environment and perhaps even benefit it. While this vision is most prevalent among Millennials, it is taking root across all demographics.

Corporate Image

Perhaps we’re being a touch cynical here, so more positively stated, the developers of the eco-friendly buildings in which we live and work want to be responsible corporate citizens. Green buildings are good for their image because they are better for the world.

Environmental Reasons

More core than demand and image, here are the reasons and percentages of respondents in a global survey that gave them for building green:

  • Reduced energy consumption – 72%
  • Lowered greenhouse gas emissions – 27%
  • Protected natural resources – 27%
  • Reduced water consumption – 25%
  • Improved indoor air quality (IAQ) – 17%

These 2012 figures from the World Green Building Council’s Smart Market Report show significant growth in most categories over 2008 numbers.

How Green Are Builders Getting?

Saying that a building is green is a sure bet only if it is sheathed in a forest green or rich emerald. When the discussion is about a building’s environmental impact, then the issue is one of degrees. It’s far easier to implement green building practices in new construction. However, the clear majority of the world’s buildings were erected before the move to eco-safe construction was popular.

In light of that, information from the Smart Market Report lists categories of green building products used around the world with recent data (2012) and projected figures for 2017. Most of the products are part of retrofitting an existing building. Here are the numbers from key categories. The first figure is 2012; the second is what is projected for 2017 based on surveys of building owners and managers:

  • Electrical such as photovoltaic panels: 63% / 62% (the only category where the percentage decreased)
  • Mechanical such as efficient HVAC systems: 60% / 63%
  • Heat/Moisture Protection such as vapor barriers to prevent air leaks: 60% / 64%
  • Building automation for lighting and other systems: 57% / 62%
  • Waste Management such as recycling/reuse programs: 52% / 61%
  • Furnishings such as those made with recycled and/or recyclable materials: 34% / 44%

The report states that 89% of all respondents reported making advancements in at least one category. The countries where the most buildings are being outfitted with green building materials are Singapore (100%), Brazil (96%), and South Africa (96%). By contrast, the U.K. (85%) and the U.S. (84%) are among the industrialized countries that are lagging.

The most sustainable office in the world, the head office of Geelen Counterflow in Haelen, the Netherlands. 99,94% score in the international Breeam certification system. Completely constructed from sustainablyforested wood and generating 50% more solar energy than it consumes. (PRNewsFoto/Geelen Counterflow)

Today’s Greenest Buildings

Here’s a short list to get you started on exploring structures on the cutting edge of building green.

The head office of Geelen Counterflow in the Netherlands (see above and see featured image above) has been called “the most sustainable office building in the world.” Among its green practices is the use of solar energy that generates 50 percent more electricity than required to power the building. All materials used in construction, including recycled timber, are sustainable.

The K2 apartments in Victoria, Australia, is a 92-unit development built in 2007 that is the winner of many prestigious awards. The complex boasts low greenhouse gas emissions through using less than 50 percent of the norm for electricity, natural gas, and water. Rainwater is treated for human use, and greywater is recycled as two of the development’s resource-conserving practices.

Taipei 101 in Taiwan is dubbed the world’s tallest green building for its LEED Platinum certification, the highest awarded by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design organization.

One Angel Square Manchester, UK achieved an “Outstanding” rating by BREEAM, the Building Research Established Environmental Assessment Methodology. Its green methods include a combined heat and power (CHP) plant fed by pure plant oil that produces excess electricity to send back to the grid. LED lighting, recycled waste, and rainwater are also utilized.

Other buildings worth investigating for their sustainability include Shanghai Tower in China, One Bryant Park in NYC, The Crystal in London, and the beautifully designed Micro Emission Sun-Moon Mansion in Dezhou, China.

The Central Role of Manufacturers

Green buildings wouldn’t be the success they are without manufacturers making necessary production adjustments for energy-efficient equipment systems and the parts to support them. Nowhere is this more evident than in the various fields of clean, alternative energy such as geothermal, solar, and wind. In 2015, $396 billion AUD was invested globally in renewable energy while just $180 billion was invested in fossil fuel development.

This increase in demand for clean energy means, according to one manufacturer, that, “…manufacturers of equipment used to produce carbon-based, fossil fuel-derived electricity are discovering that the designs of some of their equipment must be adapted for use with alternative energy sources.” Making those changes turns the vision of alternative energy into reality.

The eco-shift from fossil fuel-derived power to alternative/renewable sources is a flow:

  1. The need: Change must happen
  2. The vision: Change can happen
  3. The demand: Make the change to green buildings that use alternative energy!
  4. The investment: Here’s $396 billion AUD to make the changes
  5. The manufacturing: Here’s the equipment and parts required to change to clean, renewable energy
  6. The implementation: We have changed the world!

What part will you play in supporting the change you want to see in the world? It might be as simple as advocating for green building updates through the first three steps above where you live or work. If you’re a decision-maker in those settings or a building owner, an investor or manufacturer, then your role is found in steps 4-6.

The change is possible; be the change you want to see for a greener world.

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Environmental Emphasis: The Sustainable Home Recycled

The American dream of a large, palatial home filled with possessions is dying. Simply put, this concept is no longer a sustainable option. Rethinking dreams and ideals is what environmental consciousness is all about, a spur to something brand-new and exciting.

Many of us really ‘live’ in only a portion of our spacious homes. Usually, those rooms will be the kitchen and living room area. Do we need all that extra space that we are paying to heat, cool and maintain? A small home constructed with eco-friendly living space has multiple advantages. First of all, small living quarters can give the illusion of light and space to rest the soul without large actual size. Manageability in heating and cooling will grant freedom from high monthly overhead, not to mention real estate taxes and maintenance.

The key to smallness is design. Proper design can give efficient kitchen, bathroom and storage space without the appearance of crowding.

A practical component to smaller living space is the need divest oneself of excessive possessions. Emancipation from the care and purchase of multiple wanted items can be revolutionary. Lifestyle simplification is a very positive benefit of smaller living spaces.

Location, location, location. This is the realtor’s rallying cry, an especially important issue when the goal is an eco-friendly lifestyle. The wrong location can put the kibosh on an environmentally efficient living plan.
For instance, will there be an area of routine sunlight for solar panels? Is the soil and location suitable to grow some food? Will there be proper air circulation and drainage to provide some natural cooling for the home? Is there a way to walk or take public transportation when leaving the home for school or work?

Choices of building materials for the ecologically-friendly house are so diverse and creative that they are mind-boggling. We will begin with some concepts to keep in mind. Builder-speak specifies the need for a ‘tight envelope’. Simply put, the better a building keeps out rain, wind, cold and heat, the better the envelope.

An unusual recommendation for tight insulating material is recycled steel. At least 65 tons of steel are scrapped and recycled every year, and it can be used economically in the place of forest products for beams and structural support.

Insulated concrete buildings reportedly saved 20 percent more energy than homes constructed with wood framing in cold climates. The secret is in pouring the concrete into walls with insulation material sandwiched between. Creativity with cement and its forms is practically limitless.

Straw is a by-product of the grain industry that is well-known for its isolative qualities. Animals are bedded with straw. Today, people take advantage of straw by building homes from square bales.At first, this concept may seem a lesson in disaster. What if it becomes wet, or filled with insects?

At first, this concept may seem a lesson in disaster. What if it becomes wet, or filled with insects?
Good questions.

According to the California Straw Building Association, straw will last for thousands of years if kept dry. Dryness is paramount. The key is bonding the straw with stucco and plaster for walls and the outside surface. When that is accomplished, straw bales provide structure and good isolative qualities.
Local building ordinances do not often account for straw construction, but, on a case-by-case basis, authorities can manage the situation positively.

Plastic bags seem the quintessential environmental plague. However, if you have recycled them, they may just turn up as a building resource. Brightly coloured bricks are made from plastic bags, which are very difficult to recycle in other ways. The bags are compressed and placed in a heat mould and forced into blocks of plastic. They are too lightweight to be used as outside or bearing walls for a home but are just right to use for room dividers or outside patios.

Bottles become bricks with just a little bit of attention to their design. The Heineken company originated this concept. The owner of the brewery, Alfred Henry Heineken, visited an island in the Caribbean in the 1960’s and was appalled at the lack of housing. Forthwith the company embarked upon a new, brick-shaped bottle that could be reused and built into housing walls.

Some people think that recycling already-used building products will result in derelict design or poor durability. Nothing could be farther than the truth! Though going through old construction waste and configuring it to meet new construction needs is difficult and time-consuming, it can result in a truly unique tribute to home artistry and design.

An internet service called freecycle.org is a site for people wanting to buy or trade construction materials. Habitat for Humanity retails outlets called ReStores that have used and surplus building supplies for sale. The money garnered from the sales is used to financially aid Habitat’s building endeavours for those in need.

Recycling is truly a momentous endeavour today. The technology to recycle just about everything has geared up and produces products from recycled carpet to reformed glass for windows. Agricultural by-products, cardboard, and paper are routinely shredded into home insulation and pressed into particle board. Recycled plastic foam and concrete are formed into Rasta building blocks, lightweight and extremely durable.

The sustainable home concept is thriving through new technologies and the creativity and innovation of builders everywhere.

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Produce Pesticide Residues – EWG’s Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen Annual Updates

The Environmental Workers Group (EWG) ranks popular produce by analyzing pesticide residue testing data from the U.S.D.A. and the F.D.A. From this information, they rank produce for their Clean 15 list and their Dirty Dozen list.

The 2016 Dirty Dozen

The Dirty Dozen list is a list of the popular produce with the highest pesticide residue. Number one on the list is the “dirtiest” or most pesticide laden. For the past 5 years, apples have topped the list. This year they have been outranked. Strawberries now top the list. One their website, the EWG states the following in regards to the Dirty Dozen:

Key findings:

  • More than 98 percent of strawberry samples, peaches, nectarines, and apples tested positive for at least one pesticide residue.
  • The average potato had more pesticides by weight than any other produce.
  • A single grape sample and a sweet bell pepper sample contained 15 pesticides.
  • Single samples of strawberries showed 17 different pesticides.

The list is a warning. If you do not want to ingest toxic food, these are the conventional fruits and vegetables to avoid. Don’t choose these fruits and vegetables unless they are organic. Washing does not remove all pesticide traces. In some cases, peeling them does not remove all pesticides. This year’s Dirty Dozen list is as follows:

  1. Strawberries
  2. Apples
  3. Nectarines
  4. Peaches
  5. Celery
  6. Grapes
  7. Cherries
  8. Spinach
  9. Tomatoes
  10. Sweet bell peppers
  11. Cherry tomatoes
  12. Cucumbers

Hot peppers and leafy greens don’t meet the criteria to be ranked on the Dirty Dozen but they are a special concern because they are often contaminated with residue of highly toxic pesticides including organophosphate and carbamate insecticides. Some of these chemicals have been banned from use on other crops because they but are still allowed for use on peppers and greens. Organophosphates are neurotoxins that have been linked to low birth weight, low IQ, and disrupted brain development. Without question these greens and hot peppers should be on the “choose organic only” list.

The 2016 Clean 15

The Clean Fifteen are the top popular produce items that are the safest choices for conventional produce. The number 1 ranked avocado is the “cleanest.” There is one thing to keep in mind, however. Organic is best. And while corn and papayas may be relatively clean as far as pesticide residue, it is still wise to choose organic to avoid GMOs. Conventionally grown corn and papaya may be GM crops. One their website, the EWG states the following in regards to the Clean 15:

Key findings:

  • Avocados were the cleanest: only 1 percent of avocado samples showed any detectable pesticides.
  • Some 89 percent of pineapples, 81 percent of papayas, 78 percent of mangoes, 73 percent of kiwi and 62 percent of cantaloupes had no residues.
  • No single fruit sample from the Clean Fifteen™ tested positive for more than 4 types of pesticides.
  • Multiple pesticide residues are extremely rare on Clean Fifteen™ vegetables. Only 5.5 percent of Clean Fifteen samples had two or more pesticides.

The Clean 15

  1. Avocados
  2. Sweet Corn
  3. Pineapples
  4. Cabbage
  5. Sweet peas frozen
  6. Onions
  7. Asparagus
  8. Mangos
  9. Papayas
  10. Kiwi
  11. Eggplant
  12. Honeydew Melon
  13. Grapefruit
  14. Cantaloupe
  15. Cauliflower

For a downloadable version of the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15, check out the EWG website.

Recommended Reading:

Four Ways to Compliment Your Energy Efficient Windows

Although you may find it hard to love your energy efficient windows any more than you already do thanks to their beauty, longevity, and eco-friendliness, it turns out you can do even more to make your windows work for your home. There are a lot of accessories and add-ons that can not only make your eco-friendly windows more attractive, they’ll also help further protect and insulate your home during winter. Below, we’ve listed our four favorite ways to compliment your energy efficient windows with easy upgrades.

Insulated Drapes

Although energy efficient windows are unmatched in their ability to keep your home warm and the cold air out during the winter, insulated drapes can provide even more protection against that chilly air. What sets these panels apart from regular heavy curtains is that they contain a thermal liner that helps block drafts and moisture and reflects heat back into the room. Plus, they come in nearly every color and print imaginable, so you should have no trouble finding just the right look for your space.

Wood Finish

Wood windows are prized for their natural beauty, but they require a lot of maintenance and can crack and warp in severe weather. Nowadays, energy efficient windows come in realistic wood finishes that are nearly indistinguishable from the real thing. So, if you’re planning on installing new energy efficient windows, consider going with this natural look. You can also consider switching the interior cladding to real wood. Wood is a great insulator and can help add beauty and thermal protection inside while the energy efficient portion does its job protecting your home from the elements.

Shades

Many windows, energy efficient included, now come with integrated shades sandwiched between the glass panes that can be raised and lowered by external cranks. Or, you can choose to simply install shades inside your window frame. Both options help insulate your home and can add a great decorative touch that really ties the room together. From minimal honeycomb to elegant roman panels, shades are available in all sorts of styles, colors, and materials to match the look and feel of your home. Plus, shades offer privacy whenever you need it — simply pull them down and you’re done!

Decorative Insulated Glass

Another great way to enhance a window is with decorative insulated glass. This feature consists of two or three panels of glass with argon gas trapped between. The panes have a low-emittance coating on the surface, which further helps control heat transfer in all seasons. Nowadays, insulated glass comes in a variety of decorative patterns and textures that can create a great accent piece in a doorway, add beauty to front-facing windows, or add privacy for bathroom windows.

There are lots of great ways to enhance the beauty of your energy efficient windows and help them further increase the eco-friendliness of your home. Whether you’re still deciding on the energy efficient windows you want to install or you want to enhance your existing windows, there are tons of customization options available. What accents do you prefer for your energy efficient windows?

Eco-Friendly Landscaping: Helping Ensure the Future

For many people, landscaping is a form of personal and artistic expression. It’s also a desire to improve the quality of life for the entire community. Lush beautiful gardens are a delight to those taking neighborhood strolls, and more than one life-long friendship has begun with appreciation of natural beauty freely shared and the exchange of gardening secrets. Landscaping is also a great way to incorporate more of the beauty of nature into urban environments.

A combination of events such as increasing energy and water costs and global warming have caused homeowners to consider the far-reaching benefits of eco-friendly landscaping. To make your landscaping more eco-friendly, there are a number of things you can do. Eco-friendly landscaping doesn’t just reduce global warming and the cost of yard maintenance, though. It usually reduces the amount of work required for upkeep, which leaves more time for enjoying your yard.

Replacing Traditional Lawns

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “…maintenance over a 20-year span for a non-native turf grass landscape can cost almost seven times more than the cumulative costs of maintenance for a native prairie or wetland.” The high cost of maintaining a traditional lawn isn’t just economic, though. Research shows that lawn maintenance produces greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.

The fertilizer and pesticides commonly used are also a source of potential pollution of groundwater. As public awareness of the negative environmental impact of traditional lawn maintenance has increased, many states have begun providing information for their residents on how they can make their own home environments as healthy as they are welcoming.

For those who love greenery and the look of a lawn, one alternative is planting clover. Clover contains natural insect repellents and competes well against weeds, reducing the need for pesticides.

Native Plants

One way to reduce water costs and honor the particular environment you’ve chosen as your home is by using plants that are native to your area. Native plants require less maintenance and they have developed a natural resistance to common pests and diseases, reducing the need to use pesticides. An additional benefit is that they attract beneficial insects and local wildlife.

Xeriscaping is a set of seven design principles introduced in Colorado to help people utilize native plants to help conserve water. Some critics claim that these principles limit their choices too much. However, if plants native to your area don’t provide enough variety, there are many disease-resistant plants available that provide beauty as well as variety.

Garden Plots

Growing concerns about the health effects of genetically modified foods is another reason many people are choosing to replace at least part of their lawns with low-maintenance garden plots that produce fresh organic fruits and vegetables. According to experts, drip irrigation systems deliver water directly to your plants with 90 percent efficiency, compared to the 50 to 70 percent efficiency of traditional sprinkler systems.

This new trend has led many communities to begin gardening cooperatives in which each member grows one or two items, and everyone comes together to trade items after the harvest. One advantage is that everyone is able to enjoy a wide variety of fresh vegetables without the difficult task of creating multiple soil conditions and planting and watering schedules for different plants. Fruit trees provide shade in addition to fresh fruit, and also raise real estate values. Deciduous trees that drop their leaves in the fall can help cool your home in the summer and provide compost for flower beds. Trees typically don’t require much maintenance so there’s really no reason you should skip on planting some in your garden!

Natural Pesticides

Unlike chemical pesticides, natural pesticides won’t seep into the ground water causing contamination of drinking water. One natural pesticide, made from the pyrethrum plant (Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium) is rated highly effective against a large number of insects.

Another natural pesticide can be made by soaking ground onions or garlic in warm water overnight. After straining, the liquid is sprayed on flowers and fruit trees. This natural insecticide is especially effective against aphids and apple borers.

These examples of eco-friendly landscaping prove that we can help preserve the earth without sacrificing beauty or variety.

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