There’s currently lots of hype about ‘green’ buildings, but what exactly does it mean? An expert explains.
“Buildings are one of the heaviest consumers of natural resources and account for a significant portion of the greenhouse gas emissions that affect climate change,” says Craig Hallowes, spokesperson for the Association of Property Unit Trusts (APUT). “We have a responsibility to ensure that the built environment contributes to a turnaround in global warming.”
According to the US Green Building Council (USGBC), on a worldwide basis, buildings account for 17% of fresh water withdrawals, 25% of the wood harvest, 33% of the CO2 emissions and 40% of material and energy use (45% in China). This magnitude of consumption underlines the need for the built environment to adopt more sustainable practices as these levels clearly can’t continue.
Enter the “green building”
To prevent further degradation of the environment, property developers are increasingly adopting sustainable building practices, which has led to the emergence of the green building.
A green building is a one that is energy efficient, resource efficient and environmentally responsible. It is a building which “significantly reduces or eliminates its negative impact on the environment and its occupants” (Green Building Council of Australia). Such a building can reduce energy consumption by as much as 70%, while having a dramatic impact on greenhouse gases and climate change (Green Building Council of South Africa).
Green building practices
The development of a green building starts with the selection of its location and the site planning. It continues with the building design and architecture with specific features incorporated to ensure the most efficient use of resources as well as being mindful of the type of materials used. And finally, the interior design and fittings as well as the management of the building are planned to utilise inputs efficiently.
The following factors are considered when developing a green building:
When properly designed, buildings can result in reduced operating costs by increasing productivity and using less energy and water as well as reduced environmental impacts by, for example, lessening storm water runoff.
There are many different measures that can be taken to make a building more efficient in its use of resources. Some examples are given below.
Examples of specific elements of green buildings
“While not all of these elements can be retrofitted to an existing building, the Property Unit Trust management companies are looking at as many ways as possible to enhance the sustainability of the buildings,” notes Hallowes. “Retrofitting of existing buildings can, in fact, yield remarkable energy and resources saving results. In addition, new projects provide considerable scope for embracing green principles.”
“As an Association, we fully support the move to green buildings,” adds Hallowes.