The concept of sustainable development can be traced to the energy
(especially fossil oil) crisis and the environment pollution concern in
the 1970s.[7] The green building movement in the U.S. originated from the need and desire for more energy efficient and environmentally friendly
construction practices. There are a number of motives for building
green, including environmental, economic, and social benefits. However,
modern sustainability initiatives call for an integrated and synergistic
design to both new construction and in the retrofitting of existing structures. Also known as sustainable design,
this approach integrates the building life-cycle with each green
practice employed with a design-purpose to create a synergy among the
practices used.
Green building brings together a vast array of practices, techniques,
and skills to reduce and ultimately eliminate the impacts of buildings
on the environment and human health. It often emphasizes taking
advantage of renewable resources, e.g., using sunlight through passive solar, active solar, and photovoltaic techniques and using plants and trees through green roofs, rain gardens,
and reduction of rainwater run-off. Many other techniques are used,
such as using wood as a building material, or using packed gravel or
permeable concrete instead of conventional concrete or asphalt to
enhance replenishment of ground water.
While the practices, or technologies, employed in green building are
constantly evolving and may differ from region to region, fundamental
principles persist from which the method is derived: Siting and Structure Design Efficiency, Energy Efficiency, Water Efficiency, Materials Efficiency, Indoor Environmental Quality Enhancement, Operations and Maintenance Optimization, and Waste and Toxics Reduction.[8][9]
The essence of green building is an optimization of one or more of
these principles. Also, with the proper synergistic design, individual
green building technologies may work together to produce a greater
cumulative effect.
On the aesthetic side of green architecture or sustainable design
is the philosophy of designing a building that is in harmony with the
natural features and resources surrounding the site. There are several
key steps in designing sustainable buildings: specify 'green' building
materials from local sources, reduce loads, optimize systems, and
generate on-site renewable energy.
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