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Abstract
The term ‘green’ is one of the most frequently used but widely misunderstood concepts in the architecture industry. A green architecture does not involve just painting the exterior of a building with yellow and green color paints, but is the concept of developing environmentally responsive building. It is an umbrella term which encompasses many aspects (technological, political, environmental etc) of socially responsible architecture.
A green building is a structure which makes use of non-polluting and renewable materials both during the construction process and later in the usage of the facility built. Green architecture does not just denote an end result but also indicates the path that leads to it. It is about harmony between manmade structures and the nature. An architect is empowered to change the entire nature of a building just by the stroke of his pen and by specifying eco-friendly building materials with low carbon emission capabilities he can ensure the building is safe, to its residents and the environment.
How Green Architecture can help save our planet?
The concept of the Green Architecture started gaining attention and importance since the publication of Brundtland Commission’s report “Our Common Future”, in the year 1987. Half a decade ago, the sustainable building concept was almost non-existent and huge buildings which consumed monstrous amount of energy were the order of the day. There were buildings with permanent artificial light fixtures planned and erected in huge scale, instead of the traditional natural daylight and ventilation facilitating designs. The trend of building structures that are not eco-friendly started at the later part of the eighteenth century. Thanks to the industrial revolution, many buildings where constructed with what we may call ‘unsustainable’ architecture. Because of the many new technological innovations that flooded the market during that period, mechanical systems were used almost for every basic purpose such as ventilation and heating.
Earlier to the eighteenth century, buildings were not so energy consuming and were built with the best possible resources suited to the climate and environment. The best examples of the architectural principles followed those days can be got from the Vitruvius’ Ten Books on Architecture. So, the origin of Green Architecture can be traced back to many centuries earlier. This last half century saw consolidation of various theories and techniques that could be used for modern design of Green Architecture.
Today, modern buildings account for almost forty percent of greenhouse gas emission in the United States alone. That is why many construction companies today advertise about LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified buildings. LEED is a worldwide recognized certification, given to buildings which fulfill all requirements of green architecture. Buildings basically consume three types of energy.
- The embedded or production energy is the energy consumed for the construction process of the structure. It involves energy utilized for actions such as demolition, assembly and production.
- The operating energy is the energy needed for the upkeep of the building and maintaining the comfort level for its inhabitants. The energy utilized for ventilation, heating and lighting etc., falls into this category.
- The induced energy is the energy utilized indirectly for either construction or upkeep of the building. For example, it includes energy used for processes such as transporting building and commuter traffic.
In this age of dwindling fossil fuel, it is of paramount importance to use energy efficient solutions in almost all walks of life. So it is apparent why green buildings are a must for the welfare of the planet.
Optimization is the main element that differentiates a Green building from others. The following are the main techniques used to construct a green building
- Minimizing waste – The most common techniques used in green architecture are simple ideas which would bring down wastage to minimum. For example ordering the entire materials required to build a structure beforehand to avoid unnecessary transit and recycling the waste that occurs as a result of building process are some techniques used in green building
- Maximum Utilization of the available Space- The traditional saltbox modeled buildings are good examples of this technique. These buildings have Colonial style huge south facing windows and a small northern facing window. This design facilitates limiting the heat loss during the winter season by blocking the cold northern winds. Such tactical use of space can minimize energy usage required for heating, cooling and lighting needs of the building.
- Water manageability- To ensure the sustainability of any structure a builder should see to that he aptly manages the way in which the building interacts and stores, water, air and snow. The building should be able to direct moisture away from it and possess proper vapor barriers. In water scarce areas one of the main green building practices involves using downspouts to collect and use rain water for landscape watering. Also the runoff water produced during the construction process should be properly treated to avoid polluting the nearby lakes or other water resources. Usage of low-flow bath fixtures and re-circulating hot-water methods are other common green techniques.
- Thermal Integrity- Insulation is today a necessity rather than luxury. Use of fiberglass, sprayed on polystyrene sheets etc. can save a lot of energy involved in heating the building. Roofs with radiant barriers reflect sun’s energy and allows very limited amount of sun to filter down the building. Thermal storage technologies are also very useful in providing an alternate form of energy to the building.
Many commercial centers are today opting for green Architecture purely for advertising reasons. By erecting Sustainable building the companies do not just cut their upkeep cost but also enhance their public image as they are contributing towards environmental pollution. The Meydan shopping complex in Istanbul, Turkey is one of the fitting examples of Green Architecture. This wonderful city which has historically connected two continents (Europe and Asia) has acquired a wonderful tourist attraction by way of this building. The Meydan centre at first sight looks like any of the other busy shopping centers with over 50 shopping outlets and a movie theatre. But the highlight of the building is its synergy with the environment and its 30,000 m2 green roof embedded with meadow vegetation. It was designed by Foreign Office Architects of London and is a great example of how even a buzzing place like a shopping mall can co-exist in concord with nature. Some of the other modern day examples for Green building are
- Adam Joseph Lewis Center in Oberlin, Ohio.
- Forestry and Nature Research in the Netherlands (1998)
- The Menara Mesiniaga Tower in Malaysia (1992).
- Google building in Kerala, India
Source: Forbes magazine
It is evident from the recent statistics that fossil energy is becoming rarer by every passing day and soon it would become too expensive to afford. It is a global problem and no country is immune to it. We have to find a quick transition plan and should find newer methods to harness energy from available resources. So energy conservation and use of alternate energy forms is a must if we have to postpone a global economic crisis. And Green architecture is one way of doing it.
Conclusion
Many nations, Like Dubai, for example are making it mandatory that all new buildings should be constructed using Green Architecture technologies (Source: Green Building specifications, Dubai Government). With so many environmental problems like pollution and global warming looming over our planet, every single solution to preserve our nature is precious and should be followed without excuses. Today 25% of the world’s population lives without electricity. But basic electricity requirement of these people, for their fundamental needs such as light at night and pumping water, would amount to just one percent of the entire energy demand that prevails today. As responsible citizens, it is our duty to ensure that we take all the necessary steps to provide our children a safe and pollution free planet which is devoid of any energy crisis. Green architecture, through its vast array of techniques, helps us to eliminate the adverse effects caused by buildings on the environment and thus helps us take a huge step towards living in harmony with the nature.
References
Osman Attmann. Green Architecture: Advanced Technologies and Materials. DEFINITIONS AND OPERATIONALIZATIONS OF GREEN ARCHITECTURE. (McGraw-Hill Professional, 2010).
Dean Hawkes, The Environmental Imagination: Technics and poetics of the architectural environment, (Routledge, London & New York, 2008).
Melissa Hincha-Ownby. Forbes. (August 13, 2010) Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/2010/08/12/lewis-center-oberlin-technology-green-buildings.html
Dubai Government. Green Building Regulations and Specifications. Retrieved from http://www.dewa.gov.ae/images/greenbuilding_eng.pdf (Accessed May 14, 2013)
