Green Building

Certainly not a greenhouse, Wikipedia defines green building as:

Green building (also known as green construction or sustainable building) refers to a structure and using process that is environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition. This practice expands and complements the classical building design concerns of economy, utility, durability, and comfort.


Although new technologies are constantly being developed to complement current practices in creating greener structures, the common objective is that green buildings are designed to reduce the overall impact of the built environment on human health and the natural environment by:


· Efficiently using energy, water, and other resources


· Protecting occupant health and improving employee productivity


· Reducing waste, pollution and environmental degradation

Our ‘Passivhaus’ article has rated consistently as one of our top posts since February. ‘LEED’ building standards were one topic of Calgary Architect Jeremy Stugess’s presentation a few months ago. ‘Built Green’ is being advertised locally and that is exciting to see.  Much has has been written about sustainable building and Kimberley put on a great conference for us on the topic. Even if you are not in the market for a new home, some of the creative ideas are fun to look at.

All these new 'green' standards have a great purpose but naturally differ in who set them and what was set. New techniques and heightened interest in building responsibly can be confusing for the consumer so asking questions and doing some reading will help to clarify what is important for the buyer.

For whom are the standards set – the builder or the buyer or both?

Who set the standards?

How rigorously are the standards enforced?

What qualifications do the builders and inspectors have?

Does the municipality have any regulations or preferences as to standards and are they enforced?

Are there examples of LEED, Passivhaus or BuiltGreen or other to see in your area?

and check out these web sites:-

http://www.nrdc.org/buildinggreen/leed.asp

http://www.passivhaus.org.uk/

http://www.builtgreencanada.ca/
http://www.builtgreencanada.ca/content.php?id=262

http://www.environmentalsciencedegrees.net/blog/2010/25-best-blogs-at-the-forefront-of-sustainable-building/