City of Virginia Beach Pattern Book What is Green Building?
Green Building is an approach to design and construction that minimizes or eliminates the negative impacts of buildings on the environment (i.e. water use/waste water, energy use/CO2 emissions, raw material mining/harvesting, and material and chemical waste) and the people who occupy them (i.e. chemicals in building materials that may affect indoor air quality). Green Building considers the entire life cycle of a structure from the design of the site and building, to the construction process, to the level of energy consumption required for ongoing maintenance.
A green building may be built using different methods and materials, but may look identical to a traditionally-constructed building. Some examples of green buildings techniques include: reflective metal or vegetation-covered roofs to reduce heat-gain; walls and floors made of recycled or locally harvested materials; heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems that rely on renewable energy sources such as solar, wind or geothermal; and many others. Green building design often incorporates innovative methods to utilize or redirect sunlight, throughout the year, in order to minimize the need to turn on electric lights.
Do Green Buildings Cost More? Not necessarily. Green building techniques and materials technology have evolved over the years. Prices of many eco-friendly building materials now fall within a range that is accessible to the average household. Today, many designers and developers are very familiar with green building practices and are able to apply them in cost-effective ways. Energy efficiency is a major component of green building design. Although green buildings can
Pattern Book Chapter 5: Specialty Design
have higher up-front costs, they will save homeowners money in the long-run on utility costs.
Why Build Green?
Green buildings can lead to a cleaner environment, better health and a stronger economy. Buildings consume two-thirds of all electricity used in the United States. Green Buildings can reduce energy consumption of an individual
structure by up to 40%. Building
construction and demolition create 136 million tons of waste per year. Green buildings encourage recycling and reuse of materials to reduce waste in our landfills. Most people spend hours in buildings where the air inside can be worse than outdoors. Green buildings make interiors cleaner, healthier and more comfortable. The benefits of green buildings are numerous and together
they create a
convincing case for changing the way we approach the construction and maintenance of buildings and homes.
Five Reasons to Go Green
1. Reduced energy and water consumption 2. Improved environmental health 3. Improved occupant health 4. Increased property value 5. Increased local economic growth
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