Green is a color. However, these days, with people getting more conscious about the health of the environment, “green” has become a symbol for the environment. Architectures should be environmentally friendly these days to maintain the wellness of the environment. “Green Architecture” is the best way to promote environmentally friendly architecture.
Green Architecture
Green Architecture is designs and constructions that are more sensitive to the needs of the environment. This form of construction and design promotes energy-saving, sustainable development. This also uses environmentally friendly materials. This style of architecture is not only sensitive to the needs of the environment during its construction, but even after years the certain building is made. Green architecture is an innovative exploration of architecture in relation with ecology.
Key point
The key point of green architecture is to be in harmony with its surrounding environment. Everything with green architecture must coexist in harmony with the natural landscape of its surrounding together with the materials used for constructing the building. Recycled material is one of the key materials used in green architecture. Other materials used for green architecture are easily restored materials and resources.
Advantages
- Green architecture optimizes resources such as water and energy. It incorporates recycling of resource during constructing and even after the building is done and is already being used.
- It has minimum effect on the environment during construction, maintenance and even removal.
- The natural topography also optimizes the use of energy with green architecture.
- Green architecture recycles resources. This way it can reduce the cost of operation.
- It uses natural air circulation and natural light to optimize the health of the occupants of the building.
- It also has onsite recycling facilities to minimize the waste it sends to landfills.
Materials
- Green architecture uses recycled materials like wood, bricks and tiles that can be found near or at the building site and the surrounding area.
- It also uses materials that can easily be replenished like bamboo. These materials can easily be harvested for commercial use for a span of just 6 years.
- Instead of using fiberglass insulation, it uses insulation from low volatile organic compounds. Low volatile organic compound like denim has no long-term adverse effect on the environment.
- It also uses environmentally friendly energy source like the solar energy technology.
- It uses packed gravel on its parking lot to easily replenish water resources from the ground.
Standards
Green architecture is used by a lot of countries. Each country has its own standards of green architecture. In the United Kingdom it uses Code for Sustainable homes. In Canada it uses EnerGuide for New houses. In the USA, Canada and UK it uses green globe standards. In Australia it uses the House Energy Rating standards. The main goal of countries that uses green architecture is to achieve ecological harmony between their buildings and the environment that surrounds it. Green energy truly is one of the fast growing ways of having environmentally friendly architecture in different countries.