Implementing eco-friendly building design

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[edit] Introduction

The construction industry is slowly embracing eco-friendly techniques in their building design activities. The construction process has suffered from multiple challenges in terms of sustainable development. From the materials used in construction activities to electrical designs, all actions put stress on Earth’s resources and also cause environmental damage.

[edit] Sustainable Design Objectives

The aim of sustainable building design is to minimise the negative impact of construction activities on the environment and to reduce the dependence on resources. Sustainability can be introduced by incorporating those materials that are environmentally-friendly and by creating optimal building solutions.

[edit] Argument For Sustainable Design

Different construction materials have a different impacts on the environment. Statistics for the US reveal that construction industry accounts for 160 million tons of waste generation. This sector contributes about 23% of air pollution. Also, the construction industry poses a great challenge in terms of its energy consumption as it accounts for about 40% of worldwide energy usage.

These stats point to a lack of awareness about sustainable solutions and mismanagement of resources.

Sustainability is a key requirement in building design:

• to bring down pollution levels
• to manage resources efficiently and minimise waste
• to save non-renewable resources.

[edit] Sustainable building process

[edit] Eco-friendly construction materials

Using construction materials that can be recycled can help curb pollution. Such materials include timber, bamboo, straw bales etc. Proper measures need to be taken while designing the building to incorporate eco-friendly elements; a complete analysis needs to be carried out to check which materials can be used while also keeping the risks to a minimum. The construction activities also need to be monitored so the least amount of materials go to waste.

[edit] Solar design and solar powered products

When designing buildings, solutions can be introduced to make the overall design more energy efficient. As an example, to prevent rooms from being excessively heated during summers, efficient windows can be incorporated that also allow natural lighting and ventilation.

Additionally, renewable energy sources can be used, such as solar energy to power buildings, fom minor changes such as the introduction of solar cells to complete makeovers using photovoltaic panels, solar thermal panels and so on

[edit] Machinery

A fully sustainable construction model cannot be executed without efficient machinery. Deploy construction machinery which has a good output to input ratio and invest in long-lasting building tools to minimise waste generation.

[edit] Space optimisation

Sustainable building plans also ensure optimum utilization of the available space. It is crucial to keep enough room for storage. By adopting efficient layouts, the available area can be put to best use and space requirements can be trimmed down.

[edit] Action plan

Break down your action plan into these steps:

• Picking eco-friendly building materials
• Efficient use of materials
• Monitoring the resource utilization and wastage
• Provision of lighting
• Space utilization
• Sustainable energy solutions

--Sarahwilliam

[edit] Find out more

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki

• Code for Sustainable Homes.
• Cradle-to-grave.
• Environmental plan.
• Life cycle assessment.
• Quality control.
• Sustainability.
• Sustainable materials.
• Whole life costs.