Green Building Construction Tips
- Materials That Matter
If you’re in the market for building a new commercial building, the choices you and your architect and builder make about materials you use can yield significant benefits for the environment. Here are some ideas to consider about materials as you plan your project.
- Look for durability
Ask your suppliers about the long-lasting qualities of the materials you choose in and outside your building. Durable products – from carpet to glass and siding – can be comparable in price to products with shorter shelf life and require less upkeep. You’ll keep things out of landfills and save resources from replacement manufacturing and shipping.
- Use Recycled Content
Turning to recycled, salvaged, refurbished or remanufactured materials saves resources from disposal and myriad resources – from water to forests – involved in new manufacturing. It also brings character and dimension to your home or commercial space. Brick, lumber and fixtures that have been salvaged from other demolished or refurbished buildings increasingly are available options for home and commercial builders.
- Choose Natural, Abundant or Renewable Materials
Investigate use of bamboo in flooring, natural linoleum, cork, along with textiles from wool, organic cotton, hemp and other sustainable sources, along with wood from sustainably managed forests.
- Source Locally
Where possible, buy materials sourced locally or in your region to save on fuel and transportation-related emissions.
- Check Out Resource-efficient Manufacturing Processing:
Products manufactured with resource-efficient processes including reducing energy consumption, minimizing waste (recycled, recyclable and or source reduced product packaging), and reducing greenhouse gases.
- What Makes a Product Green?
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Green Business Construction
In the next two decades, nearly 30 percent of existing commercial buildings in the United States will be replaced, and by 2030, half of all buildings in the country will have been constructed since 2000. With these trends and their potential impact on the planet in mind, builders understand the growing demand for new sustainable construction that is both environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout its lifecycle. From site selection and design through building, maintenance and demolition, builders are looking at the full impact of the construction footprint knowing the intense importance that construction plays on the safety of the environment.
The emphasis on more sustainable practices in building construction stands to make a significant impact on the environment, considering the sizable natural resources that buildings consume:
- Almost 40 percent of total energy
- 68 percent of total electricity consumption
- 38 percent of carbon dioxide emissions
- A third of all raw materials usage
- 12 percent of water consumption
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines green buildings as those that are designed and built to reduce the structure’s impact on human health and the natural environment. More specifically, design and construction of eco-friendly buildings make efficient use of energy, water, and other resources ; protect the health of people and enhance worker productivity; and reduce waste, pollution and other harmful effects to the environment.
Construction of green buildings may incorporate sustainable materials such as reused, recycled-content, or materials made from renewable resources -- even roof plants to conserve energy in the summer. Green building construction also creates healthy indoor environments with minimal pollutants (e.g., reduced product emissions) and features landscaping that reduces water usage. (Think native plants that survive without extra watering.)
Become involved in your community building projects. Ask what builders are doing to help minimize the impact of their construction.
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