Green/Sustainable Building and Urban Planning

What is Green Building?• Environmental Protection Agency, USA

definition: “Green or sustainable building is the practice of creating healthier and more resource-efficient models of construction, renovation, operation, maintenance, and demolition.”

• “Green” Buildings are high performance structures that also meet certain standards for reducing natural resource consumption

Why is Green Building Important?

Features of green building

• Construction – Reduce the amount of waste generated at a construction site

• Design – Building design details will help to reduce construction materials, and energy/water requirements when completed

• Material Selection – Careful selection of construction materials will leave less of an environmental impact

Construction

• Construction waste accounts for 10 to as much as 30% of municipal waste stream

• Goal: Reduce / Reuse / Recycle – Building design based on standard sizes of

materials– Buy higher quality to reduce rejects– Recycle (use scraps)– Train crew– Renovate an existing building

Building DesignGoal: To design the building so that it requires less

energy/water and is healthier for inhabitants when it is complete and in use– Air ducts for an efficient and healthy air flow– Insulation– Windows designed for maximum daylight– Passive Solar Control– Solar Cells– Heat Exchanger for climate control system– Location

Materials

Goal: Choose materials that have low environmental costs and do not contribute to indoor air pollution– Engineered Lumber (recycled and reclaimed

material)– Floor Coverings (recycled with no off-gassing)– Roof Materials (Reflective and light)– Energy Efficient Appliances

• Solar & Energy Efficient Design through natural lighting, ventilation and solar passive designs.

• Improved Indoor Air Quality• Usage of Green Materials• Proper Mechanical Systems• Efficient Lighting• Proper Testing & Maintenance• Efficient use of water- through recycling and water

harvesting• Efficient waste utilization and disposal

Advanced Features of a Sustainable Building

Obstacles

• 93% of consumers worry about their home’s environmental performance. However, only 18% are willing to pay more to reduce the impact.

• There are higher initial costs for Green Building

• Customers are concerned they would be sacrificing comfort

Green Building Certification

• 3rd Party Certification (USGBC-LEED; Energy Star; Green Globes)

• LEED is currently the preeminent 3rd party certification program.– Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)– 5 Major Categories:

1. Sustainable Site Development2. Water Savings3. Energy Efficiency4. Materials Selection5. Indoor Air Quality

Economics of Green Buildings• Reduction in lighting energy requirements by at least 50

percent• Cut heating and cooling energy consumption by 60

percent• Reduced water consumption by up to 30 percent or

more• Lower building operating expenses through reduced

utility and waste disposal costs

Economics of green building

• Lower on-going building maintenance costs, ranging from salaries to supplies

• Increase worker productivity by six to 16 percent• Higher property values and potentially lower

lenders’ credit risk• Higher building net income• New economic development opportunities

Benefits of Sustainable Construction

• Sustainable construction makes wise use of all the natural resources and a 50% reduction in energy use

• Improves occupant health, comfort, productivity, reduces pollution and  landfill waste that are not easily quantified

• A sustainable building may cost more up front, but saves through lower operating costs over the life of the building

Life Cycle Costing

• Life Cycle Costing (LCC) is used to determine the “total” cost of a building for the purpose of selecting alternatives

• LCC adds together the construction or “capital” or “first” cost of a building to the total operating costs

• Operating costs could include– Energy: electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, other– Water and wastewater– Maintenance: function of quality, durability, complexity– Total cost of people in building

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Ideal Alternative Low initial Cost

Cost ($/SF)

Initial CostLife Cycle Cost

Small difference between INITIAL COST and LIFE CYCLE COST

Large difference between INITIAL COST and LIFE CYCLE COST

Low initial cost vs. low LCC

Service Life Cycle Cost Analysis

• Lowering the initial cost of a facility – by

selection of lower initial cost materials – will likely result in higher life cycle cost of the facility.

• Shows that low initial cost is not always best

Urban Planning

• This trend is expected to continue as more and more people flock to urban areas in search of opportunities and a better life.

• By 2060, the world is likely to be fully urbanized, with more than 80 percent of the population residing in urban areas.

Why do we need urban planning

Urban planning

• City (urban) planning = designing cities to maximize their efficiency, functionality, and beauty

• The goal is to ensure welfare of the people and their communities by creating convenient, equitable and attractive environment for present and future generations

Mass transport

• Key in improving quality of urban life: mass transportation– Buses, trains, subways– Light rail = smaller systems powered by electricity

• Cheaper, more energy efficient, and cleaner • Traffic congestion is eased

Parks and open spaces are key elements

• City dwellers want to escape noise, commotion, and stress of urban life

• Natural lands, public parks, and open space provide greenery, scenic beauty, freedom, and recreation– Along with regulating natural processes (e.g., filtering

pollutants)• Urbanization makes protecting natural lands important

– Urban dwellers become disconnected from nature

Urban sustainability

• Things that make cities safe, clean, healthy and pleasant also make them more sustainable

• A sustainable city functions effectively and prosperously over the long term– Generations will have a good quality of life – Impacts on natural systems and resources are minimized

• A city’s impacts depend on how we use resources, produce goods, transport materials, and deal with waste

Cities following an ecosystem model…

• Use resources efficiently• Recycle• Develop environmentally friendly technologies• Offer tax incentives for sustainable practices• Use locally produced resources• Use organic waste and wastewater to restore soil

fertility• Encourage urban agriculture

Conclusion• As half the human population has moved to urban

lifestyles, our environmental impact has changed• Urban sustainability makes urban areas better

places to live– Expanding transportation options to relieve congestion– Park lands and green spaces prevent us from becoming

isolated from nature• Urban planning is critical to ensure that we leave a

clean habitable earth for our future generations