Currently, the world is suffering from the differing intentions of the people on utilizing the scarce resources of Mother Earth. Adding the selfish intentions of big companies who only care about profit and not the condition of our planet, Mother Earth is screwed up especially if these malpractices are not halted. In these present times, the greedy companies are continuously acquiring lands in which plants and trees are being cut down without sowing replacements. Plants and trees are necessary in maintaining the quality of lands which is crucial for the agricultural sector and as an animal’s habitat. In short, these greeneries have many uses and serve as a vital component in making natural processes possible. However, as humans, our needs are never ending and the population continues to grow. Companies should also seize this opportunity of unending needs to expand their operations. With this, building expansions and occupation of different land areas are inevitable. That being said, our living space right now lacks green pastures which are beneficial to the living whether for humans or animals. Resources are quickly depleted with the growing needs of humans. Even most are greedy and do not hold themselves accountable for our living space, there are few who advocates for something that will make Mother Earth a better place or if not, avoid the further detriments of human activities. In the field of architecture, it begins to introduce an eco-friendly design which is called green architecture. Whenever we see “green” in the name of anything, it means that it has a relation to being environment friendly or its negative effects on the planet are reduced at a low level. One exciting part of green architecture is how it produces a way for more effective and efficient utilization of natural resources and the surrounding environment!
To further under green architecture, here are the basic information that you should know. We never know as this maybe the design idea you are looking for especially if you are still undecided on what design to carry out on your future house and lot or commercial establishment.
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What is Green Architecture? How did it start?
Green architecture is an innovation from the great minds of the architecture industry. It aims to counteract the detriments of the activities of the humanity by adapting a more sustainable way of living that lessens or prevents further impacts of human activities especially those which relate to construction projects. For green architects and designers, their goal must be to safeguard air, water and earth through usage of eco-friendly materials and construction practices. With this, it challenges architects and designers to construct and improve building designs alongside with minimizing the environmental impact and cost of the building activity. Usually, construction plans are just made based on the preference of the customer with compliance to the statutes imposed by the government and basic principles of architecture. But with green architecture, there are no strict rules. The most important aspect in this design is the how sustainability is implemented.
This architectural design is not new to everyone but it was popularized during the 1970s. During these years, large overhangs, and indirect passive heating, known as trombe walls, were the best innovations of this era. Because of the efficiency it offers, it was adapted in the architecture industry as a way to plan more efficient designs which requires less energy for operations and offers a more sustainable construction process.
The Most Important Aspect of Green Architecture
As stated, sustainability is the most important aspect of this type of design. Basically, sustainability means avoiding natural resources depletion. This might be too broad but its essence may be seen on how a building or house is constructed to provide the necessities of a person without consuming much natural resources. With this, electricity might be the best resource saved in this type of design. One simple example in the practice of this design is maximizing the wind current in the construction site. To provide a better ventilation on the house or building, windows will be constructed based on the wind current to have an efficient cooling system without the aid of energy and cooling devices like electric fans or air conditioners. However, as stated, this architectural design is broad. This means that there are other ways to provide a sustainable design which does not deplete a huge amount of natural resources. Some of the ways to execute green architecture are the following:
- Usage of energy-efficient appliances
- Water-saving plumbing fixtures
- Utilization of solar energy, wind power, or hydro powers
- Maximizing sun as the main source of lighting in daytime
- Recycling materials from previously demolished buildings or houses
- Efficient or multipurpose use of floor areas
- Reusing or renovating old buildings
- Usage of non-toxic materials for construction
- Repurposing rainwater and greywater
As you see, there are many ways to provide a sustainable construction process of buildings and houses. Sometimes, the maximum sustainability you can have may depend on your location and purpose of the constructed establishment. Though, it must be kept in mind that if this design is to be adopted, a lot of creative juice is required because it goes beyond the principles written in books or the common practices of architects and designers. It extracts everything you have learned in the architecture program combined with physics and chemistry enable an innovative and sustainable execution of green architecture. If you are still confused on how to shift your style to this sustainable design, you may study about Magney’s house. This has been an experiment in green design for many years. It used different and unorthodox elements to build the said infrastructure.
Green Design Must Be Adopted
Construction is one of the top contributors in the extreme carbon emission in our planet. With this, buildings are definitely part of the problem of climate change we are experiencing right now. However, buildings are also a symbol of how far we have progressed over the years. A lot of advancements happened in which we embraced it for a more effective and efficient lifestyle. That being said, should we abandon the use of buildings and revert to living in the woods and caves? This should not be the case. For innovators and the brilliant minds of this era, green design is the solution. Human needs are endless but our minds are limitless if we try to be more creative on the construction process of infrastructures. Our needs must be satisfied but not at the cost of destroying Mother Earth or depleting its natural resources. Sustainable designs must be adopted as this does not only help the environment but our long-term cost of living as well.
Thought that green design is not viable in urban areas? You must check all these commercial buildings and condominiums in the Philippines. Green design is a challenge for every professional and property owner because it takes a lot of planning and money to build a sustainable property. But why bother with spending a little more if it can help you save a lot in the future, right? In fact, there is this international standard, called Leadership in Energy Efficient Design (LEED), which gives tax incentives for building owners that meet a certain level of sustainability.
Indeed, green design is a complex idea and can be done with too much freedom as the possibilities are endless depending on the circumstance of the construction site. But we see how our planet suffers with our unending needs. We are here not only to live for our dreams but as shepherds of this planet. As humans, we must use our intellect at the maximum extent to mitigate the negative effects of satisfying our needs.
So, why not try utilizing a green design for your next home? You do not have to worry much of the costs as Bria Homes have affordable offers which lets you have more funds to use in designing your home. With this, you can start with investing on solar panels, hiring an architect to improvements for your ventilation and many more. Bria is welcome to new ideas for their customers to experience the maximum comfort and convenience.
