Green building features || Importance of green buildings || Benefits of green construction || Why green buildings matter || Sustainable construction in India || Sustainable construction in assam || Eco-friendly building design || Green home construction || Energy-efficient buildings || Stonedge Construction sustainable projects
Stonedge Construction shares how green buildings can make your home or office more eco-friendly, safe, and cost-effective.
What is Green building ?
A green or sustainable building is one that, due to its construction and characteristics, can maintain or improve the quality of life of the environment in which it is located. Many factors are very important to consider sustainable construction practices when creating green habitats to support a healthy and unpolluted environment in and around buildings. These factors include energy consumption, water consumption, indoor environment, residents quality of life, and material selection.
What are the features of green building?
Rainwater Harvesting and Greywater Recycling:
Collecting rainwater for irrigation or non-potable uses, and reusing treated wastewater for flushing or other non-potable purposes.
Waste Water Management:
Implementing systems to collect and treat wastewater, potentially reusing it for non-potable purposes.
Sustainable Materials :
Using recycled and sustainable building materials is essential to green building. Eco-friendly building materials reduce waste and decrease the need for non-renewable resources.
Temperature control:
Insulation, cool roofs, solar shading, double paned windows, window glazing are used in green buildings.
Water Conservation :
Water conservation is using available water resources responsibly and efficiently to reduce waste, provide a continuous supply of clean, safe water for current and future generations, and lessen the environmental impact of water use.
Health Benefits :
Green building materials and ventilation systems enhance indoor air quality, reducing health issues like allergies and respiratory problems.
Green Roofing and Urban Green Spaces :
Green roofing is the most beneficial among all key features of sustainable building design. In addition to adding to a building’s aesthetic appeal, green roofs insulate buildings, minimize stormwater runoff, and support urban biodiversity. Urban areas incorporating green spaces into their building designs are more environmentally sustainable.
Flood and storm risk mitigation:
Elevated building, planting trees or hedges for windbreaks, installing detention tanks for stormwater, permeable surfaces for water absorption into the ground.
Examples of green building :
Net-Zero Energy Building(NZEB) :
A net-zero energy (NZEB) building can produce as much clean energy as it consumes. According to Natural Resources Canada, they are expected to be 80% more energy efficient than a new building constructed to today’s building code minimum.
Museum of Tomorrow:
This science museum, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and built next to Pier Maua, opened in 2015. The sustainability solutions include mobile solar panels, systems for the reuse of rainwater and an air conditioning system that uses water channeled from the Guanabara Bay.
Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design(LEED) :
The LEED green building rating system by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) was created in 2000 and has over 100,000 projects registered. Many city and state policies also call for LEED Certification. The current version LEED v4 uses 11 categories to evaluate buildings: integrative thinking, energy, water, waste, materials, location and transportation, sustainable sites, health and human experience, regional impacts, innovation, and the use of standards (local, regional, and global).
Shanghai Tower :
This skyscraper collects rainwater and recycles wastewater, demonstrating sustainable design in a high-rise building.
Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) :
BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) is a globally recognized green building rating system that assesses the environmental performance of buildings. It evaluates various aspects of a building’s design, construction, and operation to provide a sustainability rating, ranging from Pass to Outstanding. BREEAM helps ensure that buildings are sustainable, improve the well-being of occupants, and contribute to environmental protection.
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Benefits of green building :
The built environment has a vast impact on the natural environment, human health, and the economy.
Cost efficiency and economic benefits :
Saving the environment also saves you money, it’s a win-win situation. It provides you with several economic and cost-effective benefits. These include decreased operating costs, enhanced occupant efficiency and savings on tenant utility bills. Moreover, it enhances your return on assets and profits due to your savings in operating costs. Lastly properties that are green built, require lower maintenance costs as they are built from sustainable components which in turn adds value to the property.
Health benefits :
Going green means building away bad toxins and having the ability to breathe in fresh, clean air. Having a good indoor environment protects the tenant’s health and enhances their quality of life by avoiding serious illnesses induced by the inhalation of toxic substances. An improved indoor quality not only safeguards your life, but it can also strengthen employee productivity. Employees working in clean and green built properties tend to have better concentration and focus capabilities, improving their work performance.
Protection of Natural Resources and environment benefits :
Green buildings offer significant environmental benefits by minimizing resource consumption, reducing pollution, and promoting healthier indoor and outdoor environments. Achieve this through efficient energy and water use, the use of sustainable materials, and the incorporation of renewable energy sources.
By conserving water, reducing energy consumption, and using sustainable materials, green buildings help protect valuable natural resources like water and forests.
Green building materials:
Among the most common eco-friendly materials used in green building are wood from sustainably managed forests, low-carbon concrete, raw clay for plaster and cladding, recycled glass, solar tiles and natural insulation materials such as cellulose fiber, cork and sheep’s wool, recycled steel, bamboo, hempcrete, reclaimed wood, and straw bales.
Natural Materials:
These materials, like mud, cob, and stone, are sourced directly from the earth and require minimal processing, resulting in lower embodied energy and emissions.
Energy-Efficient Materials:
Materials that improve building performance, like insulation and solar panels, reduce energy consumption and operating costs.
Cork:
Derived from the bark of cork oak trees, a renewable resource with good insulation properties, used for flooring, insulation, and wall panels.
Recycled Steel:
Steel derived from scrap metal, reducing the need for mining new ore and minimizing energy consumption.
Green building Technologies:
Green building technologies encompass a wide range of methods and materials used to construct and operate buildings in a sustainable and environmentally responsible manner. These technologies aim to reduce the environmental impact of buildings throughout their lifecycle, from design and construction to operation and demolition.
Green Insulation:
Utilizing insulation materials made from recycled or renewable resources to improve thermal performance and reduce energy consumption.
Cool-Roof System :
A cool roof is a rooftop designed to reflect more sunlight and absorb less heat than a standard roof. Under the summer sun, dark shingle roofs can reach temperatures upwards of around 150 degrees Fahrenheit, straining air conditioning systems and thus raising carbon emissions.
Permeable Pavement:
Allowing rainwater to infiltrate through the pavement, reducing runoff and improving water quality.
Electrochromic Glass :
Also known as smart glass, electrochromic glass uses a tiny gust of electricity to charge ions on a window layer and alter the light it reflects. Unlike the already present low-emittance windows, which block some solar radiation, electrochromic glass allows you to choose the amount of light you want to stop using intelligent building control systems.
What is the role of Eco- friendly buildings in protecting the environment?
Eco-friendly buildings play a crucial role in protecting the environment by minimizing their impact on the natural world. This is achieved through various measures like reduced energy and water consumption, use of sustainable materials, and waste reduction, ultimately leading to a smaller carbon footprint.
When constructing a green building, the goal is to use as much recycled waste as possible along with other building materials to create an energy-efficient structure that can be used for appliances and geothermal heating.
Why green building matters?
Green buildings are crucial for a sustainable future, offering environmental, economic, and social benefits. They reduce resource consumption, lower operating costs, and promote healthier indoor environments, while also helping to combat climate change. Green building practices focus on minimizing the building’s environmental impact throughout its entire lifecycle, from design and construction to operation and demolition.
Cost savings:
Although green buildings may have higher initial costs, their long-term savings in energy bills, maintenance, and operational costs make them a financially viable option.
Improved air and water quality:
Green building practices can reduce air and water pollution loads.
Higher property values:
Green buildings often have higher property values and attract higher rents.
Climate change:
Green buildings can help mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Biodiversity Protection:
Green roofs, native landscaping, and other features can create habitats for local wildlife, supporting biodiversity and preserving ecosystems.
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Stonedge Construction Pvt. Ltd. brings trusted expertise in civil works, interiors, electricals, flooring, and more — all across Assam. Whether it’s your dream home or a commercial space, we’re here to make it happen with quality, care, and professionalism.