The term going green sounds confusing and daunting to a good number of property owners and managers, real estate investors, and folks alike. Well, simply put, going green is all about ensuring that the entire lifecycle of a building project conforms to certain threshold standard that makes it environmentally friendly and habitable for occupants. Going green has become the yardstick for measuring the health of a construction in the be-all and end-all. A building considered green is called an eco-friendly or green building. A green building is said to be less resource hungry and sustainable for the fact that the entire process of construction is eco-friendly. Some buildings are green in making, while others are indeed green. A building which is said to be green indeed possesses certain elements that other conventional buildings don’t. The elements are listed below.
Feasibility of site plan
As pointed out earlier, going green is not just about selecting green materials, but the site is also brought into play. The successful completion of an eco-friendly construction is a function of the feasibility of the site plan for the fact that it forms an integral part of the project. Every bit and phase of the project is carefully planned to avoid critical factors that could prevent builders from reaching their goal. Polluted, degraded and hazardous environment negates the concept of going green. Thus selecting a feasible site for a green project before it is commenced is imperative.
Furthermore, preservation of a natural environment considered feasible for setting up a green building takes different forms, ranging from tactical tree planting for windbreaks and shade to general environmental hygiene. General hygiene is a function of all and sundry. If one part of a neighbourhood is hygienic while others are not, then the neighbourhood isn’t considered hygienic, thereof making the the environment in totality not feasible for achieving green goals. So, what’s makes an eco-friendly construction eco-friendly indeed is site sustainability.
Going green is less resource hungry
One quality that is common with an eco-friendly construction that you won’t find in a conventional building is the ability to conserve resources. One thing not mentioned in the site feasibility is that staking much resources into setting up an environment to be sustainable enough for a green project compromises the concept. The life-cycle involves efficient use of resources. Talking about life-cycle, we are not just looking at efficiency of resources during construction, but also maintainability and conservation of utilities such as water and and energy.
Green building team implements all year round rainwater harvesting and catchment, building interior water conserving apparatus, tactical landscaping and proper stormwater management plan to conserve organic cycle of water.
Technologies such as solar and renewable energy, proper insulation, power-saving lighting and HVAC, passive cooling and heating, etc., are implemented in a way that more of organic energy from the sunlight and other sources alike is used while electricity is conserve, thereof reducing the costs of utilities.
All said and done, one critical thing that need mention is that going green is a function of a building team. Every member of the team works hands in gloves with the others to ensure that the goal is reached. Hence, if you deem it necessary to go green, the first place to start is consulting building experts to explain to you the entire process involved in green construction.