What is a Green Buildings and its objectives?

Thanks En.Jafar Hendi..

A green building, also known as a sustainable building, is a structure that is designed, built, renovated, operated, or reused in an ecological and resource-efficient manner. Green buildings are designed to meet certain objectives such as protecting occupant health; improving employee productivity; using energy, water, and other resources more efficiently; and reducing the overall impact to the environment.

A green building may cost more up front, but saves through lower operating costs over the life of the building. The green building approach applies a project life cycle cost analysis for determining the appropriate up-front expenditure. This analytical method calculates costs over the useful life of the asset.

These and other cost savings can only be fully realized when they are incorporated at the project's conceptual design phase with the assistance of an integrated team of professionals. The integrated systems approach ensures that the building is designed as one system rather than a collection of stand-alone systems.

Some benefits, such as improving occupant health, comfort, productivity, reducing pollution and landfill waste are not easily quantified. Consequently, they are not adequately considered in cost analysis. For this reason, consider setting aside a small portion of the building budget to cover differential costs associated with less tangible green building benefits or to cover the cost of researching and analyzing green building options.

Even with a tight budget, many green building measures can be incorporated with minimal or zero increased up-front costs and they can yield enormous savings (Environmental Building News,1999).

Below is a sampling of green building practices.

Siting

• Start by selecting a site well suited to take advantage of mass transit.
• Protect and retain existing landscaping and natural features. Select plants that have low water and pesticide needs, and generate minimum plant trimmings. Use compost and mulches. This will save water and time.
• Recycled content paving materials, furnishings, and mulches help close the recycling loop.

Energy Efficiency

Most buildings can reach energy efficiency levels far beyond California Title24 standards, yet most only strive to meet the standard. It is reasonable to strive for40 percent less energy than Title24 standards. The following strategies contribute to this goal.

• Passive design strategies can dramatically affect building energy performance. These measures include building shape and orientation, passive solar design, and the use of natural lighting.
• Develop strategies to provide natural lighting. Studies have shown that it has a positive impact on productivity and well being.
• Install high-efficiency lighting systems with advanced lighting controls. Include motion sensors tied to dimmable lighting controls. Task lighting reduces general overhead light levels.
• Use a properly sized and energy-efficient heat/cooling system in conjunction with a thermally efficient building shell. Maximize light colors for roofing and wall finish materials; install high R-value wall and ceiling insulation; and use minimal glass on east and west exposures.
• Minimize the electric loads from lighting, equipment, and appliances.
• Consider alternative energy sources such as photovoltaics and fuel cells that are now available in new products and applications. Renewable energy sources provide a great symbol of emerging technologies for the future.
• Computer modeling is an extremely useful tool in optimizing design of electrical and mechanical systems and the building shell.

Materials Efficiency

• Select sustainable construction materials and products by evaluating several characteristics such as reused and recycled content, zero or low off gassing of harmful air emissions, zero or low toxicity, sustainably harvested materials, high recyclability, durability, longevity, and local production. Such products promote resource conservation and efficiency. Using recycled-content products also helps develop markets for recycled materials that are being diverted from California's landfills, as mandated by the Integrated Waste Management Act.
• Use dimensional planning and other material efficiency strategies. These strategies reduce the amount of building materials needed and cut construction costs. For example, design rooms on4-foot multiples to conform to standard-sized wallboard and plywood sheets.
• Reuse and recycle construction and demolition materials. For example, using inert demolition materials as a base course for a parking lot keeps materials out of landfills and costs less.
• Require plans for managing materials through deconstruction, demolition, and construction.
• Design with adequate space to facilitate recycling collection and to incorporate a solid waste management program that prevents waste generation.

Water Efficiency

• Design for dual plumbing to use recycled water for toilet flushing or a gray water system that recovers rainwater or other nonpotable water for site irrigation.
• Minimize wastewater by using ultra low-flush toilets, low-flow shower heads, and other water conserving fixtures.
• Use recirculating systems for centralized hot water distribution.
• Install point-of-use hot water heating systems for more distant locations.
• Use a water budget approach that schedules irrigation using the California Irrigation Management Information System data for landscaping.
• Meter the landscape separately from buildings. Use micro-irrigation (which excludes sprinklers and high-pressure sprayers) to supply water in nonturf areas.
• Use state-of-the-art irrigation controllers and self-closing nozzles on hoses.

Recent studies reveal that buildings with good overall environmental quality can reduce the rate of respiratory disease, allergy, asthma, sick building symptoms, and enhance worker performance.  The potential financial benefits of improving indoor environments exceed costs by a factor of8 and14 (Fisk and Rosenfeld,1998).

Choose construction materials and interior finish products with zero or low emissions to improve indoor air quality.  Many building materials and cleaning/maintenance products emit toxic gases, such as volatile organic compounds (VOC) and formaldehyde. These gases can have a detrimental impact on occupants' health and productivity.

Provide adequate ventilation and a high-efficiency, in-duct filtration system. Heating and cooling systems that ensure adequate ventilation and proper filtration can have a dramatic and positive impact on indoor air quality.

Prevent indoor microbial contamination through selection of materials resistant to microbial growth, provide effective drainage from the roof and surrounding landscape, install adequate ventilation in bathrooms, allow proper drainage of air-conditioning coils, and design other building systems to control humidity.

Green building measures cannot achieve their goals unless they work as intended. Building commissioning includes testing and adjusting the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems to ensure that all equipment meets design criteria. It also includes instructing the staff on the operation and maintenance of equipment.

Over time, building performance can be assured through measurement, adjustment, and upgrading. Proper maintenance ensures that a building continues to perform as designed and commissioned.

At a glance, the Ridgehaven Building appears identical to its neighbor. In1996, however, the73,000 sq ft. Ridgehaven Building was completely renovated with many cost-effective sustainable performance methodologies and technologies. As a result, the Ridgehaven Building now uses65 percent less total energy than its nearly identical neighbor, yielding a saving of more than $70,000 in annual utility costs. This equates to $1 per sq ft. in annual savings. Even more important, the building occupants love its light and "healthy" atmosphere, boosting their productivity (Gottfried,1999).

• Establish a vision that embraces sustainable principles and an integrated design approach.
• Develop a clear statement of the project's vision, goals, design criteria, and priorities.
• Develop a project budget that covers green building measures.  Allocate contingencies for additional research and analysis of specific options.  Seek sponsorship or grant opportunities.
• Seek advice of a design professional with green building experience.
• Select a design and construction team that is committed to the project vision. Modify the RFQ/RFP selection process to ensure the contractors have appropriate qualifications to identify, select, and implement an integrated system of green building measures.
• Develop a project schedule that allows for systems testing and commissioning.
• Develop contract plans and specifications to ensure that the building design is at a suitable level of building performance.
• Create effective incentives and oversight.

• CalRecycle's Green Building site. Includes the manual Designing With Vision: A Technical Manual For Material Choices In Sustainable Construction
• Sustainable Building Technical Manual (PDF,3 MB)
• A Guide to Estimating Irrigation Water Needs of Landscape Plantings in California (PDF,3.8 MB)
• Department of Health Services, Indoor Air Quality
• U.S. Department of Energy
• Environmental Building News
• U.S. Green Building Council

You may also order a hard copy of this publication from our catalog.

Green building (also known as green construction or sustainable building) refers to a structure and using process that is environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition. In other words, green building design involves finding the balance between homebuilding and the sustainable environment. This requires close cooperation of the design team, the architects, the engineers, and the client at all project stages.[1] The Green Building practice expands and complements the classical building design concerns of economy, utility, durability, and comfort.[2]

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a set of rating systems for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings which was Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Although new technologies are constantly being developed to complement current practices in creating greener structures, the common objective is that green buildings are designed to reduce the overall impact of the built environment on human health and the natural environment by:

• Efficiently using energy, water, and other resources
• Protecting occupant health and improving employee productivity
• Reducing waste, pollution and environmental degradation[2]

A similar concept is natural building, which is usually on a smaller scale and tends to focus on the use of natural materials that are available locally.[3] Other related topics include sustainable design and green architecture. Sustainability may be defined as meeting the needs of present generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.[4] Although some green building programs don't address the issue of the retrofitting existing homes, others do, especially through public schemes for energy efficient refurbishment. Green construction principles can easily be applied to retrofit work as well as new construction.

A2009 report by the U.S. General Services Administration found12 sustainably designed buildings cost less to operate and have excellent energy performance. In addition, occupants were more satisfied with the overall building than those in typical commercial buildings

to keep it short, A green building is optimal when you produce as much energy as you use. Everything in a green building is based on energy, insulation, re-use. In the Netherlands they legally introduced the EPC, Energie Prestatie Coefficient. (energy efficiency coefficient ) They are building it of by law close to zero. A house or a building is so expensive, it is unaffordable. The good thing is that people are not only start thinking about heat or cooling consumption but can safe money as well

The concept of a green building was developed in the1970s in response to the energy crisis and people's growing concerns about the environment.

A Green Building, also known as asustainable building, is a structure that is designed, built, renovated, operated, or re-used in an ecological and resource efficient manner.

Sustainable development is maintaining a delicate balance between the human need to improve lifestyles and feeling of well-being on one hand, and preserving natural resources and ecosystems, on which we & future generations depend

Objectives of a green building:

Protecting occupant health. Improving employee productivity. Using energy, water and other resources more efficiently. Reducing overall impact to the environment .Optimal environmental and economic performance . Satisfying and quality indoor spaces

Considerations of a green building:

• Control erosion to reduce negative impacts on water and air quality
• Reduce pollution and land development impacts from automobile use
• Limit disruption of natural water hydrology by reducing impervious cover, increasing on-site infiltration and managing storm water run-off
• Encourage and recognize increasing levels of self supply through renewable technologies to reduce environmental impacts associated with fossil fuel energy use
• Provide a high level of individual occupant control of ventilation and lighting systems to support good health, better productivity and a comfortable atmosphere
• Provide a connection between indoor spaces and outdoor environment through the introduction of sunlight and views into the occupied areas of the building.

I agree with the previous answers, and thank you for the invitation.

Green building (also known as green construction or sustainable building) refers to a structure and using process that is environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition. This requires close cooperation of the design team, the architects, the engineers, and the client at all project stages.The Green Building practice expands and complements the classical building design concerns of economy, utility, durability, and comfort. Although new technologies are constantly being developed to complement current practices in creating greener structures, the common objective is that green buildings are designed to reduce the overall impact of the built environment on human health and the natural environment by: Efficiently using energy, water, and other resources Protecting occupant health and improving employee productivity Reducing waste, pollution and environmental degradation A similar concept is natural building, which is usually on a smaller scale and tends to focus on the use of natural materials that are available locally.

Thank you for the invitation

This question is outside the scope of my specialty

Endorse answer from Mr. Amir

Five Fundamental Principles of Green Building and Sustainable Site Design

Sustainable Site Design

Water Quality and Conservation

Energy and Environment

Indoor Environmental Quality

Materials and Resources

Fundamental Principles of Green Building and Sustainable Site Design ... “not as bad” as the average building in terms of its impact on the environment or one that ... Each goal needs a champion who will see that objective through to the end.

It is to save on cost operating the building with the least impact on the environment...VW prides itself with operating there facilities to Green building standards ...  using materials which heat/cold resists the environment and uses therefore less energy, toilets and sprinkler systems reuses rainwater... therefore fresh water can be saved

the name green for any thing is mean environment respect.