S|365 Designer Lab: Green Design

Going green or making sustainable choices in design and building is a mounting priority. But what is sustainability? What does it really mean to ‘design or build green’? S|365 unpacks those questions, providing a primer in basic green principles.

“Sustainability can be defined as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

-Brundtland Commission
(formerly known as World Commission on Environment and Development)

“Sustainability is also an evolving process that improves the economy, the environment, and society for the benefit of current and future generations.”

-President’s Council on Sustainable Development

Green building.

The practice of creating structures and using processes that are environmentally responsible & resource efficient throughout a building’s life cycle.

Life Cycle = site selection to design to construction to operation to renovation to deconstruction.

Green buildings. 

Structures that reduce the negative impact of the built environment on human health & the natural environment.

Provide better occupant health & comfort; reduce waste; improve performance & costs.

Benefits = use less energy, water, materials; provide better occupant health & comfort; reduce waste; improve performance & costs.

Whole building design. 

An integrative process that uses an integrated project team.

Views all building’s systems together as they operate interdependently = efficiency gains.

Think ‘green’ at every stage = where can energy & water savings be had? How to reduce waste & use of virgin materials?  How can we improve indoor air quality?

Understanding what it means to design “green” is the first step to ensuring that we are making thought out and smart building design choices.

Connect with S|365 to learn of more green design practices and improve your environmental footprint.