What Are Green Building Design Principles?

With the rising costs of energy and the rapid depletion in the supply of natural resources, incorporating green building strategies into architectural design is essential. Successful green building depends on the building form, design of energy-using systems and the specification of environmentally sustainable materials.

Passive Solar Design

Successful passive solar design means being able to naturally heat and cool a building without dependence on a mechanical system. The orientation and shape of a building on the site, location and size of windows, and the insulation of the building envelope are critical to successful solar design.

Energy Efficiency

Efficient design of the mechanical, electrical and lighting systems in a building reduces energy usage and significantly reduces utility costs. Low-energy light sources, such as fluorescent and LED bulbs, are more expensive to buy initially, but they use significantly less electricity and last much longer than standard incandescent light fixtures.

Water Efficiency

Selection of water-saving plumbing fixtures, such as low-flow toilets and faucets, will net significant savings in water usage. Reducing potable water usage in landscape design is another effective green building strategy, achieved through incorporating more drought-tolerant native planting and collecting rainwater to irrigate the landscape.

Regional and Recycled Materials

Incorporating locally produced materials helps support a local economy and reduces the amount of energy required to transport materials to a building site. Utilizing recycled materials in building design reduces the need to process new virgin material, using less energy and eliminating waste.

Indoor Environment

Improving the air quality of an interior space is very important, especially in buildings that are heavily occupied, such as office buildings and houses. Using low- or no-VOC (volatile organic compound) materials reduces new material odor or off-gassing.