Green Building Principles in Construction
What are the Green Building Principles in Construction?
The term green building is first used in the 70s and 80s when oil prices are rises around the globe. The term comes in various ways and helps us to understand what is energy efficiency, conservation, and appropriate use of natural resources.
Currently, the green building concept is very growing. The sustainable building technique saves a lot of time and money. The owner and builder both should understand green building technology.
These are the principles of eco-friendly construction.
Design
Size is the most deciding factor of any sustainable structure. Your house must fulfill your needs neither less nor more. According to research, simple shapes are the best way to choose. As every building loses a certain amount of energy due to the ratio of exterior surface which is proportional to the volume. Simply, the more the simple shape of the building, the lesser transmit heat into the surroundings.
Durability
It is a parameter to determine whether the building is green or not. The building or house which needs to demolish within few years is not sustainable. And the building that loses of groundwater or require extra resources is not eco-friendly.
How to measure the longevity of the House?
The easy way to measure is moisture control of the building. Water can damage the building quickly. Water damages the building more in many ways like peeling of paint, rotting, and mold. It has been found that the tightly built houses don’t dry quickly if the roof or wall gets wet which is suitable for mold to grow.
The climate of the location also plays a vital role in longevity. The vapor barrier helps in the colder atmosphere as it helps to prevent the formation of cavities. So, architects have to design according to factors that reduce the life of the building.
Energy Efficiency of Building
The idea behind the green building is to use energy efficiently. Insulation is very important to achieve high energy efficiency. The air leakage in the building minimizes energy efficiency. The design should be perfect as there are no gaps for air penetration.
It is found that the contractor only looks at small places where insulation is not sufficient like wires and pipes. But it is also important to check at larger places. The air gaps can occur at any place like behind showers, bathtubs, soffits, etc. These places should be closed properly by barrier materials like plywood, drywall, etc.
Minimize the Waste
The purpose of sustainability is to reduce the generation of waste material. This reduction improves the quality of construction. There are various ways to do this. For example, coordinate your plumber and house framer, which saves a lot of material.
Using recycling material is also helps to reduce wastage. The cardboard and metal can be scraps and recycled.
Indoor Air Quality
The eco-friendly house has proper ventilation and natural lighting. You can find the ventilation rate of your house by contacting an HVAC contractor. Think about indoor air pollutants. They are volatile organic compounds of paints, vehicles, carbon monoxide from improper IC engine vehicles, formaldehyde from carpets, and also from particle boards. It is also an enormous amount of moisture.
Use the Green Products
To use the material that has a harmful impact on the environment is equivalent to use a green products in the building. For example, bamboo is good option for wooden flooring as it has less impact on the environment. Materials like fly ash, concrete made from coal-burning, etc. are used instead of Portland cement.
Water Conservation
Sufficient water resource is require for any building. The groundwater level decides that the structure will build or not at that location. If the groundwater is not distributed properly, has a direct impact on the environment. For that, innovative water management requires for better future.