by Ashleigh-Ellan Kavanagh

Created on: April 20, 2010

Building with sustainability in mind is very important in today’s world, considering the current concerns about global warming and the condition of the natural environment. When choosing a suitable technique, lots of things need to be taken into consideration.

ENERGY: 

Energy can be used and lost in many ways in construction and after the project is complete.

To reduce energy consumption, many things can be done. We must use fossil fuels for some things, but it is often better to look into more natural answers to construction needs. By using natural products, less fuel is used in manufacture which has a direct link to carbon reduction. It’s good to encourage friendly buildings.

When a project is in the design stage, it is favourable to investigate energy minimising techniques that can be used and built into the project. By saving energy, the project will also save the designer money in the long term which is important with the cost of fossil fuels constantly rising. An eco-friendly building is a healthy building, and so will its occupants. Most of the processes in conventional construction can be linked somehow to one health problem or another.  They also increase the health of our planet by inputting fewer pollutants.

The way that the project is constructed can have an influence on the post-construction project. One technique which is often considered is a green roof. A green roof is roofing made of natural plant life, which is grown specifically for this purpose. They are becoming more and more popular as the awareness of sustainability increases. There are two types of green roof.  Intensive incorporates both trees and shrubs but needs ongoing maintenance and irrigation. Intensive green roofing also requires a deep soil level to support the biodiversity which develops within the roofing. Alternatively there is Extensive green roofing which incorporates smaller plants, up to about 6 inches, as these need much less soil to support them. They are also very versatile and can be used for almost any type of building roof. 

Materials:

To make an eco-friendly world d we must consider using local materials for our projects. These materials have a lesser effect on the overall environment creating less damage. Not only must the materials be local, they must also be renewable and recycled/recyclable to achieve the full eco-friendly benefits. You also need to make your needs clear to the supplier you chose, as they will then be able to

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