Green/Sustainable Building and

Urban Planning
What is Green Building?
Environmental Protection Agency, USA
definition: Green or sustainable building is
the practice of creating healthier and more
resource-efficient models of construction,
renovation, operation, maintenance, and
demolition.
Green Buildings are high performance
structures that also meet certain standards for
reducing natural resource consumption


Why is Green Building Important?


Features of green building
Construction Reduce the amount of waste
generated at a construction site
Design Building design details will help to
reduce construction materials, and
energy/water requirements when completed
Material Selection Careful selection of
construction materials will leave less of an
environmental impact
Construction
Construction waste accounts for 10 to as much as
30% of municipal waste stream
Goal: Reduce / Reuse / Recycle
Building design based on standard sizes of
materials
Buy higher quality to reduce rejects
Recycle (use scraps)
Train crew
Renovate an existing building
Building Design
Goal: To design the building so that it requires less
energy/water and is healthier for inhabitants when it
is complete and in use
Air ducts for an efficient and healthy air flow
Insulation
Windows designed for maximum daylight
Passive Solar Control
Solar Cells
Heat Exchanger for climate control system
Location
Materials
Goal: Choose materials that have low environmental
costs and do not contribute to indoor air pollution
Engineered Lumber (recycled and reclaimed
material)
Floor Coverings (recycled with no off-gassing)
Roof Materials (Reflective and light)
Energy Efficient Appliances
Solar & Energy Efficient Design through natural lighting,
ventilation and solar passive designs.
Improved Indoor Air Quality
Usage of Green Materials
Proper Mechanical Systems
Efficient Lighting
Proper Testing & Maintenance
Efficient use of water- through recycling and water
harvesting
Efficient waste utilization and disposal



Advanced Features of a Sustainable
Building
Obstacles
93% of consumers worry about their homes
environmental performance. However, only
18% are willing to pay more to reduce the
impact.
There are higher initial costs for Green
Building
Customers are concerned they would be
sacrificing comfort
Green Building Certification
3
rd
Party Certification (USGBC-LEED; Energy Star; Green
Globes)
LEED is currently the preeminent 3
rd
party certification
program.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
(LEED)
5 Major Categories:
1. Sustainable Site Development
2. Water Savings
3. Energy Efficiency
4. Materials Selection
5. Indoor Air Quality

Economics of Green Buildings
Reduction in lighting energy requirements by at least 50
percent
Cut heating and cooling energy consumption by 60
percent
Reduced water consumption by up to 30 percent or
more
Lower building operating expenses through reduced
utility and waste disposal costs

Economics of green building
Lower on-going building maintenance costs,
ranging from salaries to supplies
Increase worker productivity by six to 16 percent
Higher property values and potentially lower
lenders credit risk
Higher building net income
New economic development opportunities

Benefits of Sustainable Construction
Sustainable construction makes wise use of all the
natural resources and a 50% reduction in energy use
Improves occupant health, comfort, productivity,
reduces pollution and landfill waste that are not easily
quantified
A sustainable building may cost more up front, but
saves through lower operating costs over the life of the
building
Life Cycle Costing
Life Cycle Costing (LCC) is used to determine the total
cost of a building for the purpose of selecting alternatives
LCC adds together the construction or capital or first
cost of a building to the total operating costs
Operating costs could include
Energy: electricity, natural gas, fuel oil, other
Water and wastewater
Maintenance: function of quality, durability, complexity
Total cost of people in building

$0.00
$5.00
$10.00
$15.00
$20.00
$25.00
$30.00
$35.00
$40.00
$45.00
$50.00
Ideal Alternative Low initial Cost
Cost
($/SF)
Initial Cost
Life Cycle Cost
Small
difference
between
INITIAL COST
and LIFE
CYCLE COST
Large
difference
between
INITIAL COST
and LIFE
CYCLE COST
Low initial cost vs. low LCC
Service Life Cycle Cost Analysis

Lowering the initial cost of a facility by selection
of lower initial cost materials will likely result in
higher life cycle cost of the facility.

Shows that low initial cost is not always best




Urban Planning


This trend is expected to continue as more and more
people flock to urban areas in search of
opportunities and a better life.
By 2060, the world is likely to be fully urbanized, with
more than 80 percent of the population residing in
urban areas.
Why do we need urban planning


Urban planning
City (urban) planning = designing cities to
maximize their efficiency, functionality, and
beauty
The goal is to ensure welfare of the people
and their communities by creating
convenient, equitable and attractive
environment for present and future
generations

Mass transport
Key in improving quality of urban life: mass
transportation
Buses, trains, subways
Light rail = smaller systems powered by electricity
Cheaper, more energy efficient, and cleaner
Traffic congestion is eased

Parks and open spaces are key elements
City dwellers want to escape noise, commotion, and
stress of urban life
Natural lands, public parks, and open space provide
greenery, scenic beauty, freedom, and recreation
Along with regulating natural processes (e.g., filtering
pollutants)
Urbanization makes protecting natural lands important
Urban dwellers become disconnected from nature
Urban sustainability
Things that make cities safe, clean, healthy and
pleasant also make them more sustainable
A sustainable city functions effectively and
prosperously over the long term
Generations will have a good quality of life
Impacts on natural systems and resources are minimized
A citys impacts depend on how we use resources,
produce goods, transport materials, and deal with
waste
Cities following an ecosystem model

Use resources efficiently
Recycle
Develop environmentally friendly technologies
Offer tax incentives for sustainable practices
Use locally produced resources
Use organic waste and wastewater to restore soil
fertility
Encourage urban agriculture
Conclusion
As half the human population has moved to urban
lifestyles, our environmental impact has changed
Urban sustainability makes urban areas better
places to live
Expanding transportation options to relieve congestion
Park lands and green spaces prevent us from becoming
isolated from nature
Urban planning is critical to ensure that we leave a
clean habitable earth for our future generations