What Makes a Building Green
Sustainable Architecture and its Features
A green building is a structure that eliminates negative environmental impacts with the help of its design, construction, and operations. It in fact creates a positive impact on the climate and the environment it sits in. They preserve natural resources, in turn improving the quality of life. Green buildings are resource-efficient in their construction, thereby producing healthier buildings that cost less to maintain. It is a sustainable approach for the building’s lifecycle – from siting, to design, construction, operations, maintenance, renovation, and demolition.
There are comprehensive rating systems that certify green buildings such as LEED, BuildGreen, and Living Building Challenge. These systems measure the sustainability of a building basis various criteria.
5 Features of a Green Building
Building Automation & Artificial Intelligence
Understanding building automation and control systems in a green building are important in order to collect, use, and analyze information. Building automation systems use access card readers, motion sensors, light sensors, close circuit cameras to determine whether an area is occupied and how occupied it is. These automation systems share the compiled information with the building’s other control systems. This input is further used to adjust their controls within the building. For instance, reducing energy waste in an area is controlled while making sure the occupants are still comfortable – thereby being energy efficient. Integrated building automation limits environmental impact, optimizes energy efficiency, and improves building safety and security. The system compiles data to help the building managers’ costs and increase the efficiency of the building without compromising comfort.
Artificial Intelligence has the potential to improve the occupant experience, increase operational efficiency, and optimize asset and space usage.
Green buildings don’t just contribute towards sustainable construction and the environment but also give the building owners a plethora of advantages — Lower development costs, lower operating costs, healthier indoor environment, enhanced durability, and lowered maintenance costs are some of the benefits of a green building.