Principles of building green

The advances in research and in building techniques achieved by the above-mentioned green design luminaries have been compiled into a reliable database of environmental construction methods and sustainable materials—some of which have been in use for thousands of years yet remain the basis for contemporary advances in environmental technology. For private residences of the 21st century, the essential green design principles are as follows:

• Alternative energy sources. Whenever feasible, build homes and communities that supply their own power; such buildings may operate entirely off the regional power grid, or they may be able to feed excess energy back onto the grid. Wind and solar power are the usual alternatives. The quality of solar collectors and photovoltaic panels continues to improve with the advance of technology; practical considerations for choosing one supplier over another include price, durability, availability, delivery method, technology, and warranty support.
• Energy conservation. Weatherize buildings for maximum protection against the loss of warm or cool air. Major chemical companies have developed responsibly manufactured, dependable, moisture-resistant insulating materials that do not cause indoor humidity problems. Laminated glass was also radically improved at the end of the 20th century; some windows provide the same insulation value as traditional stone, masonry, and wood construction. In regions that experience extreme heat, straw-bale or mud-brick construction—used since ancient times—is a good way to save money and energy.
• Reuse of materials. Use recycled building materials. Although such products were scarce in the early 1990s, since the early 21st century they have been readily available from a burgeoning number of companies that specialize in salvaging materials from demolition sites.
• Careful siting. Consider using underground or earth-sheltered architecture, which can be ideal for domestic living. Starting at a depth of about 1.5 metres (5 feet) below the surface, the temperature is a constant 52 °F (11 °C)—which makes the earth itself a dependable source of climate control.

Individual, corporate, and governmental efforts to comply with or enforce LEED standards include recycling at household and community levels, constructing smaller and more efficient buildings, and encouraging off-the-grid energy supplies. Such efforts alone cannot preserve the global ecosystem, however. On the most basic level, the ultimate success of any globally sanctioned environmental movement depends as much on its social, psychological, and aesthetic appeal as on its use of advanced technologies.

The environmental movement in the 21st century can succeed only to the extent that its proponents achieve a broad-based philosophical accord and provide the same kind of persuasive catalyst for change that the Industrial Revolution offered in the 19th century. This means shaping a truly global (as well as optimistic and persuasive) philosophy of the environment. Much depends on the building arts and integrative thinking. Architects will have to abandon 20th-century specialization and reliance on technology and, with builders and clients, help support grassroots, community-oriented, and globally unifying objectives. In the words of Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson,

The ultimate test of man’s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.

Challenges to architecture

If architecture is to become truly green, then a revolution of form and content—including radical changes in the entire look of architecture—is essential. This can only happen if those involved in the building arts create a fundamentally new language that is more contextually integrative, socially responsive, functionally ethical, and visually germane.

The potentialities of environmental science and technology must be creatively examined. Already there exists a rich reservoir of ideas from science and nature—cybernetics, virtual reality, biochemistry, hydrology, geology, and cosmology, to mention a few. Furthermore, just as the Industrial Revolution once generated change in many fields in the 19th century, so too the information revolution, with its model of integrated systems, serves as a conceptual model in the 21st century for a new approach to architecture and design in the broader environment.

As community governments begin to legislate state-of-the-art green standards, they must encourage appropriate artistic responses to such regional attributes as surrounding topography, indigenous vegetation, cultural history, and territorial idiosyncrasy. For instance, communities might encourage innovative fusions of architecture with landscape—where trees and plants become as much a part of architectural design as construction materials—so that buildings and their adjacent landscapes essentially merge. In such thinking, buildings are not interpreted as isolated objects, and the traditional barriers between inside and outside and between structure and site are challenged.

Likewise, green architecture in the 21st century has similar obligations to the psychological and physical needs of its inhabitants. Buildings are most successful when they respond to multiple senses—meaning that truly green design engages touch, smell, and hearing as well as sight in the design of buildings and public spaces.

Continuing advances in environmental technology have significantly strengthened the goals of sustainable architecture and city planning over the last decade. Yet many people consider the environmental crisis beyond their comprehension and control. Though technological solutions are necessary, they represent only one facet of the whole. Indeed, the transfer of responsibility to engineers and scientists threatens the social and psychological commitment needed for philosophical unity.

Increasing numbers of people seek new symbiotic relationships between their shelter and the broader ecology. This growing motivation is one of the most promising signs in the development of a consensus philosophy of the environment. As the environmental movement gains momentum, it underlines the anthropologist Margaret Mead’s observation:

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.