Sustainable Construction through Green Building

Construction is one of the heaviest users of energy and resources and one of the largest producers of waste that ends up in landfill. The good side is that provides a huge amount of potential for improvement from building purchasers, architects, builders, residents and the manufacturers of products.

Consider everything involved in the following steps:

  • Growing of raw materials (such as timber)
  • Production of building materials (such as cement)
  • Transportation of building materials
  • Demolition and removal of previous buildings
  • Construction of the new buildings
  • Energy and other inputs to run the buildings

Also because buildings have a long lifespan (or should!) then they will have a significant effect on:

  • Our health
  • Our happiness
  • Our wealth
  • Our environment

Is it not then vital that we should consider the true opportunity cost and all the effects over the lifespan of the building before it is constructed?

So often choices can be made that will not significantly raise costs (and may even cut them), whilst lowering operating costs, reducing greenhouse gases and interacting more beneficially with the environment - and maybe looking better too.

In fact should the question be asked more often whether it is better to modify an existing building to meet our needs if it was constructed with quality materials, than to rush to knockdown and rebuild?

Even if we were to take a purely mercenary view, there is a marketing opportunity for architects and builders who are prepared to develop the skill to properly show purchasers what the true benefits are of making buildings which most ably address all the issues rather than just low upfront cost with hidden ongoing penalties.

The first three books:

Sustainable Construction by Sandy Halliday
Be a Successful Green Builder by R. Dodge Woodson
Green Building A to Z: Understanding the Language of Green Building by Jerry Yudelson

should all help educate and inspire those that are interested in this area.

Classic Cottages: Simple, Romantic Homes by Brian Coleman, serves to remind us that housing should be as pleasurable to the eye as an artwork.

Whilst The Californian Bungalow in Australia by Graeme Butler demonstrates how much care and forethought was put into much of Australia's older housing before it is pulled down.

For businesses that wish to explore these ideas further,
please see our Executive Briefings section.