Architecture e - Book Sustainable PDF

Sustainable Architecture and Building Design (SABD) http://www.arch.hku.hk/research/BEER/sustain.
htm
Sustainable Architecture
1.1 What is Sustainable Development?

1.2 Various Viewpoints
1. BACKGROUND
1.3 Three Dimensions
1.4 Further Reading
2.1 Sustainable Construction
2.2 Environmental Architecture
2. CONCEPTS 2.3 Ecological Building
2.4 Green Building
2.5 Further Reading
3.1 Site
3.2 Energy
3.3 Water
3. ISSUES 3.4 Materials
3.5 Waste
3.6 Community
3.7 Indoor Environment
4.1 Design Guides (downloadable)
4. STRATEGIES 4.2 Processes
4.3 Assessment
5.1 Reference Books & Materials
5. REFERENCES 5.2 Web Links
5.3 Case Studies
Home of BEER
| Created: Dec 1996 | Updated: 10 Aug 2002 | By Sam C M Hui (cmhui@hku.hk) |
1. BACKGROUND
[The current world population]
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Sustainable Architecture and Building Design (SABD) http://www.arch.hku.hk/research/BEER/sustain.htm
"Sustainable development is development which meets the needs of the present without compromising
the ability of future generation to meet their own needs." -- World Commission on Environment and
Development, Our Common Future, pp. 4, Oxford University Press, New York, 1987. This definition has
been formulated by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), led by the
norwegian prime minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, in 1987.
The word development in this definition implicates two important aspects of the concept: It is
omnidisciplinary, it cannot be limited to a number of disciplines or areas, but it is applicable to the whole
world and everyone and everything on it, now and in the future. Secondly, there is no set aim, but the
continuation of development is the aim of the development. The definition is based on two concepts:
the concept of needs, comprising of the conditions for maintaining an acceptable life standard for
all people, and
the concept of limits of the capacity of the environment to fulfill the needs of the present and the
future, determined by the state of technology and social organisation.
The needs consist firstly of basic needs such as food, clothing, housing and employment. Secondly, every
individual, in every part of the world should have the opportunity to try and raise his or her life standard
above this absolute minimum. The limits consist of natural limitations like finite resources, but also of
declining productivity caused by overexploitation of resources, declining quality of water and shrinking
of biodiversity. For our common future, it would therefore be best if needs are best fulfilled while limits
are not increased, but preferably decreased. This would lead to the quite simple conclusion that all
political, technical and social developments can easily be evaluated in the light of sustainable
development by these two arguments. Any development should help fulfill needs and should not increase
limitations.
Many other definitions of sustainable development have also been offered, some general and some more
precise. The followings illustrate the variety of foci evident in discussions of sustainable development.
". . . requires meeting the basic needs of all people and extending opportunities for economic and
social advancement. Finally, the term also implies the capacity of development projects to endure
organizationally and financially. A development initiative is considered sustainable if, in addition
to protecting the environment and creating opportunity, it is able to carry out activities and generate
its own financial resources after donor contributions have run out." Bread for the World,
Background Paper No. 129, Washington, DC, March 1993.
"[improves] . . . the quality of human life while living within the carrying capacity of supporting
ecosystems." International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN),
World Conservation Union, United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP), and World Wide
Fund for Nature (WWF), Caring for the Earth, pp. 10, IUCN/UNEP/WWF, Gland, Switzerland,
1991.
"[uses] . . . natural renewable resources in a manner that does not eliminate or degrade them or
otherwise dimish their renewable usefulness for future generations while maintaining effectively
constant or non-declining stocks of natural resources such as soil, groundwater, and biomass."
World Resources Institute, Dimensions of sustainable development, World Resources 1992-93: A
Guide to the Global Environment, pp. 2, Oxford University Press, New York, 1992.
"[maximizes] . . . the net benefits of economic development, subject to maintaining the services and
quality of natural resources." R. Goodland and G. Ledec, Neoclassical economics and principles of
sustainable development, Ecological Modeling 38 (1987): 36.
"[is based on the premise that] . . . current decisions should not impair the prospects for maintaining
or improving future living standards . . . This implies that our economic systems should be
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managed so that we live off the dividend of our resources, maintaining and improving the asset
base." R. Repetto, World Enough and Time, pp. 15-16, Yale University Press, New Haven, CT,
1986.
" . . . is taken to mean a positive rate of change in the quality of life of people, based on a system
that permits this positive rate of change to be maintained indefinitely." L. M. Eisgruber, Sustainable
development, ethics, and the Endangered Species Act, Choices, Third Quarter 1993, pp. 4-8.
" . . . is development without growth --- a physically steady-state economy that may continue to
develop greater capacity to satisfy human wants by increasing the efficiency of resource use, but
not by increasing resource throughput." H. E. Daly, Steady state economics: concepts, questions,
and politics, Ecological Economics 6 (1992): 333-338.
" . . . is the search and the carrying out of rational strategies that allow society to manage, in
equilibrium and perpetuity, its interaction with the natural system (biotic/abiotic) such that society,
as a whole, benefits and the natural system keeps a level that permits its recuperation." E.
Gutierrez-Espeleta, Indicadores de sostenibilidad: instrumentos para la evaluacion de las politicas
nacionales", unpublished paper presented at 50th Anniversity Conference of the Economic Sciences
Faculty sponsored by the University of Costa Rica, San Jose, Costa Rica, Nov. 19, 1993.
"Future generation is the most important" --- Confucius.

"Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It was loaned to you by your children."
--- Kenyan Proverb.
"Sustainability is living on the interest rather than the principle." -- economics educators.
Sustainability (Nachhaltigkeit) as postulated in Germany "requires the inextricable linkage of ecology,
economy and social security. Sustainable development requires that improvements in economic and
social living conditions accord with the long-term process of securing the natural foundations of life
(G1)".
A sustainable system delivers services without exhausting resources. It uses all resources efficiently
both in an environmental and economic sense.
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Economic dimensions of Environmental dimensions of Social dimensions of

sustainability: sustainability sustainability
Creation of new markets and Reduced waste, effluent Worker health and safety
opportunities for sales growth generation, emissions to Impacts on local communities,
Cost reduction through environment quality of life
efficiency improvements and Reduced impact on human Benefits to disadvantaged
reduced energy and raw material health groups e.g. disabled
inputs Use of renewable raw materials
Creation of additional added Elimination of toxic substances
value
Environmental Sustainability
The idea of environmental sustainability is to leave the Earth in as good or better shape for future
generations than we found it for ourselves. By a definition, human activity is only environmentally
sustainable when it can be performed or maintained indefinitely without depleting natural resources or
degrading the natural environment.
Resource consumption would be minimal

Materials consumed would be made ENTIRELY of 100% post-consumer recycled materials or
from renewable resources (which were harvested without harm to the environment and without
depletion of the resource base)
Recycling of waste streams would be 100%
Energy would be conserved and energy supplies would be ENTIRELY renewable and
non-polluting (solar thermal and electric, wind power, biomass, etc.)
1.4 Further Reading
Definition of Sustainability [AGS]

Definitions of Sustainability [SDIC]
The Economics of Sustainability [US-EPA]
Global Sustainability Concepts [University of California Irvine]
Interactive Learning About Sustainable Development [IISD]
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Sustainable Development: Education for Engineers & Others

Sustainable Development Information [Five E's]
"Sustainability" by Robert Gilman, from the 1992 UIA/AIA "Call for Sustainable Community
Solutions" [Context Institute]
Sustainability and Sustainable Development [University of Reading, UK]
Thoughts on Sustainability [eDesign]
What is sustainable development? [SustainAbility.com]
What is "Sustainability"? [Florida Sustainable Communities Center]
What is Sustainability? [US EPA]
What Is Sustainability? [by Susan Murcott of MIT]
Definitions
Principles
Criteria
Indicators
Conceptual Frameworks
2. CONCEPTS
"Architecture presents a unique challenge in the field of sustainability. Construction

projects typically consume large amounts of materials, produce tons of waste, and often
involve weighing the preservation of buildings that have historical significance against
the desire for the development of newer, more modern designs." -- The Earth Pledge
(www.earthpledge.org)
Sustainable construction is defined as "the creation and responsible management of a healthy built
environment based on resource efficient and ecological principles". Sustainably designed buildings aim to
lessen their impact on our environment through energy and resource efficiency. It includes the following
principles:
minimising non-renewable resource consumption

enhancing the natural environment
eliminating or minimising the use of toxins
Accordning to an OECD Project, "Sustainable building" can be defined as those buildings that have
minimum adverse impacts on the built and natural environment, in terms of the buildings themselves,
their immediate surroundings and the broader regional and global setting. "Sustainable building" may be
defined as building practices, which strive for integral quality (including economic, social and
environmental performance) in a very broad way. Thus, the rational use of natural resources and
appropriate management of the building stock will contribute to saving scarce resources, reducing energy
consumption (energy conservation), and improving environmental quality.
Sustainable building involves considering the entire life cycle of buildings, taking environmental quality,
functional quality and future values into account. In the past, attention has been primarily focused on the
size of the building stock in many countries. Quality issues have hardly played a significant role.
However, in strict quantity terms, the building and housing market is now saturated in most countries, and
the demand for quality is growing in importance. Accordingly, policies that contribute to the
sustainability of building practices should be implemented, with recognition of the importance of existing
market conditions. Both the environmental initiatives of the construction sector and the demands of users
are key factors in the market. Governments will be able to give a considerable impulse to sustainable
buildings by encouraging these developments. The OECD project has identified five objectives for
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sustainable buildings:
Resource Efficiency
Energy Efficiency (including Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction)
Pollution Prevention (including Indoor Air Quality and Noise Abatement)
Harmonisation with Environment (including Environmental Assessment)
Integrated and Systemic Approaches (including Environmental Management System)
Theme Environmental Economic Social

Sub-theme - Global - Construction - Equity
- Local and site - Materials - Community
- Internal - Infrastructure
Issues - Climate change - Profitability - Poverty
- Resources - Employment - Minorities
- Internal environment - Productivity - Inner cities
- External environment - Transport and utilities - Transport
- Wildlife - Building stock value - Communications
Green Code for Architecture

[From: Greening Government: Towards More Sustainable Construction: Green Guide for Managers on
the Government Estate, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, UK]
Based on the objectives of the Building Research Establishment's Environmental Assessment Method
(BREEAM) The principles are:
demolish and rebuild only when it is not economical or practicable to reuse, adapt or extend an
existing structure;
reduce the need for transport during demolition, refurbishment and construction and tightly control
all processes to reduce noise, dust, vibration, pollution and waste;
make the most of the site, eg. by studying its history and purpose, local micro-climates and the
prevailing winds and weather patterns, solar orientation, provision of public transport and the form
of surrounding buildings;
design the building to minimise the cost of ownership and its impact on the environment over its
life span by making it easily maintainable and by incorporating techniques and technologies for
conserving energy and water and reducing emissions to land, water and air;
wherever feasible, use the construction techniques which are indigenous to the area, learning from
local traditions in materials and design;
put the function of the building and the comfort of its occupants well before any statement it is
intended to make about the owner or its designer. That is, make it secure, flexible and adaptable (to
meet future requirements) and able to facilitate and promote communications between staff;
build to the appropriate quality and to last. Longevity depends much on form, finishes and the
method of assembly employed as on the material used.
avoid using materials from non renewable sources or which cannot be reused or recycled,
especially in structures which have a short life;
Five principles of an environmental architecture (Thomas A. Fisher, AIA, November, 1992):
Healthful Interior Environment. All possible measures are to be taken to ensure that materials and
building systems do not emit toxic substances and gasses into the interior atmosphere. Additional
measures are to be taken to clean and revitalize interior air with filtration and plantings.
Energy Efficiency. All possible measures are to be taken to ensure that the building's use of energy
is minimal. Cooling, heating and lighting systems are to use methods and products that conserve or
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eliminate energy use.

Ecologically Benign Materials. All possible measures are to be taken to use building materials and
products that minimize destruction of the global environment. Wood is to be selected based on non
destructive forestry practices. Other materials and products are to be considered based on the toxic
waste out put of production.
Environmental Form. All possible measures are to be taken to relate the form and plan of the
design to the site, the region and the climate. Measures are to be taken to "heal" and augment the
ecology of the site. Accomodations are to be made for recycling and energy efficiency. Measures
are to be taken to relate the form of building to a harmonious relationship between the inhabitants
and nature.
Good Design. All possible measures are to be taken to achieve an efficient, long lasting and elegant
relationship of use areas, circulation, building form, mechanical systems and construction
technology. Symbolic relationships with appropriate history, the Earth and spiritual principles are
to be searched for and expressed. Finished buildings shall be well built, easy to use and beautiful.
Architect William McDonough defined the breadth of what Green Building is:
The Hannover Principles
Living buildings will:
Harvest all their own water and energy needs on site.

Be adapted specifically to site and climate and evolve as conditions change.
Operate pollution-free and generate no wastes that aren't useful for some other
process in the building or immediate environment.
Promote the health and well-being of all inhabitants, as a healthy ecosystem
does.
Be comprise of integrated systems that maximize efficiency and comfort.
Improve the health and diversity of the local ecosystem rather than degrade it.
Be beautiful and inspire us to dream.
-- Jason F. McLennan, BNIM Architects
2.3 Ecological Building
Ecology Ecological Building

1. the science of the relationship and A movement in contemporary architecture. This movement
interaction of living organisms with aims to create environmentally friendly, energy-efficient
their inanimate (e.g. climate, soil) and buildings and developments by effectively managing
their animate environment, as well as natural resources. This entails passively and actively
the study of resource and energy harnessing solar energy and using materials which, in their
management in the biosphere and its manufacture, application, and disposal, do the least
sub-categories. possible damage to the so-called 'free resources' water,
ground, and air.
2. the study of the detrimental effects of
modern civilization on the
environment, with a view toward
prevention or reversal through
conservation.
Economy
1. careful, thrifty management of
resources, such as money, materials, or
labor.
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2. an orderly, functional arrangement of

parts; on organized system.
3. efficient, sparing, or conservative use.
Major Areas:
Environment Building Fabric Building Technology
Air Facade and roof Cooling energy

Free air Transparent insulating Direct
- Natural ventilation material - Electrically driven chiller
- Wind force Photovoltaics - Absorption chiller
- Energy content Absorber surface - Gas-motor driven chiller
Stack effect Storage masses - Cooling towers
- Solar energy, diffuse Planted surfaces - Tandem systems
radiation Rainwater Indirect
- Solar energy, direct radiation Dayligth elements - Cold storage in building
Collectors - Cold storage in terrain
Soil - Bore holes
Aquifer Construction
- Heat storage Storage masses Heat energy
- Cool storage Passive solar absorber Direct
Groundwater Heat exchanger elements - District heating
- Cold energy Night cooling by outside air - Boiler (gas, oil, coal, biogas, condensing)
- Heat energy - Electric boiler (with storage)
Earth/rock Atria Indirect
- Geothermal cooling Green zones - Solar thermal system
- Heat energy Evaporative cooling
- Combined heat and power (CHP)
Passive solar energy - Heat pumps
Water surfaces Heat buffer
- Flue gas heat exchanger
Lake
- Pump water or greywater Electrical energy
- Heat energy Mains supply
- Cold energy - Commercial power supply utilities
River Self supply
- Pump water or greywater - Combined heat and power (CHP)
- Heat energy - Emergency generator
- Cold energy - Photovoltaics
Sea - Tandem system
- Pump water or greywater - Wind energy generator
- Heat energy
- Cold energy Water
Pure water
- Public supply (drinking, cooking)
Greywater
- Waste water (condenser water, flushing,
cleaning)
Rainwater
- Flushing, cleaning, cooling
What does "Ecos" mean?
2.4 Green Building
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"It's not easy being green." -- Kermit the Frog, 1972.
A green approach to the built environment involves a holistic approach to the design of buildings. All the
resources that go into a building, be they materials, fuels or the contribution of the users need to be
considered if a sustainable architecture is to be produced. Producing green buildings involves resolving
many conflicting issues and requirements. Each design decision has environmental implications.
Measures for green buildings can be divided into four areas:
reducing energy in use

minimising external pollution and environmental damage
reducing embodied energy and resource depletion
minimising internal pollution and damage to health
What Makes a Building Green?
A "green" building places a high priority on health, environmental and resource conservation performance
over its life-cycle. These new priorities expand and complement the classical building design concerns:
economy, utility, durability, and delight. Green design emphasizes a number of new environmental,
resource and occupant health concerns:
Reduce human exposure to noxious materials.

Conserve non-renewable energy and scarce materials.
Minimize life-cycle ecological impact of energy and materials used.
Use renewable energy and materials that are sustainably harvested.
Protect and restore local air, water, soils, flora and fauna.
Support pedestrians, bicycles, mass transit and other alternatives to fossil-fueled vehicles.
Most green buildings are high-quality buildings; they last longer, cost less to operate and maintain, and
provide greater occupant satisfaction than standard developments. Sophisticated buyers and lessors prefer
them, and are often willing to pay a premium for their advantages. What surprises many people unfamiliar
with this design movement is that good green buildings often cost little or no more to build than
conventional designs. Commitment to better performance, close teamwork throughout the design process,
openness to new approaches, and information on how these are best applied are more important than a
large construction budget.
Sustainable Design
Sustainable design is the thoughtful integration of architecture with electrical, mechanical, and structural
engineering. In addition to concern for the traditional
aesthetics of massing, proportion, scale, texture, shadow, and light, the facility design team needs to be
concerned with long term costs: environmental, economic, and human.
The Rocky Mountain Institute outlines five elements for sustainable design:
Planning and design should be thorough. Sustainable design is "front loaded" compared with
traditional design. Early decisions have the greatest impact on energy efficiency, passive solar
design, daylighting, and natural cooling.
Sustainable design is more of a philosophy of building than a prescriptive building style.
Sustainable buildings don't have any particular look or style.
Sustainable buildings don't have to cost more, nor are they more complicated than traditional
construction.
Integrated design, that is design where each component is considered part of a greater whole, is
critical to successful sustainable design.
Minimizing energy consumption and promoting human health should be the organizing principles
of sustainable design. The other elements of design can be organized: energy saving architectural
features, energy conserving building envelope, and energy-efficient and health-promoting
mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.
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Principles of Sustainable Design
Understanding Place - Sustainable design begins with an intimate understanding of place.

If we are sensitive to the nuances of place, we can inhabit without destroying it.
Understanding place helps determine design practices such as solar orientation of a building
on the site, preservation of the natural environment, and access to public transportation.
Connecting with Nature - Whether the design site is a building in the inner city or in a
more natural setting, connecting with nature brings the designed environment back to life.
Effective design helps inform us of our place within nature.
Understanding Natural Processes - In nature there is not waste. The byproduct of one
organism becomes the food for another. In other words, natural systems are made of closed
loops. By working with living processes, we respect the needs of all species. Engaging
processes that regenerate rather than deplete, we become more alive. Making natural cycles
and processes visible brings the designed environment back to life.
Understanding Environmental Impact - Sustainable design attempts to have an
understanding of the environmental impact of the design by evaluating the site, the embodied
energy and toxicity of the materials, and the energy efficiency of design,materials and
construction techniques. Negative environmental impact can be mitigated through use of
sustainably harvested building materials and finishes, materials with low toxicity in
manufacturing and installation, and recycling building materials while on the job site.
Embracing Co-creative Design Processes - Sustainable designers are finding it is
important to listen to every voice. Collaboration with systems consultants, engineers and
other experts happens early in the design process, instead of an afterthought. Designers are
also listening to the voices of local communities. Design charettes for the end user
(neighbourhood residents or office employers) are becoming a standard practice.
Understanding People - Sustainable design must take into consideration the wide range of
cultures, races, religions and habits of the people who are going to be using and inhabiting
the built environment. This requires sensitivity and empathy on the needs of the people and
the community.
"Sustainable architecture involves a combination of values: aesthetic, environmental,

social, political, and moral. It's about using one's imagination and technical knowledge
to engage in a central aspect of the practice -- designing and building in harmony with
our environment. The smart architect thinks rationally about a combination of issues
including sustainability, durability, longevity, appropriate materials, and sense of place.
The challenge is finding the balance between environmental considerations and
econmic constraints. Consideration must be given to the needs of our communities and
the ecosystem that supports them." -- Sanuel Mockbee, Auburn University
2.5 Further Reading
Agenda 21 on Sustainable Construction [CIB]

Defining Sustainable Architecture (by Jack A. Kremers), Architronic v4n3.02
Green Building Basics
Green Building Primer [B.E.S.T.]
Green Buildings - The Growing Emphasis on Building Performance and Occupant Health
Patterns of Sustainable Design [www.homeasta.org]
Rural Sustainability (slide show)
Sustainable Architecture Online Course [Boston Architectural Center]
Sustainable Architecture: A Definition (by John Norton), Habitat Debate Vol. 5 No. 2
Sustainable Architecture White Papers [Table of Content][720.47 S96]
Sustainable building in the Netherlands (by P.W. Heijimen)
Sustainable Construction [CBPP]
Sustainable Design [AIA COTE]
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Urban Sustainability (slide show)

What is Sustainable Design? - Basic Sustainable Design Principles [www.homeasta.org]
Energy Efficiency
Material Efficiency
Water Efficiency
Regional Design
What It Means to Be Green [Architectural Record]
3. ISSUES
SITE ENERGY WATER
MATERIALS WASTE COMMUNITY
3.1 Site
Sustainable Urban Design
What is Sustainable Urban Development? [University of Salford]

Sustainable Urban Design and Climate [Bureau of Meteorology Australia]
Principles of sustainable urban design [Barton, H., 1996. Going green by design, Urban
Design Quarterly, January 1996, available at http://www2.rudi.net/ej/udq/57/ggd.html]:
Principle 1: Increasing Local Self-Sufficiency

Principle 2: Human Needs
Principle 3: Structure Development Around Energy-Efficient Movement Networks
Principle 4: The Open Space Network
Principle 5: Linear Concentration
Principle 6: An Energy Strategy
Principle 7: Water Strategy
Landform/Microclimate Site Design Infrastructure Efficiency
Topography Solar orientation Water supply and use

Light-colored surfacing Pedestrian orientation Wastewater collection
Vegetative cooling Transit orientation Storm drainage
Wind buffering/channeling Micro climatic Street lighting
Evaporative cooling building/siting Traffic signalization
Recycling facilities
Land-Use Transportation On-Site Energy Resources
Use density Integrated, mulimodal Geothermal/groundwater

Use mix street network Surface water
Activity concentration Pedestrian Wind
Bicycle Solar
Transit District heating /cooling
High-occupancy vehicles Cogeneration
Pavement minimization Thermal storage
Parking Fuel cell power
minimization/siting
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Sustainable Transportation
Integrating land-use, transport and environmental planning is important to minimise the need for travel
and to promote efficient and effective mode of transport, including walking. There are four principal ways
to influence transport system efficiency and energy consumption:
urban and land-use planning;

modal mix (cars, trucks, rail, air, etc.);
behavioural and operational aspects (occupancy of vehicles, driver behaviour, system
characteristics); and
vehicle efficiency and fuel choice.
Pedestrianisation is to restrict vehicle access to a street or area for the exclusive use of pedestrians. It
provides a pleasant and safe environment for pedestrians, and are ideal venues for shopping, social and
cultural activities such as street markets and fairs.
Proposed concepts in Hong Kong

The Third Comprehensive Transport Study : Final Report
Sustainable Cities and Green Development
Cities as Superorganisms
Sustainable Cities: Environmentally Sustainable Urban Development
Green Development Guiding Principles
Green Development: Integrating Ecology and Real Estate
3.2 Energy
Energy Efficiency
The benefits from the energy-efficient siting and design of buildings are economic (saving money), social
(reducing fuel poverty); and ecological (reducing resource exploitation and emissions). Every new
development ideally should have an explicit energy strategy, setting out how these
benefits are to be achieved.
Computer energy simulations can be used to assess energy conservation measures early and throughout
the design process. The expanded design team collaborates early in conceptual design to generate many
alternative concepts for building form, envelope and landscaping, focusing on minimizing peak energy
loads, demand and consumption. Computer energy simulation is used to assess their effectiveness in
energy conservation, and their construction costs. Typically, heating and cooling load reductions from
better glazing, insulation, efficient lighting, daylighting and other measures allows smaller and less
expensive HVAC equipment and systems, resulting in little or no increase in construction cost compared
to conventional designs. Simulations are used to refine designs and ensure that energy-conservation and
capital cost goals are met; and to demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements.
Building Energy Efficiency Research (BEER)

Energy Design Resources
Energy-Saving Technology in Business-Related Buildings [UNEP Global Environmental Centre]
Renewable Energy
Renewable Energy
3.3 Water
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[Under Construction]
Water conservation methods:
Toilets:-
Low flush toilets
Dual flush toilets (3/6 litres)
Vacuum or compressed air toilets
Cistern displacement devices
Waterless toilets
Composting toilets (heated or unheated)
Incinerating toilets
Urinals:-
Urinal controls (infrared, radar, autoflush)
Waterless urinals
Wash hand basins:-
Push taps
Flow control, self closing
Tap flow regulators
Shower:-
Shower mixers
Water saving showerheads
Self closing shower system
Outside and garden:-
Water control
Clothes Washers:-
Water saving washers
Control & usage
Water supply:-
Auto shut off and pressure regulators
Rain water and grey water:-
Rain water recycling systems
Grey water recycling systems
3.4 Materials
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Embodied Energy
The quantity of energy required by all the activities associated with a production process, including the
relative proportions consumed in all activities upstream to the acquisition of natural resources and the
share of energy used in making equipment and other supporting functions. i.e. direct plus indirect energy.
The energy input required to quarry, transport and manufacture building materials, plus the energy used in
the construction
process, can amount to a quarter of the 'lifetime' energy requirement of a very energy-efficient building.
To reduce embodied
energy, without compromising longevity or efficiency:
re-use existing buildings and structures wherever possible (provided their energy costs in use can
be reduced to an acceptable level).
design buildings for long life, with ease of maintenance and adaptability to changing needs
construct buildings and infrastructure out of local and low- energy materials where possible
reduce the proportion of high rise, detached or single-storey developments
design layouts which minimise the extent to roadway and utility pipework per dwelling
create a strategy
Prefabrication
Prefabrication [CityU CIVCAL]

Prefabrication in Hong Kong Public Housing
Harmony Site Visit
Concord Site Visit
3.5 Waste
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"Waste - a resource in the wrong place" -- An old Chinese proverb.
Waste Management Strategies
Waste prevention
Recyclying construction and demolition materials
Architectural reuse (include adaptive reuse, conservative disassembly, and reusing salvaged
materials)
Design for material recovery (durability, disassembly, adaptive reuse)
Waste hierarchy:
Sustainable development
Prevention
Reduction
On-site reuse
On-site recovery
Off-site reuse
Off-site recovery
Landfill
waste v. waste n.
1. to use, consume, spend, or expend thoughtlessly 1. a place, region, or land that is uninhabited or
or carelessly uncultivated
2. to cause to lose energy, strength, or vigor; 2. a devasted or destroyed region, town, or
exhaust, tire, or enfeeble building; a ruin
3. to fail to take advantage of or use for profit 3. a useless or worthless by-product, as from a
manufacturing process
4. to destroy completely 4. garbage; trash
Humans are the only species on Earth that produce waste which is not a raw material or nutrient for
another species. We are the only species to produce wastes that can be broadly toxic and build up for long
periods of time. As William McDonough, Dean of the University of Virginia School of Architecture, has
said, a sustainable society would eliminate the concept of waste. Waste is not simply an unwanted and
sometimes harmful by-product of life; it is a raw material out of place. Waste and pollution demonstrate
gross inefficiency in the economic system since they represent resources that are no longer available for
use and/or create harm in humans and other species.
3.6 Community
Sustainable Communities
Sustainable Communities [Sustainability Report]

Sustainability and Sustainable Communities
Sustainable Cities White Papers [Earth Pledge]
Indoor air quality

Visual quality
Acoustic quality
Noise control
15 of 19 31/12/2005 05:25 p.m.

Controllability of systems
4. Strategies
4.1 Design Guides (online or downloadable)
ACC Sustainable Facility Guide, 2000. [US Air Force] (PDF)

Austin Chronicle's Green Building Guide, 1994.
Building Green on a Budget [Environmental Building News]
Checklist for Environmentally Responsible Design and Construction [Environmental Building
News]
Ecotecture [Department of Design and Environmental Analysis,Cornell University]
Energy Design Guidelines for High Performance Schools
Energy smart building design: How to make it happen
Environmental Assessment Guide for Public Housing (October 1996) [HUD]
Environmental Sustainability Checklist [City of Austin Green Building Program]
Good Residential Design Guide - Your Home [www.greenhouse.gov.au]
Green Office Guide [www.greenhouse.gov.au]
Green Products Guide [Architectural Record]
Greening Federal Facilities (a resource guide) [USDOE]
Greening Government: Towards More Sustainable Construction: Green Guide for Managers on
the Government Estate [UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs]
Greening Portland's Affordable Housing [City of Portland]
GSA Real Property Sustainable Development Guide [US General Services Administration]
A Guide for Managing and Minimizing Building and Demolition Waste [PolyU]
The Guide to Green Buildings Resources [Green Building British Columbia]
Guidelines for the design of more sustainable buildings: durability, adaptability and energy
conservation issues [University of Strathclyde]
Guidelines for Total Building Commissioning [State of Florida]
High Performance Building Guidelines [New York City Department of Design and Construction]
High Performance Green Building Guidelines [Commonwealth of Pennsylvania]
High Performance Guidelines: Triangle Region Public Facilities
Home Remodeling Green Building Guidelines [Alameda County Waste Management Authority]
Hugh L. Carey Battery Park City Authority Residential Environmental Guidelines
Introduction to Sustainable Design, by Jong-Jin Kim, University of Michigan, December 1998.
(PDF)
NAHB Research Center, Guide to Developing Green Building Programs, National Association of
Home Builders, 1999. (PDF)
Minnesota Sustainable Design Guide, University of Minnesota, 1999.
Model Green Office Leasing Specifications [Commonwealth of Pennsylvania]
National Best Practice Manual for Building High Performance Schools
New Home Construction Green Building Guidelines [Alameda County Waste Management
Authority]
NWBuildNet's Environmental Guide
Process Guidelines for High-Performance Buildings [State of Florida]
Santa Monica Green Buildings Design & Construction Guidelines
Sustainable Building Residential Rehabilitation Guidebook (PDF)
Sustainable Building Sourcebook, Green Building Program of the City of Austin, Texas (HTML by
Bill Christensen), 1998.
Sustainable Building Technical Manual, Public Technology Inc., US Green Building Council,
1996.
16 of 19 31/12/2005 05:25 p.m.

Sustainable Decision Guide For City of Saint Paul Facilities

Sustainable Design Brochure, Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum, Inc.(HOK), St. Louis, Missouri,
1998.
The Sustainable Design Resource Guide, American Insitute of Architects Committee on the
Environment (COTE) and Architects, Designers and Planners for Social Responsibility (ADPSR
Colorado), Third Edition, 1997.
The Sustainable Design Resource Guide: Colorado & the Western Mountain Region, Denver AIA
Committee on the Environment, 2000.
Whole Building Design Guide, 2000.
Whole Building Design Guide, US Navy, 1997.
4.2 Processes
Planning Process
Site selection and planning

Budget planning
Capital planning
Programme planning
Design Process
Client awareness and goal setting

Green vision, project goals & green design criteria
Team development
Well-integrated design
Resource management
Performance goals
Operation & Maintenance
Commissioning of building systems
17 of 19 31/12/2005 05:25 p.m.

Building operation
Maintenance practices
Renovation
Demolition
4.3 Assessment
Environmental Assessment
Assessment Methods: Design [University of Salford]

ATHENA Sustainable Materials Institute
BEES (Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability)
BRE Environmental Profiles
BREEAM UK
BREEAM Canada
Copy from CSA
Building Environmental Quality Evaluation for Sustainability Through Time (BEQUEST)
Construction and City Related Sustainability Indicators CRISP
EcoHome (UK)
Info from Battle McCarthy
Eco-Pro (Finland)
Eco-Quantum (Netherlands)
ENVEST (environmental impact estimating design software) [UK BRE]
Assessment Process & Benifits [Battle McCarthy]
Environmental Support Solutions
EQUER (France)
GBTool
Green Building Assessment Tool - GBTool 1.3
A Second-Generation Environmental Performance Assessment System for Buildings
Green Building Rating System (Korea)
Green Globes
Interactive Tools Survey [University of Weimar, Germany]
International Association for Impact Assessments (IAIA)
LCAid (Australia)
LEED Green Building Rating System
LISA (LCA in Sustainable Architecture)
New Measures for Building Performance
SimPro life-cycle assessment software (PRe, Product Ecology Consultants)
Assessment Methodologies
Indoor air quality audit

Life cycle energy audit
Initial embodied energy
Recurring embodied energy
Operational energy
Benchmarking
Greenhouse gas assessment
Lighting, thermal and ventilation (LTV) audit
Hydraulic audit
Life cycle costing audit
Post occupancy evaluation
Assessment Principles
18 of 19 31/12/2005 05:25 p.m.

Bellagio Principles: Guidelines for the Practical Assessment of Progress Towards Sustainable
Development
Biodiversity Criteria
Preservation of:
species richness, abundance, diversity;

ecological diversity;
high number of endemic species;
high number of important gene pools;
habitat.
Three forms of biodiversity:
genetic
species
ecosystems
Natural environment to protect:
Grassland
Shrubland
Forest
Wetland
Water stream
Mangrove
Marsh
Impact of urban development
direct species loss

habitat destruction/fragmentation
habitat degradation (pollution, decrease in size) e.g. due to disturbance, noise, light
food web disruption
Impact mitigation
Avoidance
No development
Alternative
Reduction
minimise impacts
Compensation (on site or off site)
habitat creation/restoration
5. References
5.2 Web Links
5.3 Case Studies
19 of 19 31/12/2005 05:25 p.m.

Sustainable Architecture and Building Design (SABD)
Sustainable Architecture
1.1 What is Sustainable

Development?
1. BACKGROUND 1.2 Various Viewpoints
1.4 Further Reading
2. CONCEPTS 2.3 Ecological Building
2.4 Green Building
2.5 Further Reading
3.1 Site
3.2 Energy
3.3 Water
3. ISSUES 3.4 Materials
3.5 Waste
3.6 Community
4.1 Design Guides (downloadable)
4. STRATEGIES 4.2 Processes
4.3 Assessment
http://www.arch.hku.hk/research/BEER/sustain.htm (1 of 23)4/05/2006 1:54:20 PM


5. REFERENCES 5.2 Web Links
5.3 Case Studies
Home of BEER
| Created: Dec 1996 | Updated: 10 Aug 2002 | By Sam C M Hui (cmhui@hku.hk) |
1. BACKGROUND
[The current world population]
"Sustainable development is development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generation to meet their own needs." -- World Commission on Environment and
Development, Our Common Future, pp. 4, Oxford University Press, New York, 1987. This definition has
been formulated by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), led by the
norwegian prime minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, in 1987.
The word development in this definition implicates two important aspects of the concept: It is
omnidisciplinary, it cannot be limited to a number of disciplines or areas, but it is applicable to the whole
world and everyone and everything on it, now and in the future. Secondly, there is no set aim, but the
continuation of development is the aim of the development. The definition is based on two concepts:
● the concept of needs, comprising of the conditions for maintaining an acceptable life standard for all
people, and
● the concept of limits of the capacity of the environment to fulfill the needs of the present and the
future, determined by the state of technology and social organisation.
The needs consist firstly of basic needs such as food, clothing, housing and employment. Secondly, every
individual, in every part of the world should have the opportunity to try and raise his or her life standard
above this absolute minimum. The limits consist of natural limitations like finite resources, but also of
declining productivity caused by overexploitation of resources, declining quality of water and shrinking of
biodiversity. For our common future, it would therefore be best if needs are best fulfilled while limits are
not increased, but preferably decreased. This would lead to the quite simple conclusion that all political,
technical and social developments can easily be evaluated in the light of sustainable development by these
two arguments. Any development should help fulfill needs and should not increase limitations.
Many other definitions of sustainable development have also been offered, some general and some more
precise. The followings illustrate the variety of foci evident in discussions of sustainable development.

● ". . . requires meeting the basic needs of all people and extending opportunities for economic and
social advancement. Finally, the term also implies the capacity of development projects to endure
organizationally and financially. A development initiative is considered sustainable if, in addition to
protecting the environment and creating opportunity, it is able to carry out activities and generate its
own financial resources after donor contributions have run out." Bread for the World, Background
Paper No. 129, Washington, DC, March 1993.
● "[improves] . . . the quality of human life while living within the carrying capacity of supporting
ecosystems." International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN),
World Conservation Union, United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP), and World Wide
Fund for Nature (WWF), Caring for the Earth, pp. 10, IUCN/UNEP/WWF, Gland, Switzerland,
1991.
● "[uses] . . . natural renewable resources in a manner that does not eliminate or degrade them or
otherwise dimish their renewable usefulness for future generations while maintaining effectively
constant or non-declining stocks of natural resources such as soil, groundwater, and biomass." World
Resources Institute, Dimensions of sustainable development, World Resources 1992-93: A Guide to
the Global Environment, pp. 2, Oxford University Press, New York, 1992.
● "[maximizes] . . . the net benefits of economic development, subject to maintaining the services and
quality of natural resources." R. Goodland and G. Ledec, Neoclassical economics and principles of
sustainable development, Ecological Modeling 38 (1987): 36.
● "[is based on the premise that] . . . current decisions should not impair the prospects for maintaining
or improving future living standards . . . This implies that our economic systems should be managed
so that we live off the dividend of our resources, maintaining and improving the asset base." R.
Repetto, World Enough and Time, pp. 15-16, Yale University Press, New Haven, CT, 1986.
● " . . . is taken to mean a positive rate of change in the quality of life of people, based on a system that
permits this positive rate of change to be maintained indefinitely." L. M. Eisgruber, Sustainable
development, ethics, and the Endangered Species Act, Choices, Third Quarter 1993, pp. 4-8.
● " . . . is development without growth --- a physically steady-state economy that may continue to
develop greater capacity to satisfy human wants by increasing the efficiency of resource use, but not
by increasing resource throughput." H. E. Daly, Steady state economics: concepts, questions, and
politics, Ecological Economics 6 (1992): 333-338.
● " . . . is the search and the carrying out of rational strategies that allow society to manage, in
equilibrium and perpetuity, its interaction with the natural system (biotic/abiotic) such that society,
as a whole, benefits and the natural system keeps a level that permits its recuperation." E. Gutierrez-
Espeleta, Indicadores de sostenibilidad: instrumentos para la evaluacion de las politicas nacionales",
unpublished paper presented at 50th Anniversity Conference of the Economic Sciences Faculty
sponsored by the University of Costa Rica, San Jose, Costa Rica, Nov. 19, 1993.
"Future generation is the most important" --- Confucius.

"Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It was loaned to you by your children."
--- Kenyan Proverb.
"Sustainability is living on the interest rather than the principle." -- economics educators.

Sustainability (Nachhaltigkeit) as postulated in Germany "requires the inextricable linkage of ecology,

economy and social security. Sustainable development requires that improvements in economic and
social living conditions accord with the long-term process of securing the natural foundations of life
(G1)".
A sustainable system delivers services without exhausting resources. It uses all resources efficiently both
in an environmental and economic sense.
Economic dimensions of Environmental dimensions of Social dimensions of

sustainability: sustainability sustainability
● Creation of new markets and ● Reduced waste, effluent ● Worker health and safety
opportunities for sales growth generation, emissions to ● Impacts on local communities,
● Cost reduction through environment quality of life

efficiency improvements and ● Reduced impact on human ● Benefits to disadvantaged
reduced energy and raw material health groups e.g. disabled

inputs ● Use of renewable raw
● Creation of additional added materials

value ● Elimination of toxic
substances
Environmental Sustainability

The idea of environmental sustainability is to leave the Earth in as good or better shape for future
generations than we found it for ourselves. By a definition, human activity is only environmentally
sustainable when it can be performed or maintained indefinitely without depleting natural resources or
degrading the natural environment.
● Resource consumption would be minimal

● Materials consumed would be made ENTIRELY of 100% post-consumer recycled materials or from
renewable resources (which were harvested without harm to the environment and without depletion
of the resource base)
● Recycling of waste streams would be 100%
● Energy would be conserved and energy supplies would be ENTIRELY renewable and non-polluting
(solar thermal and electric, wind power, biomass, etc.)
1.4 Further Reading
● Definition of Sustainability [AGS]

● Definitions of Sustainability [SDIC]
● The Economics of Sustainability [US-EPA]
● Global Sustainability Concepts [University of California Irvine]
● Interactive Learning About Sustainable Development [IISD]
● Sustainable Development: Education for Engineers & Others
● Sustainable Development Information [Five E's]
● "Sustainability" by Robert Gilman, from the 1992 UIA/AIA "Call for Sustainable Community
Solutions" [Context Institute]
● Sustainability and Sustainable Development [University of Reading, UK]
● Thoughts on Sustainability [eDesign]
● What is sustainable development? [SustainAbility.com]
● What is "Sustainability"? [Florida Sustainable Communities Center]
● What is Sustainability? [US EPA]
● What Is Sustainability? [by Susan Murcott of MIT]
❍ Definitions
❍ Principles
❍ Criteria
❍ Indicators
❍ Conceptual Frameworks
2. CONCEPTS

"Architecture presents a unique challenge in the field of sustainability. Construction

projects typically consume large amounts of materials, produce tons of waste, and often
involve weighing the preservation of buildings that have historical significance against
the desire for the development of newer, more modern designs." -- The Earth Pledge
(www.earthpledge.org)
Sustainable construction is defined as "the creation and responsible management of a healthy built
environment based on resource efficient and ecological principles". Sustainably designed buildings aim to
lessen their impact on our environment through energy and resource efficiency. It includes the following
principles:
● minimising non-renewable resource consumption

● enhancing the natural environment
● eliminating or minimising the use of toxins
Accordning to an OECD Project, "Sustainable building" can be defined as those buildings that have
minimum adverse impacts on the built and natural environment, in terms of the buildings themselves, their
immediate surroundings and the broader regional and global setting. "Sustainable building" may be defined
as building practices, which strive for integral quality (including economic, social and environmental
performance) in a very broad way. Thus, the rational use of natural resources and appropriate management
of the building stock will contribute to saving scarce resources, reducing energy consumption (energy
conservation), and improving environmental quality.
Sustainable building involves considering the entire life cycle of buildings, taking environmental quality,
functional quality and future values into account. In the past, attention has been primarily focused on the
size of the building stock in many countries. Quality issues have hardly played a significant role. However,
in strict quantity terms, the building and housing market is now saturated in most countries, and the demand
for quality is growing in importance. Accordingly, policies that contribute to the sustainability of building
practices should be implemented, with recognition of the importance of existing market conditions. Both
the environmental initiatives of the construction sector and the demands of users are key factors in the
market. Governments will be able to give a considerable impulse to sustainable buildings by encouraging
these developments. The OECD project has identified five objectives for sustainable buildings:
● Resource Efficiency
● Energy Efficiency (including Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction)
● Pollution Prevention (including Indoor Air Quality and Noise Abatement)
● Harmonisation with Environment (including Environmental Assessment)
● Integrated and Systemic Approaches (including Environmental Management System)
Theme Environmental Economic Social

Sub-theme - Global - Construction - Equity
- Local and site - Materials - Community
- Internal - Infrastructure

Issues - Climate change - Profitability - Poverty

- Resources - Employment - Minorities
- Internal environment - Productivity - Inner cities
- External - Transport and - Transport
environment utilities - Communications
- Wildlife - Building stock value
Green Code for Architecture

[From: Greening Government: Towards More Sustainable Construction: Green Guide for Managers on the
Government Estate, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, UK]
Based on the objectives of the Building Research Establishment's Environmental Assessment Method
(BREEAM) The principles are:
● demolish and rebuild only when it is not economical or practicable to reuse, adapt or extend an
existing structure;
● reduce the need for transport during demolition, refurbishment and construction and tightly control
all processes to reduce noise, dust, vibration, pollution and waste;
● make the most of the site, eg. by studying its history and purpose, local micro-climates and the
prevailing winds and weather patterns, solar orientation, provision of public transport and the form
of surrounding buildings;
● design the building to minimise the cost of ownership and its impact on the environment over its life
span by making it easily maintainable and by incorporating techniques and technologies for
conserving energy and water and reducing emissions to land, water and air;
● wherever feasible, use the construction techniques which are indigenous to the area, learning from
local traditions in materials and design;
● put the function of the building and the comfort of its occupants well before any statement it is
intended to make about the owner or its designer. That is, make it secure, flexible and adaptable (to
meet future requirements) and able to facilitate and promote communications between staff;
● build to the appropriate quality and to last. Longevity depends much on form, finishes and the
method of assembly employed as on the material used.
● avoid using materials from non renewable sources or which cannot be reused or recycled, especially
in structures which have a short life;
Five principles of an environmental architecture (Thomas A. Fisher, AIA, November, 1992):
● Healthful Interior Environment. All possible measures are to be taken to ensure that materials and
building systems do not emit toxic substances and gasses into the interior atmosphere. Additional
measures are to be taken to clean and revitalize interior air with filtration and plantings.
● Energy Efficiency. All possible measures are to be taken to ensure that the building's use of energy
is minimal. Cooling, heating and lighting systems are to use methods and products that conserve or
eliminate energy use.
● Ecologically Benign Materials. All possible measures are to be taken to use building materials and
products that minimize destruction of the global environment. Wood is to be selected based on non
destructive forestry practices. Other materials and products are to be considered based on the toxic

waste out put of production.

● Environmental Form. All possible measures are to be taken to relate the form and plan of the design
to the site, the region and the climate. Measures are to be taken to "heal" and augment the ecology of
the site. Accomodations are to be made for recycling and energy efficiency. Measures are to be
taken to relate the form of building to a harmonious relationship between the inhabitants and nature.
● Good Design. All possible measures are to be taken to achieve an efficient, long lasting and elegant
relationship of use areas, circulation, building form, mechanical systems and construction
technology. Symbolic relationships with appropriate history, the Earth and spiritual principles are to
be searched for and expressed. Finished buildings shall be well built, easy to use and beautiful.
Architect William McDonough defined the breadth of what Green Building is:
● The Hannover Principles
Living buildings will:
● Harvest all their own water and energy needs on site.

● Be adapted specifically to site and climate and evolve as conditions change.
● Operate pollution-free and generate no wastes that aren't useful for some other
process in the building or immediate environment.
● Promote the health and well-being of all inhabitants, as a healthy ecosystem does.
● Be comprise of integrated systems that maximize efficiency and comfort.
● Improve the health and diversity of the local ecosystem rather than degrade it.
● Be beautiful and inspire us to dream.
-- Jason F. McLennan, BNIM Architects
2.3 Ecological Building
Ecology Ecological Building

1. the science of the relationship and interaction of A movement in contemporary architecture. This
living organisms with their inanimate (e.g. movement aims to create environmentally
climate, soil) and their animate environment, as friendly, energy-efficient buildings and
well as the study of resource and energy developments by effectively managing natural
management in the biosphere and its sub- resources. This entails passively and actively
categories. harnessing solar energy and using materials
which, in their manufacture, application, and
2. the study of the detrimental effects of modern disposal, do the least possible damage to the so-
civilization on the environment, with a view called 'free resources' water, ground, and air.
toward prevention or reversal through
conservation.
Economy
1. careful, thrifty management of resources, such as
money, materials, or labor.

2. an orderly, functional arrangement of parts; on

organized system.
3. efficient, sparing, or conservative use.
Major Areas:
Environment Building Fabric Building Technology
Air Facade and roof Cooling energy

Free air Transparent insulating Direct
- Natural ventilation material - Electrically driven chiller
- Wind force Photovoltaics - Absorption chiller
- Energy content Absorber surface - Gas-motor driven chiller
Stack effect Storage masses - Cooling towers
- Solar energy, diffuse Planted surfaces - Tandem systems
radiation Rainwater Indirect
- Solar energy, direct radiation Dayligth elements - Cold storage in building
Collectors - Cold storage in terrain
Soil - Bore holes
Aquifer Construction
- Heat storage Storage masses Heat energy
- Cool storage Passive solar absorber Direct
Groundwater Heat exchanger elements - District heating
- Cold energy Night cooling by outside air - Boiler (gas, oil, coal, biogas,
- Heat energy condensing)
Earth/rock Atria - Electric boiler (with storage)
- Geothermal cooling Green zones Indirect
- Heat energy Evaporative cooling - Solar thermal system
Passive solar energy - Combined heat and power (CHP)
Water surfaces Heat buffer - Heat pumps
Lake - Flue gas heat exchanger
- Pump water or greywater
- Heat energy Electrical energy
- Cold energy Mains supply
River - Commercial power supply utilities
- Pump water or greywater Self supply
- Heat energy - Combined heat and power (CHP)
- Cold energy - Emergency generator
Sea - Photovoltaics
- Pump water or greywater - Tandem system
- Heat energy - Wind energy generator
- Cold energy
Water
Pure water
- Public supply (drinking, cooking)
Greywater

- Waste water (condenser water, flushing,

cleaning)
Rainwater
- Flushing, cleaning, cooling
● What does "Ecos" mean?
2.4 Green Building
"It's not easy being green." -- Kermit the Frog, 1972.
A green approach to the built environment involves a holistic approach to the design of buildings. All the
resources that go into a building, be they materials, fuels or the contribution of the users need to be
considered if a sustainable architecture is to be produced. Producing green buildings involves resolving
many conflicting issues and requirements. Each design decision has environmental implications. Measures
for green buildings can be divided into four areas:
● reducing energy in use

● minimising external pollution and environmental damage
● reducing embodied energy and resource depletion
● minimising internal pollution and damage to health
What Makes a Building Green?
A "green" building places a high priority on health, environmental and resource conservation performance
over its life-cycle. These new priorities expand and complement the classical building design concerns:
economy, utility, durability, and delight. Green design emphasizes a number of new environmental,
resource and occupant health concerns:
● Reduce human exposure to noxious materials.

● Conserve non-renewable energy and scarce materials.
● Minimize life-cycle ecological impact of energy and materials used.
● Use renewable energy and materials that are sustainably harvested.
● Protect and restore local air, water, soils, flora and fauna.
● Support pedestrians, bicycles, mass transit and other alternatives to fossil-fueled vehicles.
Most green buildings are high-quality buildings; they last longer, cost less to operate and maintain, and
provide greater occupant satisfaction than standard developments. Sophisticated buyers and lessors prefer
them, and are often willing to pay a premium for their advantages. What surprises many people unfamiliar
with this design movement is that good green buildings often cost little or no more to build than
conventional designs. Commitment to better performance, close teamwork throughout the design process,
openness to new approaches, and information on how these are best applied are more important than a large
construction budget.
Sustainable Design
Sustainable design is the thoughtful integration of architecture with electrical, mechanical, and structural
engineering. In addition to concern for the traditional

aesthetics of massing, proportion, scale, texture, shadow, and light, the facility design team needs to be
concerned with long term costs: environmental, economic, and human.
The Rocky Mountain Institute outlines five elements for sustainable design:
● Planning and design should be thorough. Sustainable design is "front loaded" compared with
traditional design. Early decisions have the greatest impact on energy efficiency, passive solar
design, daylighting, and natural cooling.
● Sustainable design is more of a philosophy of building than a prescriptive building style. Sustainable
buildings don't have any particular look or style.
● Sustainable buildings don't have to cost more, nor are they more complicated than traditional
construction.
● Integrated design, that is design where each component is considered part of a greater whole, is
critical to successful sustainable design.
● Minimizing energy consumption and promoting human health should be the organizing principles of
sustainable design. The other elements of design can be organized: energy saving architectural
features, energy conserving building envelope, and energy-efficient and health-promoting
mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems.
● Understanding Place - Sustainable design begins with an intimate understanding of place. If

we are sensitive to the nuances of place, we can inhabit without destroying it. Understanding
place helps determine design practices such as solar orientation of a building on the site,
preservation of the natural environment, and access to public transportation.
● Connecting with Nature - Whether the design site is a building in the inner city or in a more
natural setting, connecting with nature brings the designed environment back to life. Effective
design helps inform us of our place within nature.
● Understanding Natural Processes - In nature there is not waste. The byproduct of one
organism becomes the food for another. In other words, natural systems are made of closed
loops. By working with living processes, we respect the needs of all species. Engaging
processes that regenerate rather than deplete, we become more alive. Making natural cycles
and processes visible brings the designed environment back to life.
● Understanding Environmental Impact - Sustainable design attempts to have an understanding
of the environmental impact of the design by evaluating the site, the embodied energy and
toxicity of the materials, and the energy efficiency of design,materials and construction
techniques. Negative environmental impact can be mitigated through use of sustainably
harvested building materials and finishes, materials with low toxicity in manufacturing and
installation, and recycling building materials while on the job site.
● Embracing Co-creative Design Processes - Sustainable designers are finding it is important
to listen to every voice. Collaboration with systems consultants, engineers and other experts
happens early in the design process, instead of an afterthought. Designers are also listening to
the voices of local communities. Design charettes for the end user (neighbourhood residents
or office employers) are becoming a standard practice.
● Understanding People - Sustainable design must take into consideration the wide range of
cultures, races, religions and habits of the people who are going to be using and inhabiting the
built environment. This requires sensitivity and empathy on the needs of the people and the
community.

"Sustainable architecture involves a combination of values: aesthetic, environmental,

social, political, and moral. It's about using one's imagination and technical knowledge
to engage in a central aspect of the practice -- designing and building in harmony with
our environment. The smart architect thinks rationally about a combination of issues
including sustainability, durability, longevity, appropriate materials, and sense of place.
The challenge is finding the balance between environmental considerations and econmic
constraints. Consideration must be given to the needs of our communities and the
ecosystem that supports them." -- Sanuel Mockbee, Auburn University
2.5 Further Reading
● Agenda 21 on Sustainable Construction [CIB]

● Defining Sustainable Architecture (by Jack A. Kremers), Architronic v4n3.02
● Green Building Basics
● Green Building Primer [B.E.S.T.]
● Green Buildings - The Growing Emphasis on Building Performance and Occupant Health
● Patterns of Sustainable Design [www.homeasta.org]
● Rural Sustainability (slide show)
● Sustainable Architecture Online Course [Boston Architectural Center]
● Sustainable Architecture: A Definition (by John Norton), Habitat Debate Vol. 5 No. 2
● Sustainable Architecture White Papers [Table of Content][720.47 S96]
● Sustainable building in the Netherlands (by P.W. Heijimen)
● Sustainable Construction [CBPP]
● Sustainable Design [AIA COTE]
● Urban Sustainability (slide show)
● What is Sustainable Design? - Basic Sustainable Design Principles [www.homeasta.org]
❍ Energy Efficiency
❍ Material Efficiency
❍ Water Efficiency
❍ Regional Design
● What It Means to Be Green [Architectural Record]
3. ISSUES
SITE ENERGY WATER
MATERIALS WASTE COMMUNITY
3.1 Site
Sustainable Urban Design

● What is Sustainable Urban Development? [University of Salford]

● Sustainable Urban Design and Climate [Bureau of Meteorology Australia]
● Principles of sustainable urban design [Barton, H., 1996. Going green by design, Urban
Design Quarterly, January 1996, available at http://www2.rudi.net/ej/udq/57/ggd.html]:
❍ Principle 1: Increasing Local Self-Sufficiency

❍ Principle 2: Human Needs
❍ Principle 3: Structure Development Around Energy-Efficient Movement Networks
❍ Principle 4: The Open Space Network
❍ Principle 5: Linear Concentration
❍ Principle 6: An Energy Strategy
❍ Principle 7: Water Strategy
Landform/Microclimate Site Design Infrastructure Efficiency
● Topography ● Solar orientation ● Water supply and use

● Light-colored surfacing ● Pedestrian orientation ● Wastewater collection
● Vegetative cooling ● Transit orientation ● Storm drainage
● Wind buffering/channeling ● Micro climatic building/ ● Street lighting
● Evaporative cooling siting ● Traffic signalization
● Recycling facilities
Land-Use Transportation On-Site Energy Resources
● Use density ● Integrated, mulimodal ● Geothermal/groundwater

● Use mix street network ● Surface water
● Activity concentration ● Pedestrian ● Wind
● Bicycle ● Solar
● Transit ● District heating /cooling
● High-occupancy vehicles ● Cogeneration
● Pavement minimization ● Thermal storage
● Parking minimization/siting ● Fuel cell power
Sustainable Transportation
Integrating land-use, transport and environmental planning is important to minimise the need for travel and
to promote efficient and effective mode of transport, including walking. There are four principal ways to
influence transport system efficiency and energy consumption:
● urban and land-use planning;

● modal mix (cars, trucks, rail, air, etc.);
● behavioural and operational aspects (occupancy of vehicles, driver behaviour, system
characteristics); and
● vehicle efficiency and fuel choice.

Pedestrianisation is to restrict vehicle access to a street or area for the exclusive use of pedestrians. It
provides a pleasant and safe environment for pedestrians, and are ideal venues for shopping, social and
cultural activities such as street markets and fairs.
● Proposed concepts in Hong Kong

● The Third Comprehensive Transport Study : Final Report
Sustainable Cities and Green Development
● Cities as Superorganisms
● Sustainable Cities: Environmentally Sustainable Urban Development
● Green Development Guiding Principles
● Green Development: Integrating Ecology and Real Estate
3.2 Energy
Energy Efficiency
The benefits from the energy-efficient siting and design of buildings are economic (saving money), social
(reducing fuel poverty); and ecological (reducing resource exploitation and emissions). Every new
development ideally should have an explicit energy strategy, setting out how these
benefits are to be achieved.
Computer energy simulations can be used to assess energy conservation measures early and throughout the
design process. The expanded design team collaborates early in conceptual design to generate many
alternative concepts for building form, envelope and landscaping, focusing on minimizing peak energy
loads, demand and consumption. Computer energy simulation is used to assess their effectiveness in energy
conservation, and their construction costs. Typically, heating and cooling load reductions from better
glazing, insulation, efficient lighting, daylighting and other measures allows smaller and less expensive
HVAC equipment and systems, resulting in little or no increase in construction cost compared to
conventional designs. Simulations are used to refine designs and ensure that energy-conservation and
capital cost goals are met; and to demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements.
● Building Energy Efficiency Research (BEER)

● Energy Design Resources
● Energy-Saving Technology in Business-Related Buildings [UNEP Global Environmental Centre]
Renewable Energy
● Renewable Energy
3.3 Water
[Under Construction]

Water conservation methods:
● Toilets:-
❍ Low flush toilets
■ Dual flush toilets (3/6 litres)
■ Vacuum or compressed air toilets
❍ Cistern displacement devices
❍ Waterless toilets
■ Composting toilets (heated or unheated)
■ Incinerating toilets
● Urinals:-
❍ Urinal controls (infrared, radar, autoflush)
❍ Waterless urinals
● Wash hand basins:-

❍ Push taps
❍ Flow control, self closing
❍ Tap flow regulators
● Shower:-
❍ Shower mixers
❍ Water saving showerheads
❍ Self closing shower system
● Outside and garden:-

❍ Water control
● Clothes Washers:-
❍ Water saving washers
❍ Control & usage
● Water supply:-
❍ Auto shut off and pressure regulators
● Rain water and grey water:-

❍ Rain water recycling systems
❍ Grey water recycling systems
3.4 Materials

Embodied Energy
The quantity of energy required by all the activities associated with a production process, including the
relative proportions consumed in all activities upstream to the acquisition of natural resources and the share
of energy used in making equipment and other supporting functions. i.e. direct plus indirect energy.
The energy input required to quarry, transport and manufacture building materials, plus the energy used in
the construction
process, can amount to a quarter of the 'lifetime' energy requirement of a very energy-efficient building. To
reduce embodied
energy, without compromising longevity or efficiency:
● re-use existing buildings and structures wherever possible (provided their energy costs in use can be
reduced to an acceptable level).
● design buildings for long life, with ease of maintenance and adaptability to changing needs
● construct buildings and infrastructure out of local and low- energy materials where possible
● reduce the proportion of high rise, detached or single-storey developments
● design layouts which minimise the extent to roadway and utility pipework per dwelling
● create a strategy

Prefabrication
● Prefabrication [CityU CIVCAL]

❍ Prefabrication in Hong Kong Public Housing
❍ Harmony Site Visit
❍ Concord Site Visit
3.5 Waste
"Waste - a resource in the wrong place" -- An old Chinese proverb.
Waste Management Strategies
● Waste prevention
● Recyclying construction and demolition materials
● Architectural reuse (include adaptive reuse, conservative disassembly, and reusing salvaged
materials)
● Design for material recovery (durability, disassembly, adaptive reuse)
Waste hierarchy:
● Sustainable development
● Prevention
● Reduction
● On-site reuse
● On-site recovery
● Off-site reuse
● Off-site recovery
● Landfill
waste v. waste n.
1. to use, consume, spend, or expend 1. a place, region, or land that is uninhabited or
thoughtlessly or carelessly uncultivated
2. to cause to lose energy, strength, or vigor; 2. a devasted or destroyed region, town, or building; a
exhaust, tire, or enfeeble ruin
3. to fail to take advantage of or use for profit 3. a useless or worthless by-product, as from a
manufacturing process
4. to destroy completely 4. garbage; trash
Humans are the only species on Earth that produce waste which is not a raw material or nutrient for another
species. We are the only species to produce wastes that can be broadly toxic and build up for long periods
of time. As William McDonough, Dean of the University of Virginia School of Architecture, has said, a
sustainable society would eliminate the concept of waste. Waste is not simply an unwanted and sometimes
harmful by-product of life; it is a raw material out of place. Waste and pollution demonstrate gross

inefficiency in the economic system since they represent resources that are no longer available for use and/
or create harm in humans and other species.
3.6 Community
Sustainable Communities
● Sustainable Communities [Sustainability Report]

● Sustainability and Sustainable Communities
● Sustainable Cities White Papers [Earth Pledge]
● Indoor air quality

● Visual quality
● Acoustic quality
● Noise control
● Controllability of systems
4. Strategies
4.1 Design Guides (online or downloadable)
● ACC Sustainable Facility Guide, 2000. [US Air Force] (PDF)

● Austin Chronicle's Green Building Guide, 1994.
● Building Green on a Budget [Environmental Building News]
● Checklist for Environmentally Responsible Design and Construction [Environmental Building News]
● Ecotecture [Department of Design and Environmental Analysis,Cornell University]
● Energy Design Guidelines for High Performance Schools
● Energy smart building design: How to make it happen
● Environmental Assessment Guide for Public Housing (October 1996) [HUD]
● Environmental Sustainability Checklist [City of Austin Green Building Program]
● Good Residential Design Guide - Your Home [www.greenhouse.gov.au]
● Green Office Guide [www.greenhouse.gov.au]
● Green Products Guide [Architectural Record]
● Greening Federal Facilities (a resource guide) [USDOE]
● Greening Government: Towards More Sustainable Construction: Green Guide for Managers on the
Government Estate [UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs]
● Greening Portland's Affordable Housing [City of Portland]
● GSA Real Property Sustainable Development Guide [US General Services Administration]
● A Guide for Managing and Minimizing Building and Demolition Waste [PolyU]

● The Guide to Green Buildings Resources [Green Building British Columbia]

● Guidelines for the design of more sustainable buildings: durability, adaptability and energy
conservation issues [University of Strathclyde]
● Guidelines for Total Building Commissioning [State of Florida]
● High Performance Building Guidelines [New York City Department of Design and Construction]
● High Performance Green Building Guidelines [Commonwealth of Pennsylvania]
● High Performance Guidelines: Triangle Region Public Facilities
● Home Remodeling Green Building Guidelines [Alameda County Waste Management Authority]
● Hugh L. Carey Battery Park City Authority Residential Environmental Guidelines
● Introduction to Sustainable Design, by Jong-Jin Kim, University of Michigan, December 1998.
(PDF)
● NAHB Research Center, Guide to Developing Green Building Programs, National Association of
Home Builders, 1999. (PDF)
● Minnesota Sustainable Design Guide, University of Minnesota, 1999.
● Model Green Office Leasing Specifications [Commonwealth of Pennsylvania]
● National Best Practice Manual for Building High Performance Schools
● New Home Construction Green Building Guidelines [Alameda County Waste Management
Authority]
● NWBuildNet's Environmental Guide
● Process Guidelines for High-Performance Buildings [State of Florida]
● Santa Monica Green Buildings Design & Construction Guidelines
● Sustainable Building Residential Rehabilitation Guidebook (PDF)
● Sustainable Building Sourcebook, Green Building Program of the City of Austin, Texas (HTML by
Bill Christensen), 1998.
● Sustainable Building Technical Manual, Public Technology Inc., US Green Building Council, 1996.
● Sustainable Decision Guide For City of Saint Paul Facilities
● Sustainable Design Brochure, Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum, Inc.(HOK), St. Louis, Missouri, 1998.
● The Sustainable Design Resource Guide, American Insitute of Architects Committee on the
Environment (COTE) and Architects, Designers and Planners for Social Responsibility (ADPSR
Colorado), Third Edition, 1997.
● The Sustainable Design Resource Guide: Colorado & the Western Mountain Region, Denver AIA
Committee on the Environment, 2000.
● Whole Building Design Guide, 2000.
● Whole Building Design Guide, US Navy, 1997.
4.2 Processes

Planning Process
● Site selection and planning

● Budget planning
● Capital planning
● Programme planning
Design Process
● Client awareness and goal setting

❍ Green vision, project goals & green design criteria
● Team development
● Well-integrated design
● Resource management
● Performance goals
Operation & Maintenance
● Commissioning of building systems

● Building operation
● Maintenance practices
● Renovation
● Demolition

4.3 Assessment
Environmental Assessment
● Assessment Methods: Design [University of Salford]

● ATHENA Sustainable Materials Institute
● BEES (Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability)
● BRE Environmental Profiles
● BREEAM UK
● BREEAM Canada
❍ Copy from CSA
● Building Environmental Quality Evaluation for Sustainability Through Time (BEQUEST)

● Construction and City Related Sustainability Indicators CRISP
● EcoHome (UK)
❍ Info from Battle McCarthy
● Eco-Pro (Finland)
● Eco-Quantum (Netherlands)
● ENVEST (environmental impact estimating design software) [UK BRE]
❍ Assessment Process & Benifits [Battle McCarthy]
● Environmental Support Solutions

● EQUER (France)
● GBTool
❍ Green Building Assessment Tool - GBTool 1.3
❍ A Second-Generation Environmental Performance Assessment System for Buildings
● Green Building Rating System (Korea)

● Green Globes
● Interactive Tools Survey [University of Weimar, Germany]
● International Association for Impact Assessments (IAIA)
● LCAid (Australia)
● LEED Green Building Rating System
● LISA (LCA in Sustainable Architecture)
● New Measures for Building Performance
● SimPro life-cycle assessment software (PRe, Product Ecology Consultants)
Assessment Methodologies
● Indoor air quality audit

● Life cycle energy audit
❍ Initial embodied energy
❍ Recurring embodied energy
❍ Operational energy
❍ Benchmarking
❍ Greenhouse gas assessment
● Lighting, thermal and ventilation (LTV) audit

● Hydraulic audit
● Life cycle costing audit
● Post occupancy evaluation
Assessment Principles
● Bellagio Principles: Guidelines for the Practical Assessment of Progress Towards Sustainable
Development
Biodiversity Criteria
Preservation of:
● species richness, abundance, diversity;

● ecological diversity;
● high number of endemic species;
● high number of important gene pools;
● habitat.
Three forms of biodiversity:
● genetic
● species
● ecosystems
Natural environment to protect:
● Grassland
● Shrubland
● Forest
● Wetland
● Water stream
● Mangrove
● Marsh
Impact of urban development
● direct species loss

● habitat destruction/fragmentation
● habitat degradation (pollution, decrease in size) e.g. due to disturbance, noise, light
● food web disruption
Impact mitigation
● Avoidance
❍ No development
❍ Alternative

● Reduction
❍ minimise impacts
● Compensation (on site or off site)

❍ habitat creation/restoration
5. References
5.2 Web Links
5.3 Case Studies

Sustainability Issues
SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES Home
Introduction Sustainability
Issues
Although many sustainability issues are global or national in scope, we relate most
directly to what is happening where we live.
Measuring
In Canada, almost 80 per cent of the population is urban. Therefore, a shift to more sustainability at
sustainability must take place at the local level, in the places where we live, work, and the community
shop. In this way, a community - whether it is a small town in Saskatchewan or one of level
Canada's sprawling metropolitan areas - has an important role to play in making
sustainable development a reality.
How
What is a sustainable community? sustainable are
Many definitions of a sustainable community have been put forward, but Canadian
they all revolve around the interconnectedness of society, economy and communities?
environment. According to Maureen Hart, a sustainable community is
one in which
. . . the economic, social and environmental systems that make up the

community provide a healthy, productive, meaningful life for all community
residents, present and future. Sustainable communities acknowledge that there
are limits to the natural, social and built systems upon which we depend.
A view of community as three A view of community as three concentric circles:

separate, unrelated parts: an economic the economy exists within society, and both the
part, a social part and an economy and society exist within the
environmental part. Traditional quality environment. Sustainability indicators attempt to
of life indicators tend to measure these measure the extent to which these boundaries
3 parts separately. are respected.
Source: Hart Environmental Data
In addition to social, economic, and environmental health, sustainable communities are

about the participation of all elements of society in decision-making processes. Local
governments can help their communities to become more sustainable, but they cannot
do it without a mandate from, and the participation of the local community. According
to the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy
Sustainability must be community-led and consensus-based because the

central issue is will, not expertise; only a community-based process can
overcome the political, bureaucratic and psychological barriers to change. But
citizen-led processes must be complemented by top-down government support
because it is still only governments that have the regulatory powers to secure
http://www.sustreport.org/issues/sust_comm.html (1 of 2)4/05/2006 1:57:27 PM

Sustainability Issues
the transition to sustainable development.
The following twelve principles, proposed by the Ontario Round Table on Environment
and Economy, encompass the social, economic, environmental and decision-making
aspects of sustainable communities:
Model Principles for Sustainable Communities

Source: Ontario Round Table on Environment and Economy
A sustainable community is one which:
1. Recognizes that growth occurs within some limits and is

ultimately limited by the carrying capacity of the environment
2. Values cultural diversity
3. Has respect for other life forms and supports biodiversity
4. Has shared values amongst the members of the community
(promoted through sustainability education)
5. Employs ecological decision-making (e.g., integration of
environmental criteria into all municipal government,
business and personal decision-making processes)
6. Makes decisions and plans in a balanced, open and flexible
manner that includes the perspectives from the social,
health, economic and environmental sectors of the
community
7. Makes best use of local efforts and resources (nurtures
solutions at the local level)
8. Uses renewable and reliable sources of energy
9. Minimizes harm to the natural environment
10. Fosters activities which use materials in continuous cycles.
And, as a result, a sustainable community:
11. Does not compromise the sustainability of other
communities (a geographic perspective)
12. Does not compromise the sustainability of future
generations by its activities (a temporal perspective).
Measuring sustainability at the community level
How sustainable are Canadian communities?
Background | Sustainability Issues | Options & Ideas | Sustainable Business

Indicators | National Reporting Survey | News & Views | Resources
Copyright © 2004. Sustainability Reporting Program. All rights reserved.
http://www.sustreport.org/issues/sust_comm.html (2 of 2)4/05/2006 1:57:27 PM

Austin Chronicle's Green Building Guide
Green Building Guide
(106KB) cover illustration by A.J. Garces
Welcome to the Austin Chronicle's Green Building web page, a republication of the Chronicle's Green Building
issue of April 27, 1994.
NEW STUFF includes R.U. Steinberg's guide to Environmental BBS's and a few updates, corrrections, and
additional material that didn't make it into the original issue.
THE ARTICLES are split into four major areas, having to do with alternative building materials, water
conservation and reuse, energy efficiency, and organizations that can help.
The original RESOURCE LISTINGS are included with each article and also are combined together for convenient
downloading.
THE INFO was all accurate as of April, 1994. We have not rechecked phone numbers and such since that time.
Things change. If you have information regarding phone number and address changes or new resources, please
send e-mail to xephyr@auschron.com.
All materials are copyright (C) 1995 by the Austin Chronicle and the individual authors.
Building Materials
Material World
Suzy Banks' overview guide to green building materials
Are We Running Out of Wood
Robert Bryce on timber and sustainability
The Last Straw
http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/spec/greenbuild/ (1 of 3)4/05/2006 1:58:57 PM

Robert Bryce looks at straw bale construction
Earthy Solutions
Suzy Banks on earth-sheltered homes
Resources
Water Conservation
Wet Harvest
Suzy Banks on rainwater catchment systems
Greywater
Some water can be reused... or can it? by Suzy Banks
Problems of Elimination
Marshall Frech on alternatives to sewage
Resources
Energy Efficiency
Plugging into "Negawatts"
Steps to energy efficiency by Robert Bryce
Energy Star Ratings
Jeanine Sih on a City of Austin incentive program
UT and Others Think Green
Organizational conservation, by Jeanine Sih
Resources

Organizations
Green Builder Program
Jeanine Sih on a City of Austin pilot program
Sustainable Building Coalition
Grassroots green, by Jeanine Sih
From Fringe to Center
The world of Pliny Fisk, by Robert Bryce
Environmental BBS
an annotated guide by R.U. Steinberg
InfiNet
Austin's homegrown environmental BBS, by Chris Burton
Resources
Complete Resource List

BuildingGreen.com - EBN 8:5 - Building Green on a Budget
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Green Topics Articles > Volume 8 > Number 5

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Site & Water Feature - Environmental Building News May 1999
Energy
Materials
Indoors
Building green costs too much.” “I’d like to
CSI Divisions include green features, but the budget just
isn’t high enough.” “Green building is just for
Homebuilder wealthy clients.” All too often we hear these
Categories
claims. And, indeed, a lot of elements of
environmentally responsible building do cost
LEED Credits
more—at least in the short term. But many of
BG Suite the design and building practices that are
log in
described in the pages of EBN or advocated
by a growing cadre of environmentally
Environmental conscious designers and builders cost no
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more than conventional practice. Indeed,
Get the monthly some cost less.
print newsletter from
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much more (if any) it costs to incorporate
green features into a building project. Life-
GreenSpec® cycle costs are different. When we factor in
Directory energy savings over time, or increased
durability, or enhanced worker productivity,
green design features and materials become Photo:
much easier to justify. It would be wonderful T.J. Adel & Son Photography
if life-cycle costs were considered as a
matter of course in building design today— The Sun Life Building, leased by Mobile
but they are not. Most of us in the building Data Solutions, Inc., is remarkably energy
Now shipping:
profession are forced to deal almost solely efficient for an office building built on a tight
GreenSpec 6. with first-cost in justifying our projects. budget. The pond in the foreground is fed
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To address this issue—and the perception Performance and Value in British

that building green has to cost more—we’re Columbia's Sun Life Building.)
devoting our feature article this month to low-
cost green building features. Most of the article is a checklist of design strategies, building
practices, and material substitutions that will cost no more than—or actually cost less than
—conventional practice. By no means should this list be considered complete in terms of
what can be done on a tight budget. With good integration of all the disciplines on a
design team, it is possible to incorporate, within budget, many strategies that taken alone
would increase costs. The project report Performance and Value in British Columbia's
Sun Life Building provides an excellent example of such a design.
Some Cautions on a Low-Cost Agenda
As we examine green design strategies and construction practices that reduce (or at least
do not increase) construction costs, it is important to point out that limiting oneself to only
those strategies that keep first-costs low may not be in the best long-term interest of the
client. Sure, we can create better buildings (from an environmental standpoint) while
spending less money, but realize that too strict a policy on avoiding those strategies that
increase first-cost may result in lost opportunities for even more significant savings down
the road. Yes, we should pay attention to low-cost strategies, but we should also pay
attention to some of the higher first-cost strategies that can significantly reduce life-cycle
costs.
As the green design field matures, it becomes

Checklist:
ever more clear that integration is the key to
achieving the energy and environmental goals we
desire—especially if cost is a major driver. Low-Cost Green Design and
Integration is more than using the savings from Construction Practices
one change to pay for another—it’s about making changes that allow other changes to
happen. A smaller chiller, for example, makes money available to upgrade the envelope,
but it also depends on the envelope upgrade to satisfy the building’s needs. While
integration can keep construction costs down, it usually requires more time to be spent in
up-front design.
– Alex Wilson
Related content Related categories
Articles Green Topics
● Greening Affordable Housing - EBN: ● Financing

Feature - March 2005 ● Integrated Design
● Performance and Value in British ● Affordable Housing
Columbia’s Sun Life Building - EBN:
Projects - May 1999
● Access Floors: A Step Up for
Commercial Buildings - EBN: Feature
- January 1998

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published twice a
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plants and perennial groundcovers.
* Make it easy for occupants to recycle waste: Make provisions for

storage and processing of recyclables: recycling bins near the kitchen,
undersink compost receptacles, and the like.
* Look into the feasibility of graywater: Water from sinks, showers, or

clothes washers (graywater) can be recycled for irrigation in some areas. If
current codes prevent graywater recycling, consider designing the
plumbing for easy future adaptation.
* Design for durability: To spread the environmental impacts of building

over as long a period as possible, the structure must be durable. A building
with a durable style ("timeless architecture") will be more likely to realize a
long life.
* Design for future reuse and adaptability: Make the structure adaptable
to other uses, and choose materials and components that can be reused or
recycled.
* Avoid potential health hazards: radon, mold, pesticides: Follow

recommended practices to minimize radon entry into the building and
provide for future mitigation if necessary. Provide detailing that will avoid
moisture problems, which could cause mold and mildew growth. Design
insect-resistant detailing that will require minimal use of pesticides.
SITING & LAND USE
* Renovate older buildings: Conscientiously renovating existing buildings

is the most sustainable construction.

* Create community: Development patterns can either inhibit or contribute

to the establishment of strong communities and neighborhoods. Creation of
cohesive communities should be a high priority.
* Encourage in-fill and mixed-use development: In-fill development that

increases density is inherently better than building on undeveloped
(greenfield) sites. Mixed-use development, in which residential and
commercial uses are intermingled, can reduce automobile use and help to
create healthy communities.
* Minimize automobile dependence: Locate buildings to provide access

to public transportation, bicycle paths, and walking access to basic
services. Commuting can also be reduced by working at home--consider
home office needs with layout and wiring.
* Value site resources: Early in the siting process carry out a careful site
evaluation: solar access, soils, vegetation, water resources, important
natural areas, etc., and let this information guide the design.
* Locate buildings to minimize environmental impact: Cluster buildings

or build attached units to preserve open space and wildlife habitats, avoid
especially sensitive areas including wetlands, and keep roads and service
lines short. Leave the most pristine areas untouched, and look for areas
that have been previously damaged to build on. Seek to restore damaged
ecosystems.
* Provide responsible on-site water management: Design landscapes to

absorb rainwater runoff (stormwater) rather than having to carry it off-site in
storm sewers. In arid areas, rooftop water catchment systems should be
considered for collecting rainwater and using it for landscape irrigation.
* Situate buildings to benefit from existing vegetation: Trees on the

east and west sides of a building can dramatically reduce cooling loads.
Hedge rows and shrubbery can block cold winter winds or help channel
cool summer breezes into buildings.
MATERIALS
* Avoid ozone-depleting chemicals in mechanical equipment and

insulation: CFCs have been phased out, but their primary replacements--
HCFCs--also damage the ozone layer and should be avoided where

possible. Avoid foam insulation made with HCFCs. Reclaim CFCs when
servicing or disposing of equipment.
* Use durable products and materials: Because manufacturing is very

energy-intensive, a product that lasts longer or requires less maintenance
usually saves energy. Durable products also contribute less to our solid
waste problems.
* Choose low-maintenance building materials: Where possible, select

building materials that will require little maintenance (painting, retreatment,
waterproofing, etc.), or whose maintenance will have minimal
environmental impact.
* Choose building materials with low embodied energy: Heavily

processed or manufactured products and materials are usually more
energy intensive. As long as durability and performance will not be
sacrificed, choose low-embodied-energy materials.
* Buy locally produced building materials: Transportation is costly in

both energy use and pollution generation. Look for locally produced
materials. Local hardwoods, for example, are preferable to tropical woods.
* Use building products made from recycled materials: Building

products made from recycled materials reduce solid waste problems, cut
energy consumption in manufacturing, and save on natural resource use. A
few examples of materials with recycled content are cellulose insulation,
Homasote®, Thermo-ply®, floor tile made from ground glass, and recycled
plastic lumber.
* Use salvaged building materials when possible: Reduce landfill

pressure and save natural resources by using salvaged materials: lumber,
millwork, certain plumbing fixtures, and hardware, for example. Make sure
these materials are safe (test for lead paint and asbestos), and don't
sacrifice energy efficiency or water efficiency by reusing old windows or
toilets.
* Seek responsible wood supplies: Use lumber from independently

certified well-managed forests. Avoid lumber products produced from old-
growth timber unless they are certified. Engineered wood can be
substituted for old-growth Douglas fir, for example. Don't buy tropical
hardwoods unless the seller can document that the wood comes from well-
managed forests.

* Avoid materials that will offgas pollutants: Solvent-based finishes,

adhesives, carpeting, particleboard, and many other building products
release formaldehyde and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air.
These chemicals can affect workers' and occupants' health as well as
contribute to smog and ground-level ozone pollution outside.
* Minimize use of pressure-treated lumber: Use detailing that will

prevent soil contact and rot. Where possible, use alternatives such as
recycled plastic lumber. Take measures to protect workers when cutting
and handling pressure-treated wood. Scraps should never be incinerated.
* Minimize packaging waste: Avoid excessive packaging, such as plastic-

wrapped plumbing fixtures or fasteners that aren't available in bulk. Tell
your supplier why you are avoiding over-packaged products. Keep in mind,
however, that some products must be carefully packaged to prevent
damage--and resulting waste.
EQUIPMENT
* Install high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment: Well-designed

high-efficiency furnaces, boilers, and air conditioners (and distribution
systems) not only save the building occupants money, but also produce
less pollution during operation. Install equipment with minimal risk of
combustion gas spillage, such as sealed-combustion appliances.
* Install high-efficiency lights and appliances: Fluorescent lighting has

improved dramatically in recent years and is now suitable for homes. High-
efficiency appliances offer both economic and environmental advantages
over their conventional counterparts.
* Install water-efficient equipment: Water-conserving toilets,

showerheads, and faucet aerators not only reduce water use, they also
reduce demand on septic systems or sewage treatment plants. Reducing
hot water use also saves energy.
* Install mechanical ventilation equipment: Mechanical ventilation is

usually required to ensure safe, healthy indoor air. Heat recovery
ventilators should be considered in cold climates because of energy
savings, but simpler, less expensive exhaust-only ventilation systems are
also adequate.

JOB SITE & BUSINESS
* Protect trees and topsoil during sitework: Protect trees from damage
during construction by fencing off the "drip line" around them and avoiding
major changes to surface grade.
* Avoid use of pesticides and other chemicals that may leach into the
groundwater: Look into less toxic termite treatments, and keep exposed
frost walls free from obstructions to discourage insects. When backfilling a
foundation or grading around a house, do not bury any construction debris.
* Minimize job-site waste: Centralize cutting operations to reduce waste

and simplify sorting. Set up clearly marked bins for different types of usable
waste (wood scraps for kindling, sawdust for compost, etc.). Find out where
different materials can be taken for recycling, and educate your crew about
recycling procedures. Donate salvaged materials to low-income housing
projects, theater groups, etc.
* Make your business operations more environmentally responsible:

Make your office as energy efficient as possible, purchase energy-efficient
vehicles, arrange carpools to job sites, and schedule site visits and errands
to minimize unnecessary driving. In your office, purchase recycled office
paper and supplies, recycle office paper, use coffee mugs instead of
disposable cups. On the job, recycle beverage containers.
* Make education a part of your daily practice: Use the design and
construction process to educate clients, employees, subcontractors, and
the general public about environmental impacts of buildings and how these
impacts can be minimized.
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Green Buildings BC Resources Guide
GUIDE TO GREEN BUILDINGS RESOURCES

Green Buildings BC - New Buildings Program
Last Updated Apr. 25, 2006
Building construction, renovation and operation consume

more of the earth's resources than any other human activity.
Each year, as much as 40% of the raw materials and energy
produced in the world are used in the building sector. This
generates millions of tonnes of greenhouse gases, toxic air
emissions, water pollutants, and solid wastes. No other sector
has a greater impact on the global environment or faces a
greater obligation to improve its environmental performance.
With so much of the world's resources consumed in the
building sector, learning how to build with the environment in
mind will make a big difference for the global environment.
-- ASMI, "The Environmental Challenge in the Building

Sector" 1999
Agencies Responsible: British Columbia Buildings Corporation, Ministry of Finance
Table of Contents
1.0 Funding Assistance Resources

2.0 General Resources
2.1 Guidelines
2.2 Whole Building Resources
2.2.1 Whole Building Case Studies
3.0 Ecological Performance Resources: Energy
3.1 Energy Use (E1)
3.2 Energy Source (E2)
3.3 Clean Energy Transport (E3)
3.4 Energy Case Studies
3.4.1 Energy Use Case Studies
3.4.2 Energy Source Case Studies
3.4.3 Clean Energy Transport Case Studies
4.0 Ecological Performance Resources: Water
4.1 Water Use (Wa1)
4.2 Water Filtration (Wa2)
4.3 Human Waste (Wa3)
4.4 Ground Water Recharge (Wa4)
4.5 Water Case Studies
http://www.greenbuildingsbc.com/new_buildings/resources_guide/index.html (1 of 3)4/05/2006 2:39:52 PM

4.5.1 Water Use Case Studies

4.5.2 Water Filtration and Ground Water Recharge Case Studies
4.5.3 Human Waste Case Studies
5.0 Ecological Performance Resources: Landscape
5.1 Integrated Pest Management (L1)
5.2 Green Space (L2)
5.3 Native Plantings and Wildlife Habitat (L3)
5.4 Landscape Case Studies
5.4.1 Green Space Case Studies
5.4.2 Native Plantings And Wildlife Habitat Case Studies
6.0 Ecological Performance Resources: Materials
6.1 Recycled Materials (M1)
6.2 Efficient Materials (M2)
6.3 Salvaged Materials (M3)
6.5 Durable, Low Maintenance and Healthy Materials (M5)
6.6 Low-Environmental Impact Materials (M6)
6.7 Overall Material Resources
6.8 Material Case Studies
6.8.1 Materials Case Studies
7.0 Ecological Performance Resources: Waste
7.1 Solid Waste (W1)
7.2 Composting Facilities (W2)
7.3 Waste Case Studies
7.3.1 Composting Facilities Case Studies
8.0 Ecological Performance Resources: Construction Practices
8.1 Construction Waste (C1)
8.2 Reuse Topsoil (C2)
8.3 Vegetation and Watercourse Protection (C3)
8.4 Construction Practices Case Studies
8.4.1 Construction Waste Case Studies
9.0. Human Health and Comfort Resources: Indoor Environmental Quality
9.1 Air Pollutant Emissions (IEQ1)
9.2 Air Pollutant Emissions (IEQ2)
9.3 Outdoor Air Intake (IEQ3)
9.4 Ventilation Effectiveness and Air Filtration (IEQ4)
9.5 System Commissioning and Cleaning (IEQ5)
9.6 Daylighting (IEQ6)
9.7 Overall Indoor Environmental Quality Resources
9.7.1 Air Pollutant Emission Case Studies
9.7.2 Daylighting Case Studies
9.8 Acoustics
10.0 Economic Performance Resources
10.1 Life-Cycle Assessment (EC1)

10.1.1 Life-Cycle Case Studies

11.0 Resources for Schools
11.1 Programs for Designers and Owners
11.1.1 Case Studies of Resource-Efficient Schools
Comments or suggestions? Please contact us.

outcomes_guidance
. RESEARCH OUTCOMES
.
Durability, Adaptability and
Energy Conservation of Buildings
Guidance document
.
'Design for more sustainable buildings - durability,
adaptability and energy conservation issues'
Outcomes main page
Guidelines for the design of more sustainable buildings:

durability, adaptability and energy conservation issues
Reason for the guidelines: Preserving and creating the built environment for
sustainable development
.
Although these guidelines focus on the durability, adaptability and energy conservation issues of
building design, they should be considered as part of a comprehensive approach to preserving and
creating the built environment for sustainable development. This is the main objective which underpins
the guidelines. Durability, adaptability and energy conservation of buildings have been recognised as
major achievement goals in some earlier (Burns, 1992; Chapman, 1992; Preiser et al, 1991; Rodin,
1992, Rookwood, 1993; Schlaich and Pötzl, 1992; Stillman, 1992, Vischer, 1991) and more recent
research (Cole and Larsson, 1998; Clements-Croome, 1996; Crawley and Aho, 1999; Dekker, 1998;
Grammenos and Russel, 1997; Kohler, 1999; Cole, 1999). Buildings that are durable, adaptable and
contribute to the energy conservation have a positive impact on environmental, social and economic
systems, and thus contribute to more sustainable development.
Aim, approach and target audience Top of Page
The aim of these guidelines is to provide advice on a strategic approach to resolving the conflicts
among durability, adaptability and energy conservation requirements in building design. The guidelines
are an outcome of a research project which focused on identifying such conflicts in higher education
buildings. However, they are applicable to other types of buildings as well.
It is not possible to provide prescriptive guidelines for the reconciliation of the conflicts among the
durability, adaptability and energy conservation requirements because of the combination of variable
factors in building design such as buildings function(s) (initial and future), required service life, required
level of adaptability and energy requirements. Prescriptive guidelines may carry too many
qualifications and limitations which are not applicable in all cases. Understanding the principles behind
the conflicts in building design allows designers to apply their own ideas in solving the problem.
http://www.ce.strath.ac.uk/sustain/outcomes_guidance.htm (1 of 11)4/05/2006 2:40:01 PM

outcomes_guidance
Since designing for durability, adaptability and energy conservation requires the involvement of the
whole design team, the guidelines are aimed at all members of building design teams.
Defining durability, adaptability and energy conservation Top of Page
Defining durability, adaptability and energy conservation Durability is defined as service life, i.e. the
actual period during which no unacceptable expenditure on maintenance or repair is required.
Adaptability of buildings, as defined in this research project, comprises the following:

• Ease of change of building spatial organisation within the same use
• Ease of change for new use
• Ease of change of technology and services
• Ease of use for people with different physical abilities.
In the construction industry, energy is used for the extraction and manufacture of building materials
and components, their transportation to the building site, the construction process, the running of
building, maintenance, adaptations, deconstruction and disposal. Energy conservation of buildings
pertains to all these phases of building life.
Teamwork approach Top of Page
It has often been emphasised that an integrated team design approach is crucial for a good building
design. Clients, architects, structural and services engineers, and quantity surveyors need to work
together from the start of a project on the development of design strategies and the assessment of
whole life costs. Early involvement of contractors contributes to the examination of buildability and
costs. Experienced building managers can draw attention to common faults in building design,
maintenance problems, and difficulties or advantages in management and operation of different
services systems.
Design team members need to agree that, throughout the design process (from inception to detailed
design), they will try to identify the conflicts between the design strategies and solutions, and aim to
resolve them.
Consideration of whole life cycle impact of buildings Top of Page
The main principle of building design for sustainable development is to consider the impact of buildings
on the natural, social and economic systems throughout their life cycle. The main consequence of this
approach to building design is that buildings should not be designed as expendable and disposable
products, but that the use of natural, social and economic resources invested in their creation should
be maximised and any negative impacts minimised. Opportunities for achieving this goal arise from the
moment when the decision is made whether to re-use an existing building or to build a new one,
through all stages of building design, procurement, construction, use (operation, maintenance,
adaptations), dismantling, recycling and disposal. This approach needs to be adopted by both the
clients and design team.

outcomes_guidance
Defining and adopting a building design philosophy Top of Page
A building design philosophy needs to be defined and adopted by clients and designers. The objective
of the design philosophy is to emphasise that the main principles and objectives of a building design
should be harmonised. This means that in the pursuit of energy conservation, durability, adaptability or
cost effectiveness, it is necessary to remember the Vitruvian principles of commodity, firmness and
delight. Buildings that are functional and comfortable, durable and look well have always been
appreciated and rarely became obsolete. The main objective of building design should be to provide a
building which meets the requirements for functionality, durability, adaptability, energy conservation,
cost-effectiveness and aesthetics in a balanced way. This means that the pursuit of one goal should
not compromise the possibilities of achieving the other goals of the building design.
Defining functional requirements, and design objectives and targets

Top of Page
(design brief)
Both in adapting an existing building and designing a new one, building function, required service life,
required level of adaptability, and energy requirements, which include the targets for energy
conservation, need to be defined at the design brief stage. Together with the available budget, these
achievement goals and performance targets outline the main design objectives and constraints.
Re-using an existing building or building a new one

Top of Page
(feasibility studies)
When the functional requirements, design objectives and targets are defined, clients and designers
need to consider whether to adapt an existing building or build a new one. This is the first step towards
the energy conservation and preservation of natural resources. Existing buildings need to be examined
regarding the following issues:
• Compatibility of the new use with the existing natural, social and economic environment
..(assessment of the environmental, social and economic impact)
• Appropriateness of the existing building regarding spatial requirements of the new use, e.g.
..net surface, floor-to-floor height.
• Infrastructure requirements of the new use in relation to the existing infrastructure
• Strength and durability of the building structure and possibilities for improving its durability
• Adaptability of the building
• Constraints regarding the preservation of the cultural values of the building
• Possibilities of re-use and recycling of building elements, components and materials
• Potential for improving durability, adaptability and energy conservation.
An assessment of the environmental impact of the new building will enable planners to decide whether
the new use is compatible with the existing environment. Architects, structural and services engineers
will examine and assess the above listed issues. If the assessment shows that the existing building is
durable, adaptable, and contributes to energy conservation, then it should be re-used. However,
financial considerations will have a significant role if some of the listed requirements are not met. Since
the costs will be higher if the requirements of new use cannot be easily met, it is advisable to look for
an existing building with design features which meet most of the requirements of the new use.

outcomes_guidance
Adopting a common strategic goal in the design of new buildings: design

for re-use (durability and adaptability) and energy conservation Top of Page
Designing for re-use should be adopted as a common strategic goal in the design of new buildings. In
order to avoid early obsolescence, one of the main strategies for achieving the durability of buildings is
to design adaptable buildings. Apart from designing for the adaptability of the whole building, design
for re-use means that building elements and components should be designed for re-use in the same or
other buildings. This goal also contributes to energy conservation and has a positive impact on the
preservation of natural resources.
Energy used throughout the building life comprises the embodied energy of building materials and
components, energy used in the construction process, during the lifetime of the building, and for
dismantling. Since the amount of energy used during the building life still represents the major part of
the total energy used by buildings, energy efficiency of buildings during their lifetime and the type of
energy sources (non-renewable or renewable) play the most important role in the total energy
conservation and environmental impact of energy. The main strategic goal regarding energy
conservation is to minimise the use of fossil energy and maximise the use of renewable energy
resources, daylighting and natural ventilation.
Conceptual design - main spatial, structural and energy conservation

Top of Page
strategies
Main principles of the design strategy are first expressed in the conceptual design which outlines
spatial, structural and environmental concepts of the building design. At this stage designers have the
first opportunity to propose design strategies and examine their compatibility. In conceptual design, the
following issues need to be examined with regard to the re-use (durability and adaptability) and energy
conservation of buildings:
Spatial issues: flexible planning of the layout.

.
Planning of the layout means placing the activities in particular positions in a building whilst taking into
account interrelationship of the activities, main communication routes and environmental requirements
for specific activities. Planning for adaptability of the layout means that activities and their relationship
may change, as well as the complete use of building. Thus, the initial layout needs to be considered as
only one of various possible layouts within a building plan. This can be achieved by the following:
• Avoiding too tightly designed spaces which accommodate only present day requirements.
..Both the plan surface and floor-to-floor height need to be considered. The plan depth and
..floor-to-floor height should be optimised regarding the daylighting and natural ventilation in
..order to reduce the need for electrical lighting, mechanical ventilation and air-conditioning.
• Vertical communications and vertical ducting of services should be located so that horizontal
..communication and distribution lines are not too long, and that they are not an obstacle in
..the reorganisation of layout.
• Wide structural spans will provide better flexibility of the layout.
• Flexibility of the layout and ease of extension depend on the location of the plant and the
..possibility of replacing the equipment and increasing its capacity without interrupting the
..building function. The plant should be spacious and easily accessible for both people and
..equipment. If possible, it should be located at the ground level or in a separate building.
• The initial building use may not require very complex and sophisticated services. However,

outcomes_guidance
..adaptable buildings should have the spatial capacity for the installation of new services, if
..needed in future.
Structural issues: wide structural spans and strong, 'robust' structure

.
Wide structural spans will allow a flexible layout, but then the structure needs to be robust and to be
designed for extra loads. Robust structure is also designed to cope with known hazards considering
both risk and consequence. It is not unduly sensitive to marginal departures from the design
assumptions, local defects or movement and environmental change. The structure should not deflect
or vibrate to an extent that alarms the occupants or disturbs their function.
Energy conservation issues

.
Maximising daylighting, natural ventilation and use of renewable resources
.
This is achieved by avoiding the need for air-conditioning through the use of shallow plans which
permit natural ventilation and daylighting. Solar gains in summer are avoided by shading and correct
orientation. Passive solar gains, particularly for ventilation preheat, and night ventilation for cooling,
are also considered.
Thermal mass of the structure or building envelope as regulator of thermal behaviour of

a building
.
While a heavyweight building does not have advantages over a lightweight building with good
insulation during the warming up period, thermal mass brings an energy benefit in its effects on the
usefulness of solar and casual gains. This means that lightweight buildings will overheat quickly, while
heavyweight buildings are able to absorb the sudden input of solar gain. The energy stored in
heavyweight walls helps delay a demand for heating as the outside temperature drops, which has an
important role in minimising temperature swings in unheated spaces such as conservatoires and atria.
In hot weather, the thermal mass can be cooled by the fall of night, providing the building is not
occupied by night. Design team will consider how building thermal mass can contribute to the energy
conservation.
Flexibility and capacity of services

.
If the initial building use requires complex and 'intelligent' services, they need to be flexible. Flexibility
of the layout also requires flexible services which have extra capacity, or the possibility of increasing
the capacity. Flexibility of electrical, heating and cooling services is particularly important in order to
provide adequate environmental conditions and servicing of the equipment. Concerning the HVAC
systems, this means that they may be decentralised to allow the differential use in the building.
Independence of services in relation to the building fabric

.
The design and ducting of services should aim to achieve independence in relation to the building
fabric to allow ease of change and maintenance, and avoid changes or damage to the building fabric.
Design of the building envelope for durability, adaptability and energy

Top of Page
conservation
In the process of defining main spatial, structural and services parameters, the building envelope also
needs to be considered. Design of a building envelope to be durable, adaptable and which will

outcomes_guidance
contribute to energy conservation needs to consider the following:

• Good design of details which affect durability. Apart from robustness, good detailing
..contributes to the durability and good appearance of buildings. For example, water
..penetration is the main cause of faults in buildings in the UK. This can be prevented by good
..detailing of the roof and eaves, building envelope, windows and exterior doors, basement
..walls and floors. Special care is needed in designing the joints between building
..components. In addition, building components which have mechanical parts (for example,
..movable shades for passive solar systems) and which are regularly used need to be very
..robust and simple to operate.
• Specification of durable and maintainable materials and components for the building
..envelope. Poor exterior appearance of a building may decrease the building value and
..contribute to its early obsolescence.
• Design of the building envelope for adaptability. Modular elements which allow changing of
..solid and void/glazed surfaces on the building envelope can contribute to better adaptability
..of the building interior. Extensions to the building may be easier if the building envelope or
..some of its elements can be easily demounted.
• Design of the building envelope for energy conservation. Adequate U-values, shading against
..overheating, double glass skin for natural ventilation, use of thermal mass for passive solar
..heating systems, and other strategies for energy conservation can be applied in the design of
..the building envelope.
Identifying conflicts between the strategies at the stage of conceptual

Top of Page
design
The design team should aim to identify any conflicts between the proposed strategies and means for
achieving them. Apart from the conflicts which may arise among durability, adaptability and energy
conservation issues, possible effects of the proposed strategies on functionality, appearance etc., of
the building need to be considered. If conflicts are identified, designers should aim to propose design
solutions which meet the strategic requirements in a balanced way.
Creating a building performance profile as a guide to a detailed design Top of Page
When the main strategies have been agreed in the conceptual design, detailed performance
requirements can be defined in the form of a building performance profile. The DAEC Tool is based on
a method which can be used to define a performance profile for a building in relation to durability,
adaptability and energy conservation. Performance requirements should be defined in consultation
with the client and revised when the whole life costs are provided.
Durability performance profile

.
Durability performance profile will define the required service life of all building elements and
components. For example, the performance profile of higher education buildings examined the
following building elements and components: foundations, structure, roof and covering, building
envelope, partitions, floor finishes, ceiling finishes, wall finishes, stairs, windows, doors internal and
external, fittings, HVAC system, lighting, water plumbing, sewage system, lifts. The list may be
amended for other building types.
Adaptability performance profile

outcomes_guidance
.
Adaptability performance profile will define the requirements for building design features which affect
adaptability. The adaptability profile needs to be defined in relation to the required level of adaptability.
For example, levels of adaptability were defined in the DAEC Tool as follows:
• Low adaptability - design features are appropriate for minor changes within the same use
..(e.g. organisational)
• Medium adaptability - design features are appropriate for more complex changes within
..same use (e.g. technological) and for similar use (e.g. from student residences into a hotel)
• High adaptability - design features are appropriate for complete change of use (e.g. industrial
..building into a library).
With regard to the adaptability of higher education buildings the following spatial, structural and
services design features, and design features that affect ease of use of the spaces by occupants with
different physical abilities were assessed:
• site (possibility of expansion, access for pedestrians, access for services),
• interior layout and design (completeness of brief, flexibility of layout, grouping of functions,
..average main room size, provisions for disabled),
• structure (strength of columns/walls, column density/span, floor-to- ceiling height, floor
..loading, floor structure, removability of partitions),
• HVAC system (plant location, plant size space wise, access for people, access for
..equipment, ducting access),
• electricity (extra load, wiring space, access for servicing),
• water (supply, capacity),
• sewage (capacity),
• drainage (capacity),
• lifts (capacity, extra space).
.
The list of building design features which need to be assessed may be amended for other building
types.
Energy conservation performance profile

.
Energy conservation performance profile defines requirements for the building design features that
affect energy conservation, and performance targets related to energy consumption and the
environmental impact of energy-in-use. For example, the following design features and environmental
performance targets were examined with regard to higher education buildings:
• building orientation, exposure to winds, overshadowing by neighbours,
• building form, U values, building plan vs. heating adjustment, type of glazing,
• solar energy use and control (overheating, glare, solar energy use and energy production),
• cooling/ventilation system,
• lighting system, lighting control, plan depth, day lighting area, resources for lighting,
• resources for heating
• CO2 emissions, NOx emissions, ozone depletion · recycling of energy and materials,
• embodied energy, energy-in-use consumption
• energy-in-use monitoring.
.
The above list may be amended, if needed, for other building types.
Identifying conflicts between the proposed design features/ performance

Top of Page
targets

outcomes_guidance
When the performance profile is defined, the design team should check if any conflicts between
proposed design features and related performance targets can be identified and resolved.
Detailed design Top of Page
The detailed design will follow the requirements defined in the performance profile. It will consider the
following issues with regard to the durability, adaptability and energy conservation:
Durability issues
.
Specifying for durability
.
Specification of building materials, components and finishes which are suitable for the environmental
conditions and can be protected from damaging agents in soil, water and air, and which meet or
exceed required service life. These specifications will also be based on the environmental impact of
building materials and components. Environmental Preference Method - EPM (Anink et al, 1996) and
Green Guide to Specification (Howard et al, 1998) can be used, as well as the data on life cycle
analysis (LCA) of building materials and components when it becomes available.
Designing for buildability

.
A design needs to be readily buildable and not dependent upon perfect workmanship and compliance
with the specification.
Advice on good workmanship and quality control

.
Good workmanship on site and the assembly of complex components off site will contribute to the
durability of buildings. The level of quality assurance selected throughout the whole process should
ensure satisfactory reliability. Specifications can include this advice, especially regarding new and
untested design solutions.
Maintainability
.
A design identifies and provides good access for all items requiring maintenance and inspection. It
should incorporate early warning signs of serious defects. It should allow easy maintenance of building
elements and finishes.
Adaptability issues
.
Design for dismantling and re-use
.
A detailed design of building elements and components should aim to provide the possibility of easy
dismantling.
Design for accessibility and ease of use by all occupant

.
A detailed design of access routes, communications, services, etc. should consider the needs of all
occupants, including those who are disabled.
Energy conservation issues

outcomes_guidance
.
Avoiding conflicts between different environmental requirements
.
The strategies for low energy buildings comprise careful consideration of building design and
management in other to avoid the conflicts between the means for achieving natural lighting,
ventilation, heating and cooling. This implies an understanding of different environmental conditions
which occur in buildings during 24 hours and in different seasons, and how the strategies for achieving
desired environmental conditions may come into conflict. There is a range of strategic (Baker, 1995)
and more detailed technical guides, e.g. Energy efficiency in buildings (CIBSE, 1998) which the design
team will need to consult.
Adequate and energy efficient services

.
Services engineers will consider the use of condensing boilers, heat recovery and heat pumps reduce
the heating demand, low energy light sources to reduce electricity demand, and combined heat and
power (CHP for larger buildings. Where mechanical cooling is unavoidable, they will minimise the load
by adopting passive means (e.g. shading) or mixed mode.
Modelling for energy conservation

.
A range of tools are helpful in planning and designing for energy conservation, and in predicting the
energy consumption of buildings. Some of the available tools are listed below:
• Sun Charts for assessing the solar availability on a site,

• LT Method for evaluating the energy performance of a number of strategic options
..(Baker and Steemers, 1994),
• New Method 5000 for assessing the performance of passive solar buildings,
• PASSPORT for assessing residential building heat requirements,
• ADELINE for assessing the performance of indoor lighting systems,
• ESP-r for a dynamic thermal simulation which can examine a range of issues including
..building fabric, mass flow, ideal and detailed plant systems - separately or in combination
..at timesteps ranging from second to an hour (UCD-OPET, 1995)
• CADEM (EVE Group) system for assessing the energy efficiency of new homes,
• NORMA for assessing natural cooling techniques
• Key numbers method for rule of thumb assessment of the likely energy and power demand
..of buildings (BRECSU-OPET, 1995).
Some brochures (UCD-OPET, 1995; BRECSU-OPET, 1995) provide further sources of information on
energy software from a range of international organisations and World Wide Web and Internet
information sources.
Design for manageability and occupant control

.
Designers should aim to provide simple interfaces for operation of building environmental systems.
Commissioning, handover and feedback Top of Page
Since many modern buildings are very complex, and may comprise 'intelligent' systems or specific
operation regimes to benefit from its design features, it is necessary to provide the documentation with
operating and maintenance manuals for building managers. Post-occupancy surveys should become a

outcomes_guidance
regular practice in order that the information gained may be used for new building briefs and thus
contribute to further improvements.
.
References
Burns, J. G. (1992) Design life of buildings: client expectations, in Sommervile, G. (ed) The Design Life
of Structures, Blackie and Son Ltd: Glasgow, pp. 240-245.
Chapman, J. C. (1992) What can we learn from marine structures?, in Sommervile, G. (ed) The
Design Life of Structures, Blackie and Son Ltd: Glasgow, pp. 85-93.
Preiser, W. F. E. and Vischer, J. C. (1991) An Introduction to Design Intervention: A Manifesto for the
Future of Environmental Design, in Preiser, W. F. E., Vischer, J. C. and White, E. T. (eds) (1991)
Design Intervention: Toward a More Humane Architecture, Van Nostrand Reinhold: New York, pp. 1-8.
Rodin, J. (1992) Buildings: general, in Sommervile, G. (ed) The Design Life of Structures, Blackie and
Son Ltd: Glasgow, pp. 163-165.
Rookwood, R. (1993) Making it Happen, in Blowers, A., Planning for a sustainable environment: A
report by the Town and Country Planning Association, Earthscan Publications Ltd: London
Schlaich, J. and Pötzl, M. (1992) Some thoughts on the application of design life principles in practice,
in Sommervile, G. (ed) The Design Life of Structures, Blackie and Son Ltd: Glasgow, pp. 47-56.
Stillman, J. (1992) Design life and the new Code, in Sommervile, G. (ed) The Design Life of
Structures, Blackie and Son Ltd: Glasgow, pp. 3-8.
Cole, R. J. and Larsson, N. K. (1998) GBC'98 Assessment Manual: Volume 1, Overview, April. Natural
Resources Canada Ottawa, Canada.
Clements-Croome, T. D. J. (1996) Future horizons in building environmental engineering, Building

Research and Information, 24 (2), 86-96.
Crawley, D. and Aho, I. (1999) Building environmental assessment methods: application and
development trends, Building Research and Information, 27 (4/5), 200-308.
Dekker, K. (1998) Open Building Systems: a case study, Building Research and Information, 26 (5),
311-318.
Grammenos, F. and Russel, P. (1997) Building Adaptability: A view from Future, in Proceedings of the
Second International Conference: Buildings and the Environment, June 9-12, Paris, Vol. 2, pp. 19-26.
Kohler, N. (1999) The relevance of Green Building Challenge: an observer's perspective, Building
Research and Innovation, 27 (4/5), 309-320.
Vischer, J. C. (1991) Summing Up Opinions on Architecture and Social Change, in Preiser, W. F. E.,
Vischer, J. C. and White, E. T. (eds) (1991) Design Intervention: Toward a More Humane Architecture,

outcomes_guidance
Van Nostrand Reinhold: New York, pp.353-366.
Top of Page

Total Building Commissioning
The purpose of this World Wide Web site is to provide access to documents dealing with the
Guidelines for Total Building Commissioning being developed under the auspices of the National
Institute of Building Sciences. The site is maintained by the Florida Design Initiative and is organized
around the individual technical guidelines that will comprise the complete set of Guidelines for Total
Building Commissioning.
Guideline Modules
1. General Principles and Procedures

2. Mechanical and Energy Systems
3. Structural Systems
4. Exterior Envelope Systems
5. Roofing Systems
6. Interior Systems
7. Elevator Systems
8. Plumbing Systems
9. Lighting Systems
10. Electrical Systems
11. Fire Protection Systems
12. Telecommunications Systems
http://sustainable.state.fl.us/fdi/edesign/resource/totalbcx/
Questions or comments? ... contact gzik@polaris.net
This page last updated on 1 July 1999.
http://sustainable.state.fl.us/fdi/edesign/resource/totalbcx/index.html4/05/2006 2:40:17 PM
Office of Sustainable Design -- NYC Department of Design and Construction
HOME REPORTS & MANUALS SPECIFICATIONS FORMS & EXAMPLES DDC HOME
NEW YORK CITY’S NEW GREEN BUILDING LEGISLATION
On October 3, 2005, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg signed Local Law 86, which will require many of
Purchase your own
copy of DDC the City’s new municipal buildings, additions, and renovations to achieve rigorous standards of
publications at the New sustainability. This legislation will apply to many of the Department of Design and Construction’s
York City Store.
(DDC) upcoming and future projects.
Get more info »
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AT DDC
Soon after DDC was established, it created in 1997 the Office of Sustainable Design (OSD), for the
purposes of identifying and implementing cost-effective ways to promote greater environmental
High Performance responsibility in building design. In 1999, OSD published DDC’s High Performance Building
Infrastructure Guidelines, an internationally recognized green building reference which has helped introduce
Guidelines (PDF)
sustainable design to DDC project teams. In October 2005, DDC published a companion piece for
infrastructure, the High Performance Infrastructure Guidelines, one of the first of its kind in the
world.
While the Building Guidelines were in development, OSD launched a Pilot Program to incorporate
sustainable features on selected DDC projects. As of December 2005, about 30 pilot projects
incorporating sustainable strategies have been built or are in design or construction under the
Children's Center management of DDC. Implementing the High Performance Guidelines records the status of the
Green Primer (PDF)
program as of November 2002. Both Guidelines and the Implementation piece were made possible
through the generous funding and guidance provided by the Design Trust for Public Space.
The pilot projects have a total construction cost of approximately $950 million. Four of the projects
are completed, with six now in construction, 16 in design and five in pre-design. Energy saving
strategies adopted by most of these projects include: significantly greater use of natural lighting,
low-e glazing, energy saving lighting controls, improved insulation, light colored roofing, and high
Local Law 77: efficiency heating and cooling systems. Nearly all projects use a palette of low-toxicity, renewable,
Ultra-Low Sulfur and high-recycled content materials, such as newsprint insulation, plastic toilet partitions, fly-ash
Diesel Manual (PDF)
concrete, bamboo, and linoleum or rubber flooring. Several projects have adopted more innovative
strategies such as geothermal heating and cooling, photovoltaic panels, fuel cells, planted roofs,
porous paving and gray-water recycling systems.
Fifteen projects, three of which are scheduled to open in 2006, are targeting various ratings, from
certified to platinum, as defined by the U.S. Green Buildings Council’s Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) program. One of those projects, the Queens Botanical Garden
Administration Building, is expected to receive a platinum rating -- the highest level -- achieved to
date by just a handful of buildings worldwide.
http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/ddc/html/ddcgreen/ (1 of 2)4/05/2006 2:40:39 PM

Office of Sustainable Design -- NYC Department of Design and Construction
OSD has expanded sustainable practices beyond the Pilot Program. All new DDC projects are now
required to start with an environmental meeting, to use construction materials with recycled
content and low toxicity, and to develop a waste management plan, among other measures. Many
new projects will be required to achieve rigorous levels of sustainability as per Local Law 86 for
2005. In addition, OSD has an ongoing training program to introduce DDC staff to the principles of
sustainable design. The powerpoints from these training sessions are posted here.
The Guidelines are being supplemented with a series on in-depth manuals to inform the high
performance process. Newly completed and posted on this Website are Local Law 77: DDC Ultra-
low Sulfur Diesel Manual and Manual for Quality, Energy Efficient Lighting.
THIS WEBSITE
The DDC established this site to disseminate information and provide resources for its managers,
consultants, and client agencies. Since sustainable design is such a rapidly evolving technical
discipline, by locating this information on the Web in downloadable format, the Office of Sustainable
Design (OSD) seeks to ease the transition to sustainable building at DDC.
The resources are organized in four categories: Reports & Manuals, Specifications, and Forms and
Examples. The Reports & Manuals explore subjects in depth, providing both an overview and
useful, practical information. They cover topics, such as ultra-low sulfur diesel and high quality
efficient lighting, where sustainable practices can substantially contribute to New York City’s
buildings and its environment. The Specifications section includes recommended specification
language on topics such as environmentally preferable materials and construction and demolition
waste management. Written as performance specifications in Microsoft Word, they are easy to
download and incorporate into a project specification. Finally, the site includes downloadable
Forms and Examples, such as an example of an Environmental Programming Matrix and reporting
forms for NYC’s Local Law 77.
Home -- Reports & Manuals -- Specifications -- Forms & Examples DDC Home
NYC.gov Home Page -- Contact Us -- FAQs -- Privacy Statement -- Site Map
http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/ddc/html/ddcgreen/ (2 of 2)4/05/2006 2:40:39 PM

Sustainable Architecture Module:
Introduction to
Sustainable Design
Written by
Jong-Jin Kim, Assistant Professor of Architecture,
and Brenda Rigdon, Project Intern
College of Architecture and Urban Planning

The University of Michigan
Published by
National Pollution Prevention Center for Higher Education,
430 E. University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1115
734.764.1412 • fax: 734.647.5841 • nppc@umich.edu
website: www.umich.edu/~nppcpub/
This compendium was made possible in part by a grant from the 3M

Corporation. These materials may be freely copied for educational purposes.
Introduction to Sustainable Design December 1998 Sustainable Design • 1

2 • Sustainable Design December 1998 Introduction to Sustainable Design
Contents
List of Figures ............................................................................. 5
Fundamentals
Changing our Definitions of Growth and Progress.................5
Resource Consumption and Environmental Pollution............5
Sustainability in Architecture.................................................. 6

Principle 1: Economy of Resources....................................... 9
Principle 2: Life Cycle Design .............................................. 11
Principle 3: Humane Design ................................................ 14
Summary .............................................................................. 15
Methods for Achieving Sustainable Design

Economy of Resources........................................................ 16
Energy Conservation.................................................. 16
Water Conservation.................................................... 20
Materials Conservation .............................................. 21
Life Cycle Design ................................................................. 22
Pre-Building Phase..................................................... 22
Building Phase............................................................ 24
Post-Building Phase ................................................... 25
Humane Design.................................................................... 27
Preservation fo Natural Conditions ............................ 27
Urban Design and Site Planning................................ 27
Design for Human Comfort ........................................ 28
Sustainable Design Bibliography......................... 29
Sustainable Design Annotated Bibliography ......33

List of Figures
Figure 1 Income vs. energy consumption............................6
Figure 2 Income vs. water consumption..............................6
Figure 3. Income vs. pollutant production ............................6
Figure 4 Framework for sustainable architecture................8
Figure 5 Material-flow diagram ........................................... 9
Figure 6 Conventional model of the building life cycle......11
Figure 7 Sustainable building life cycle ............................ 11
Figure 8 Ecological elements of site and building .............13
Figure 9 Methods for “Economy of Resources”.................17
Figure 10 Methods for “Life Cycle Design” ..........................23
Figure 11 Methods for “Humane Design” ........................... 26

Fundamentals
Changing our Definitions of Growth and Progress
How do we measure economic success? Traditionally, we

measure Gross National Product (GNP), which favors any
economic activities and production, regardless of their true
benefits and effect on long-term societal well-being. Even
consumption, demolition, and waste that require further
production are credited to a higher GNP. In industrialized,
capitalistic societies, consumption is regarded as a virtue.
However, realizing the environmental threats, real or potential,

to the quality of life, environmental movements have begun
in virtually all sectors of industrialized countries, including
business, manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, and
architecture. Researchers are developing and refining
methods of analyzing the true cost of an economic activity
over its entire life cycle.
Developing countries tend to model their economic infra-

structure after those of their industrialized counterparts.
Today, economic activities in developing countries around
the world, Pacific Rim countries in particular, are far more
noticeable than two or three decades ago, and their share of
the world economy is increasing. All quantitative economic
indices such as per capita income, GNP, amount of foreign
trade, and the amount of building construction indicate that
their economies are strong and growing rapidly.
Measuring a country’s GNP does not account for the loss of

environmental quality — and quality of life — attributed to
industrialization. In the United States alone, billions of dollars
have been spent cleaning up an environment subjected to
uncontrolled development. The ecological havoc created by
the former Soviet Union is only now beginning to be fully
understood. Developing countries would do well to learn
from these situations, not emulate them.
Resource Consumption and Environmental Pollution
Resource consumption and economic status have a strong

correlation. As the income level of a society increases, so does
its resource consumption. This is true for societies of virtually
any size, be they families, cities, or entire countries.

The correlation between per-capita income and energy
Per Capita Energy Consumption (M-Btus/yr)
400
Canada consumption of various countries demonstrates this trend. As
USA
shown in Figure 1, industrial countries with higher incomes
300 consume more energy per capita than developing countries.
Among industrialized countries, the energy intensity of
200 Germany
Canada and the United States is the highest, while Japan’s is
UK
Japan
much lower. This implies that it is plausible for a society to
N Korea
France
Italy
establish resource-efficient social and economic infrastructures
100
Korea
while raising its economic status. A society (household, com-
Hong Kong munity, city, or country) with such an infrastructure will be
0
0 10000 20000 30000
less susceptible to resource shortages, more reliable by itself,
Per-Capita Income (US$/yr) and thus more sustainable in the future.
Figure 1: Correlations between The correlation between per-capita income and per-capita
per-capita incomes and per- water consumption reveals a similar pattern (see Figure 2),
capita energy consumption
as does the emission of environmental pollutants to the
levels of selected industrialized
and developing countries. [Source: atmosphere (see Figure 3). Developing countries’ energy
Herman Daly, Steady-State Economics use, water use, and share of global environmental pollution
(Washington: Island Press, 1991).] is expected to increase.
Sustainability in Architecture
1500 The World Commission on Environment and Development
USA has put forth a definition of “sustainability” as
Canada
Per Capita Water Use (gal/day)
meeting the needs of the present without

1000 compromising the ability of future generations
USSR
to meet their own needs.
Italy
— From Our Common Future
Japan (London: Oxford University Press, 1987).
Mexico France
500
Germany This definition of sustainability does not specify the ethical
UK
roles of humans for their everlasting existence on the planet.
Korea
It also fails to embrace the value of all other constituents
0 participating in the global ecosystem. The need for finding
0 10000 20000 30000
Per-Capita Income (US$/yr)

long-terms solutions that warrant continuing human existence
and well-being is far more compelling than that of finding
Figure 2: Correlations between a proper terminology to describe the human need. In this
per-capita incomes and per-capita
water consumptions of selected respect, the debate on the terms “green,” “sustainable,” or
industrialized and developing “ecological” architecture is not terribly important.
countries. [Source: Herman Daly,
Steady-State Economics (Washington:
Island Press, 1991).]

Architecture is one of the most conspicuous forms of economic
activity. It is predicted that the pattern of architectural resource
USA
intensity (the ratio of per-capita architectural resource
Per Capita Pollutant Production

20
consumption to per-capita income) will generally follow the
Canada
same patterns as shown in Figure 1, 2, and 3. A country’s
(CO2 Eq.-ton/yr)
economic development will necessitate more factories, office UK Germany
USSR
buildings, and residential buildings. For a household, the Brazil
growth of incomes will lead to a desire for a larger house 10
Italy France Japan
with more expensive building materials, furnishings and
home appliances; more comfortable thermal conditions in
Korea
interior spaces; and a larger garden or yard. China
During a building’s existence, it affects the local and global 0 10000 20000 30000
Per-Capita Income
Per Capita Income(US$/yr)
($/yr)
environments via a series of interconnected human activities
and natural processes. At the early stage, site development and Figure 3: Correlations between
construction influence indigenous ecological characteristics. per-capita incomes and per-capita
Though temporary, the influx of construction equipment and pollutant production of selected
industrialized and developing
personnel onto a building site and process of construction countries. [Source: Herman Daly,
itself disrupt the local ecology. The procurement and manu- Steady-State Economics (Washington:
facturing of materials impact the global environment. Once Island Press, 1991).]
built, building operation inflicts long-lasting impact on the
environment. For instance, the energy and water used by its
inhabitants produce toxic gases and sewage; the process of
extracting, refining, and transporting all the resources used
in building operation and maintenance also have numerous
effects on the environment.
Architectural professionals have to accept the fact that as a

society’s economic status improves, its demand for architectural
resources — land, buildings or building products, energy,
and other resources — will increase. This in turn increases
the combined impact of architecture on the global ecosystem,
which is made up of inorganic elements, living organisms,
and humans. The goal of sustainable design is to find
architectural solutions that guarantee the well-being and
coexistence of these three constituent groups.

To educate architects to meet this goal of coexistence, we have
developed a conceptual framework. The three levels of the
framework (Principles, Strategies, and Methods) correspond to
the three objectives of architectural environmental education:
creating environmental awareness, explaining the building
ecosystem, and teaching how to design sustainable buildings.
The overall conceptual diagram for sustainable design is
shown in Figure 4.
We propose three principles of sustainability in architecture.

Economy of Resources is concerned with the reduction, reuse,
and recycling of the natural resources that are input to a
building. Life Cycle Design provides a methodology for
analyzing the building process and its impact on the environ-
ment. Humane Design focuses on the interactions between
humans and the natural world. These principles can provide
a broad awareness of the environmental impact, both local
and global, of architectural consumption.
Figure 4: Conceptual framework SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AND POLLUTION PREVENTION

for Sustainable Design and
Pollution Prevention in Principles
Architecture.
Economy of Life Cycle Humane
Resources Design Design
Strategies
Energy Pre-Building Preservation

Conservation Phase of Natural
Conditions
Water Building Urban Design

Conservation Phase Site Planning
Material Post-Building Design for

Conservation Phase Human Comfort
Methods

Each of these principles embody a unique set of strategies.
Studying these strategies leads students to more thorough
understanding of architecture’s interaction with the greater
environment. This allows them to further disaggregate and
analyze specific methods architects can apply to reduce the
environmental impact of the buildings they design.
Figure 5: The input and output

MATERIAL FLOW IN THE BUILDING ECOSYSTEM
streams of resource flow.
Upstream Building
Building Downstream
Building
BuildingMaterials
Materials Used Materials
Energy Combustion Byproducts
Water Graywater Sewage
Consumet Goods
Consumer Goods Recycleable Materials
Solar Radiation Wasted Head
Wind Polluted Air
Rain Groundwater
Principle 1: Economy of Resources
By economizing resources, the architect reduces the use of

nonrenewable resources in the construction and operation of
buildings. There is a continuous flow of resources, natural
and manufactured, in and out of a building. This flow begins
with the production of building materials and continues
throughout the building’s life span to create an environment for
sustaining human well-being and activities. After a building’s
useful life, it should turn into components for other buildings.
When examining a building, consider two streams of resource

flow (see Figure 5). Upstream, resources flow into the building
as input to the building ecosystem. Downstream, resources
flow out of the building as output from the building ecosystem.
In a long run, any resources entered into a building ecosystem
will eventually come out from it. This is the law of resource
flow conservation.
For a given resource, its forms before entry to a building and

after exit will be different. This transformation from input to
output is caused by the many mechanical processes or human
interventions rendered to the resources during their use in
buildings. The input elements for the building ecosystem are

diverse, with various forms, volumes, and environmental
implications.
The three strategies for the economy of resources principle are

energy conservation, water conservation, and material conservation.
Each focuses on a particular resource necessary for building
construction and operation.
Energy Conservation
After construction, a building requires a constant flow of energy
input during its operation. The environmental impacts of
energy consumption by buildings occur primarily away from
the building site, through mining or harvesting energy sources
and generating power. The energy consumed by a building
in the process of heating, cooling, lighting, and equipment
operation cannot be recovered.
The type, location, and magnitude of environmental impacts

of energy consumptions in buildings differ depending on the
type of energy delivered. Coal-fired electric power plants
emit polluting gases such as SO2 , CO2 , CO, and NO x into the
atmosphere. Nuclear power plants produce radioactive
wastes, for which there is currently no permanent management
solution. Hydropower plants each require a dam and a
reservoir which can hold a large body of water; construction
of dams results in discontinuance of river ecosystems and the
loss of habitats for animals and plants.
Water Conservation
A building requires a large quantity of water for the purposes
of drinking, cooking, washing and cleaning, flushing toilets,
irrigating plants, etc.. All of this water requires treatments
and delivery, which consume energy. The water that exits
the building as sewage must also be treated.
Material Conservation
A range of building materials are brought onto building sites.
The influx of building materials occurs primarily during the
construction stage. The waste generated by the construction
and installation process is significant. After construction,
a low-level flow of materials continues in for maintenance,
replacement, and renovation activities. Consumer goods
flow into the building to support human activities. All of
these materials are eventually output, either to be recycled
or dumped in a landfill.

Principle 2: Life Cycle Design
The conventional model of the building life cycle is a linear

process consisting of four major phases: design; construction;
operation and maintenance; and demolition (see Figure 6).
The problem with this model is that it is too narrowly defined:
it does not address environmental issues (related to the pro-
curement and manufacturing of building materials) or waste
management (reuse and recycling of architectural resources).
Figure 6: Conventional model of

Operation & the building life cycle.
Design ➞ Construction ➞ Maintenance
➞ Demolition
The second principle of sustainable architecture is life cycle

design (LCD). This “cradle-to-grave” approach recognizes
environmental consequences of the entire life cycle of architec-
tural resources, from procurement to return to nature. LCD is
based on the notion that a material transmigrates from one
form of useful life to another, with no end to its usefulness.
For the purpose of conceptual clarity, the life cycle of a building

can be categorized into three phases: pre-building, building, and
post-building, as shown in Figure 7. These phases are connected,
and the boundaries between them are not obvious. The phases
can be developed into LCD strategies that focus on minimizing
the environmental impact of a building. Analyzing the building
processes in each of these three phases provides a better under-
standing of how a building’s design, construction, operation,
and disposal affect the larger ecosystem.
Pre-Building Phase Figure 7: The sustainable building

life cycle.
Nature Extraction
Processing
Manufacturing
Transportation Building Phase

Post-Building Phase
Construction
Waste
Management Operation and
Maintenance
Recycle
Reuse

Pre-Building Phase
This phase includes site selection, building design, and building
material processes, up to but not including installation. Under
the sustainable-design strategy, we examine the environmental
consequences of the structure’s design, orientation, impact on
the landscape, and materials used.
The procurement of building materials impacts the environ-

ment: harvesting trees could result in deforestation; mining
mineral resources (iron for steel; bauxite for aluminum; sand,
gravel, and limestone for concrete) disturbs the natural envi-
ronment; even the transport of these materials can be a highly
polluting activity, depending on their weight and distance
from the site. The manufacturing of building products also
requires energy and creates environmental pollution: for
example, a high level of energy is required to manufacture
steel or aluminum products.
Building Phase
This phase refers to the stage of a building’s life cycle when a
building is physically being constructed and operated. In the
sustainable-design strategy, we examine the construction and
operation processes for ways to reduce the environmental
impact of resource consumption; we also consider long-term
health effects of the building environment on its occupants.
Post-Building Phase
This phase begins when the useful life of a building has ended.
In this stage, building materials become resources for other
buildings or waste to be returned to nature. The sustainable-
design strategy focuses on reducing construction waste (which
currently comprises 60% of the solid waste in landfills1) by
recycling and reusing buildings and building materials.
For more information on this topic, see Recycling and Reuse

of Building Materials. This “Sustainable Architecture” module
is available for a small fee from the Center for Sustainable
Systems (formerly the NPPC; see the front page of this document
for contact information) or free of charge on our website:
www.umich.edu/~nppcpub/resources/compendia/architecture.html
1
Sim Van der Ryn and Peter Calthorpe, Sustainable Communities
(San Francisco: Sierra Club Books, 1986).

Site and Building Interactions
The LCD concept calls for consideration of the environmental
consequences of buildings in all three phases of the life cycle.
Each phase of building life cycle is associated with two groups
of ecological elements: site and building (see Figure 8). The
principal domain of architectural design is in the building
phase, but sustainable building can be achieved by finding
ways to minimize environmental impacts during all three
phases of building life cycle.
SITE: Elements of site ecology BUILDING: Natural or Figure 8: Ecological elements of
that exist within or in the vicinity manufactured resources, Site and Building associated with
of a building site, including sun- such as building materials, the building life-cycle phases.
light, wind, precipitation, water water, or energy ...
table, soil, flora, fauna, etc. ...
... before construction. ... before they arrive at the site.
... from the time construction ... from the time they arrive
begins through the duration of at the site for installation or
the building’s useful life. operation though the duration
of the building’s useful life.
... after the building’s useful life. ... after the building’s useful life.

Principle 3: Humane Design
Humane design is the third, and perhaps the most important,

principle of sustainable design. While economy of resources
and life cycle design deal with efficiency and conservation,
humane design is concerned with the livability of all constitu-
ents of the global ecosystem, including plants and wildlife.
This principle arises from the humanitarian and altruistic goal
of respecting the life and dignity of fellow living organisms.
Further examination reveals that this principle is deeply
rooted in the need to preserve the chain elements of the
ecosystems that allow human survival.
In modern society, more than 70% of a person’s lifespan is spent

indoors. An essential role of architecture is to provide built
environments that sustain occupants’ safety, health, physio-
logical comfort, psychological well-being, and productivity.
Because environmental quality is intangible, its importance

has often been overlooked in the quest for energy and envi-
ronmental conservation, which sometimes seemed to mean
“shivering in the dark.” Compounding the problem, many
building designers have been preoccupied with style and
form-making, not seriously considering environmental
quality in and around their built environments .
Remember the performance factor of design. When a product

saves energy, does it perform as well as what it is replacing?
And how does it affect the performance of building occupants?
For instance, early fluorescent lighting systems were more
efficient than their incandescent counterparts; however, some
fluorescents were known to buzz. The bulb might save $30
in annual energy costs, but if the noise irritated the employee
working nearby, the employee’s resulting drop in productivity
could cost the employer a lot more, thereby wiping out any
financial benefits gained from lighting energy conservation.
A general rule of thumb in such comparisons is that the annual

energy bill of a typical office building amounts to around five
hours of employee labor cost; therefore, any building energy
conservation strategy that annually reduces productivity by
more than five hours per employee defeats its purpose. This
is not to say that energy conservation can’t be financially
beneficial, just that it should be kept in holistic perspective,
taking other pertinent factors into account.

The following three strategies for humane design focus on
enhancing the coexistence between buildings and the greater
environment, and between buildings and their occupants,
Preservation of Natural Conditions

An architect should minimize the impact of a building on its
local ecosystem (e.g., existing topography, plants, wildlife).
Urban Design and Site Planning

Neighborhoods, cities, and entire geographic regions can
benefit from cooperative planning to reduce energy and
water demands. The result can be a more pleasant urban
environment, free of pollution and welcoming to nature.
Human Comfort
As discussed previously, sustainable design need not
preclude human comfort. Design should enhance the work
and home environments. This can improve productivity,
reduce stress, and positively affect health and well-being.
Summary
To achieve environmental sustainability in the building sec-

tor, architects must be educated about environmental issues
during their professional training. Faculty have to foster
environmental awareness, introduce students to environmental
ethics, and developing their skills and knowledge-base in
sustainable design.
The current status of sustainable design in architecture is that

of an ethic rather than a science. While a change of lifestyles
and attitudes toward the local and global environments is
important, the development of scientific knowledge-bases
that provide skills, techniques, and methods of implementing
specific environmental design goals is urgent.
To enhance environmental sustainability, a building must

holistically balance and integrate all three principles —
Sustainable Design, Economy of Resources, and Life Cycle
Design — in design, construction, operation and maintenance,
and recycling and reuse of architectural resources. These
principles comprise a conceptual framework for sustainable
architectural design. This framework is intended to help
designers seek solutions rather than giving them a set of
solutions. Specific design solutions compatible with a given
design problem will emanate from these principles.

Methods for Achieving Sustainable Design
The ultimate goal and challenge of sustainable design is to
find win-win solutions that provide quantitative, qualitative,
physical, and psychological benefits to building users. There
are many possibilities for achieving this seemingly difficult
goal. The three principles of sustainable design — economy
of resources, life cycle design, and humane design — provide
a broad awareness of the environment issues associated with
architecture. The strategies within each principle focus on
more specific topics. These strategies are intended to foster
an understanding of how a building interacts with the internal,
local, and global environments. This section discusses methods
for applying sustainable design to architecture.
Economy of Resources
Conserving energy, water, and materials can yield specific

design methods that will improve the sustainability of archi-
tecture (see Figure 8). These methods can be classified as
two types.
1) Input-reduction methods reduce the flow of nonrenewable

resources input to buildings. A building’s resource
demands are directly related its efficiency in utilizing
resources.
2) Output-management methods reduce environmental

pollution by requiring a low level of waste and proper
waste management.
Energy Conservation
Energy conservation is an input-reduction method. The main
goal is to reduce consumption of fossil fuels. Buildings con-
sume energy not only in their operation, for heating, lighting
and cooling, but also in their construction. The materials
used in architecture must be harvested, processed, and trans-
ported to the building site. Construction itself often requires
large amounts of energy for processes ranging from moving
earth to welding.
Energy-Conscious Urban Planning

Cities and neighborhoods that are energy-conscious are not
planned around the automobile, but around public transpor-
tation and pedestrian walkways. These cities have zoning
laws favorable to mixed-use developments, allowing people

to live near their workplaces. Urban sprawl is avoided by
encouraging redevelopment of existing sites and the adaptive
reuse of old buildings. Climatic conditions determine orienta-
tion and clustering. For example, a very cold or very hot and
dry climate might require buildings sharing walls to reduce
exposed surface area; a hot, humid climate would require
widely spaced structures to maximize natural ventilation.
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AND POLLUTION PREVENTION Figure 9: “Economy of Resources”

methods of application.
Principle 1:
Economy of Resources
Strategies
Energy Water Material

Conservation Conservation Conservation
Methods
Energy-conscious Reduction: Material-

urban planning conserving
- Indigenous design and
Energy-conscious landscaping construction
site planning
- Low-flow Proper sizing of
Alternative showerheads building systems
sources of energy
- Vacuum-assist Rehabilitation of
Passive heating toilets or smaller existing structures
and cooling toilet tanks
Use of reclaimed
Avoidance of heat Reuse: or recycled
gain or heat loss materials and
- Rainwater components
Use of low- collection
embodied-energy Use of non-
materials - Graywater conventional
collection building materials
Use of energy-
efficient
appliances with
timing devices

Energy-Conscious Site Planning
Such planning allows the designer to maximize the use of
natural resources on the site. In temperate climates, open
southern exposure will encourage passive solar heating;
deciduous trees provide shade in summer and solar heat gain
in winter. Evergreens planted on the north of a building will
protect it from winter winds, improving its energy efficiency.
Buildings can be located relative to water onsite to provide
natural cooling in summer.
Passive Heating and Cooling

Solar radiation incident on building surfaces is the most sig-
nificant energy input to buildings. It provides heat, light, and
ultraviolet radiation necessary for photosynthesis. Historically,
architects have devised building forms that provide shading
in summer and retain heat in winter. This basic requirement
is often overlooked in modern building design. Passive solar
architecture offers design schemes to control the flow of solar
radiation using building structure, so that it may be utilized
at a more desirable time of day.
Shading in summer, by plants or overhangs, prevents summer

heat gain and the accompanying costs of air-conditioning.
The wind, or the flow of air, provides two major benefits:
cooling and hygienic effects. Prevailing winds have long
been a major factor in urban design. For instance, proposals
for Roman city layouts were primarily based on the direction
of prevailing winds.
Insulation
High-performance windows and wall insulation prevent
both heat gain and loss. Reducing such heat transfer reduces
the building’s heating and cooling loads and thus its energy
consumption. Reduced heating and cooling loads require
smaller HVAC equipment, and the initial investment need
for the equipment will be smaller.
Aside from these tangible benefits, high-performance windows

and wall insulation create more comfortable thermal environ-
ments. Due to the insulating properties of the materials, the
surface temperatures of windows and walls will be higher in
the winter and lower in the summer. The installation of
smaller HVAC equipment reduces mechanical noise and
increases sonic quality of the indoor space.

Alternate Sources of Energy
Solar, wind, water, and geothermal energy systems are all
commercially available to reduce or eliminate the need for
external energy sources. Electrical and heating requirements
can be met by these systems, or combination of systems, in all
climates.
Daylighting
Building and window design that utilizes natural light will
lead to conserving electrical lighting energy, shaving peak
electric loads, and reducing cooling energy consumptions.
At the same time, daylighting increases the luminous quality
of indoor environments, enhancing the psychological well-
being and productivity of indoor occupants. These qualitative
benefits of daylighting can be far more significant than its
energy-savings potential.
Energy-Efficient Equipment & Appliances

After construction costs, a building’s greatest expense is the
cost of operation. Operation costs can even exceed construction
costs over a building’s lifetime. Careful selection of high-
efficiency heating, cooling, and ventilation systems becomes
critical. The initial price of this equipment may be higher
than that of less efficient equipment, but this will be offset
by future savings.
Appliances, from refrigerators to computers, not only consume

energy, they also give off heat as a result of the inefficient use
of electricity. More efficient appliances reduce the costs of
electricity and air-conditioning. The U. S. Environmental
Protection Agency has developed the “Energy Star” program
to assist consumers in identifying energy efficient electronic
equipment.
Choose Materials with Low Embodied Energy

Building materials vary with respect to how much energy is
needed to produce them. The embodied energy of a material
attempts to measure the energy that goes into the entire life
cycle of building material. For instance, aluminium has a
very high embodied energy because of the large amount of
electricity that must be used to manufacture it from mined
bauxite ore; recycled aluminum requires far less energy to
refabricate. By choosing materials with low embodied energy,
the overall environmental impact of a building is reduced.
Using local materials over imported materials of the same
type will save transportation energy.

Water Conservation
Methods for water conservation may reduce input, output, or
both. This is because, conventionally, the water that is supplied
to a building and the water that leaves the building as sewage
is all treated by municipal water treatment plants. Therefore,
a reduction in use also produces a reduction in waste.
Reuse Water Onsite

Water consumed in buildings can be classified as two types:
graywater and sewage. Graywater is produced by activities
such as handwashing. While it is not of drinking-water quality,
it does not need to be treated as nearly as intensively as sewage.
In fact, it can be recycled within a building, perhaps to irrigate
ornamental plants or flush toilets. Well-planned plumbing
systems facilitate such reuse.
In most parts of the world, rainwater falling on buildings has

not been considered a useful resource. Buildings are typically
designed to keep the rain from the occupants, and the idea of
utilizing rain water falling on building surfaces has not been
widely explored. Building envelopes, particularly roofs, can
become rainwater collecting devices, in combination with
cisterns to hold collected water. This water can be used for
irrigation or toilet-flushing.
Reduce Consumption
Water supply systems and fixtures can be selected to reduce
consumption and waste. Low-flow faucets and small toilet
tanks are now required by code in many areas of the country.
Vacuum-assisted and biocomposting toilets further reduce
water consumption. Biocomposting toilets, available on both
residential and commercial scales, treat sewage on site, elimi-
nating the need for energy-intensive municipal treatment.
Indigenous landscaping — using plants native to the local

ecosystem — will also reduce water consumption. These
plants will have adapted to the local rainfall levels, eliminating
the need for additional watering. Where watering is needed,
the sprinkler heads should be carefully placed and adjusted
to avoid watering the sidewalk and street.

Materials Conservation
The production and consumption of building materials has
diverse implications on the local and global environments.
Extraction, processing, manufacturing, and transporting
building materials all cause ecological damage to some extent.
There are input and output reduction methods for materials
conservation. As with water, some of these methods overlap.
Adapt Existing Buildings to New Uses

One of the most straightforward and effective methods for
material conservation is to make use of the resources that
already exist in the form of buildings. Most buildings outlive
the purpose for which they were designed. Many, if not all,
of these buildings can be converted to new uses at a lower
cost than brand-new construction.
Incorporate Reclaimed or Recycled Materials

Buildings that have to be demolished should become the
resources for new buildings. Many building materials, such
as wood, steel, and glass, are easily recycled into new materials.
Some, like brick or windows, can be used whole in the new
structure. Furnishing, particularly office partition systems,
are also easily moved from one location to another.
Use Materials That Can Be Recycled

During the process of designing the building and selecting
the building materials, look for ways to use materials that can
themselves be recycled. This preserves the energy embodied
in their manufacture.
Size Buildings and Systems Properly

A building that is oversized for its designed purpose, or has
oversized systems, will excessively consume materials. When
a building is too large or small for the number of people it
must contain, its heating, cooling, and ventilation systems,
typically sized by square footage, will be inadequate or ineffi-
cient. This method relates directly to the programming and
design phases of the architectural process. The client’s present
and future space needs must be carefully studied to ensure
that the resulting building and systems are sized correctly.
Architects are encouraged to design around standardized

building material sizes as much as possible. In the U. S., this
standard is based on a 4'x8' sheet of plywood. Excess trimming
of materials to fit non-modular spaces generates more waste.

Reuse Non-Conventional Products as Building Materials
Building materials from unconventional sources, such as
recycled tires, pop bottles, and agricultural waste, are readily
available. These products reduce the need for new landfills
and have a lower embodied energy that the conventional
materials they are designed to replace.
Consumer Goods
All consumer goods eventually lose their original usefulness.
The “useful life” quantifies the time of conversion from the
useful stage to the loss of original usefulness stage. For in-
stance, a daily newspaper is useful only for one day, a phone
book is useful for one year, and a dictionary might be useful
for 10 years. The shorter the useful life of consumer goods,
the greater the volume of useless goods will result. Conse-
quently, more architectural considerations will be required
for the recycling of short-life consumer goods.
The conventional term for consumer goods that have lost

their original usefulness is waste. But waste is or can be a
resource for another use. Therefore, in lieu of waste, it is
better to use the term “recyclable materials.” One way
buildings can encourage recycling is to incorporate facilities
such as on-site sorting bins.
Life Cycle Design
As discussed earlier, the Life Cycle Design principle embodies

three strategies: pre-building, building, and post-building.
These strategies, in turn, can yield specific design methods
that will improve the sustainability of architecture. Figure 10
shows how each method relates to the main strategies of Life
Cycle Design. These methods focus mainly on reducing in-
put. Consuming fewer materials lessens the environmental
impact of the associated manufacturing processes. This then
reduces the eventual output of the building ecosystem.
Pre-Building Phase
During the Pre-Building Phase, the design of a building and
materials selected for it are examined for their environmental
impact. The selection of materials is particularly important at
this stage: the impact of materials processing can be global
and have long-term consequences.

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AND POLLUTION PREVENTION Figure 10: “Life Cycle Design”
Principle 2:
Life Cycle Design
Strategies
Pre-Building Building Post-Building
Methods
Use materials that Schedule con- Adapt existing

are ... struction to structures to
minimize site new users and
- made of renew- impact. programs.
able resources
- harvested or Provide waste- Reuse building
extracted with- separation components and
out ecological facilities. materials.
damage
Use nontoxic Recycle building
- recycled materials to components and
protect construc- materials.
- recyclable
tion workers as
- long-lasting and well as end users. Reuse the land
low maintenance and existing
Specify regular infrastructure.
Minimize energy maintenance with
needed to distrib- nontoxic cleaners.
ute materials.
Use Materials Made From Renewable Resources

Renewable resources are those that can be grown or harvested
at a rate that exceeds the rate of human consumption. Using
these materials is, by definition, sustainable. Materials made
from nonrenewable materials (petroleum, metals, etc.) are,
ultimately, not sustainable, even if current supplies are
adequate. Using renewable materials wherever possible
reduces the need for nonrenewable materials.

Use Materials Harvested or Extracted Without Causing Ecological Damage
Of the renewable materials available, not all can be obtained
without significant environmental effects. Therefore, the
architect must be aware of how various raw materials are
harvested and understand the local and global ramifications.
Use Recycled Materials

Using recycle materials reduces waste and saves scarce land-
fill space. Recycled materials also preserve the embodied
energy of their original form, which would otherwise be
wasted. This also reduces the consumption of materials
made from virgin natural resources. Many building materials,
particularly steel, are easily recycled, eliminating the need
for more mining and milling operations.
Use Materials with Long Life and Low Maintenance

Durable materials last longer and require less maintenance
with harsh cleansers. This reduces the consumption of raw
materials needed to make replacements and the amount of
landfill space taken by discarded products. It also means
occupants receive less exposure to irritating chemicals used
in the installation and maintenance of materials.
Building Phase
The methods associated with the Building Phase strategy are
concerned with the environmental impact of actual construc-
tion and operation processes.
Minimize Site Impact

Careful planning can minimize invasion of heavy equipment
and the accompanying ecosystem damage to the site. Excava-
tions should not alter the flow of groundwater through the
site. Finished structures should respect site topology and
existing drainage. Trees and vegetation should only be
removed when absolutely necessary for access. For sensitive
sites, materials that can be hand-carried to the site reduce the
need for excessive road-building and heavy trucks.
Employ Nontoxic Materials

The use of nontoxic materials is vital to the health of the
building’s occupants, who typically spend more than three-
quarters of their time indoors. Adhesives used to make many
common building materials can outgas — release volatile
organic compounds into the air — for years after the original
construction. Maintenance with nontoxic cleansers is also

important, as the cleaners are often airborne and stay within a
building’s ventilation system for an extended period of time.
Post-Building Phase
During this phase, the architect examines the environmental
consequences of structures that have outlived their usefulness.
At this point, there are three possibilities in a building’s future:
reuse, recycling of components, and disposal. Reuse and
recycling allow a building to become a resource for new
buildings or consumer goods; disposal requires incineration
or landfill dumping, contributing to an already overburdened
waste stream.
Reuse the Building

The embodied energy of a building is considerable. It includes
not only the sum of energy embodied in the materials, but
also the energy that went into the building’s construction. If
the building can be adapted to new uses, this energy will be
conserved. Where complete reuse of a building is not possible,
individual components can be selected for reuse — windows,
doors, bricks, and interior fixtures are all excellent candidates.
Recycle Materials
Recycling materials from a building can often be difficult due
to the difficulty in separating different substances from one
another. Some materials, like glass and aluminum, must be
scavenged from the building by hand. Steel can easily be
separated from rubble by magnets. Concrete can be crushed
and used as aggregate in new pours.
Reuse Existing Buildings and Infrastructure

It has become common for new suburbs to move farther and
farther from the core city as people search for “space” and
“nature.” Of course, the development of new suburbs from
virgin woods or fertile agricultural fields destroys the very
qualities these suburbanites are seeking. Moreover, in addition
to the materials for new houses, new development requires
massive investments in material for roads, sewers, and the
businesses that inevitability follow. Meanwhile, vacant land
and abandoned structures in the city, with its existing infra-
structure, go unused, materials wasted.

Figure 11: “Humane Design” SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AND POLLUTION PREVENTION
Principle 3:
Humane Design
Strategies
Preservation of Urban Design Design for

Nat’l Conditions Site Planning Human Comfort
Understand the Avoid pollution Provide thermal,

impact of design contribution visual, and
on nature acoustic comfort
Promote mixed-
Respect topo- use development Provide visual
graphical contours connection to
Create pedestrian exterior
Do not disturb pockets
the water table Provide operable
Provide for windows
Preserve existing human-powered
flora and fauna transportation Provide clean,
fresh air
Integrate design
with public Accomodate
transportation persons with
differing physical
abilities
Use nontoxic,
non-outgassing
materials

Humane Design
As described in the introduction, this principle embodies

three strategies: preservation of natural conditions, urban
design and site planning, and design for human comfort.
These strategies, in turn, yield specific design methods that will
improve the sustainability of architecture. Figure 11 shows
how each method relates to the three strategies of Humane
Design. These methods focus primarily on improving the
quality of life for humans and other species.
Preservation of Natural Conditions

Respect Topographical Contours
The existing contours of a site should be respected. Radical
terraforming is not only expensive but devastating to the
site’s microclimate. Alteration of contours will affect how
water drains and how wind moves through a site.
Do Not Disturb the Water Table

Select sites and building designs that do not require excavation
below the local water table. Placing a large obstruction (the
building) into the water table will disturb natural hydraulic
process. If the water table is exposed during construction, it
will also become more susceptible to contamination from
polluted surface runoff.
Preserve Existing Flora and Fauna

Local wildlife and vegetation should be recognized as part of
the building site. When treated as resources to be conserved
rather than as obstacle to be overcome, native plants and ani-
mals will make the finished building a more enjoyable space
for human habitation.
Urban Design and Site Planning

The methods associated with the Urban Design and Site
Planning strategy apply sustainability at a scale larger than
the individual building.
Integrate Design with Public Transportation

Sustainable architecture on an urban scale must be designed
to promote public transportation. Thousands of individual
vehicles moving in and out of area with the daily commute
create smog, congest traffic, and require parking spaces.

Promote Mixed Use Development
Sustainable development encourages the mixing of residential,
commercial, office and retail space. People then have the
option of living near where they work and shop. This provides
a greater sense of community than conventional suburbs.
The potential for 24-hour activity also makes an area safer.
Design for Human Comfort

Provide Thermal, Visual, and Acoustic Comfort
People do not perform well in spaces that are too hot or too
cold. Proper lighting, appropriate to each task, is essential.
Background noise from equipment or people can be distracting
and damage occupants’ hearing. Acoustic and visual privacy
also need to be considered.
Provide Visual Connection to Exterior

The light in the sky changes throughout the day, as the sun
and clouds move across the sky. Humans all have an internal
clock that is synchronized to the cycle of day and night.
From a psychological and physiological standpoint, windows
and skylights are essential means of keeping the body clock
working properly,
Provide Operable Windows

Operable windows are necessary so that building occupants
can have some degree of control over the temperature and
ventilation in their workspace.
Provide Fresh Clean Air

Fresh air through clean air ducts is vital to the well-being of
building occupants. The benefits of fresh air go beyond the
need for oxygen. Continuous recirculation of interior air
exposes people to concentrated levels of bacteria and
chemicals within the building.
Use Nontoxic, Non-Outgassing Materials

Long-term exposure to chemicals commonly used in building
materials and cleaners can have a detrimental effect on health.
Accommodate Persons with Differing Physical Abilities

One aspect of sustainable design is its longevity. Buildings
that are durable and adaptable are more sustainable than
those that are not. This adaptability includes welcoming
people of different ages and physical conditions. The more
people that can use a building, the longer the building’s
useful life.

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Minnesota Sustainable Design Guide
The Minnesota Sustainable Design Guide educates and assists architects, building owners, occupants, educators, students,
and the general public concerning sustainable building design. The Guide is a design tool that can be used to overlay
environmental issues on the design, construction, and operation of both new and renovated facilities. It can be used to set
sustainable design priorities and goals; develop appropriate sustainable design strategies; and to determine performance
measures to guide the sustainable design and decision-making processes. It can also be used as a management tool to
organize and structure environmental concerns during the design, construction, and operations phases.
The current version of the Guide is the first stage of a design tool that will evolve based on feedback from users and
especially based on case studies that apply the Guide. The future development and support for the Guide depends on
understanding the effectiveness of the tool and learning how it is being used. If the Guide is applied to an actual project, we
request that you share your results and findings. This information will be used only to understand the application and
effectiveness of the guide, as well as contributing to the growing knowledge base on sustainable design.
MSDG Version 2.0
© 1999-2001
Regents of the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus, College of Architecture and Landscape Architecture
All rights reserved.
Do not copy or reproduce without permission.
Contact msdg@tc.umn.edu.
Privacy Statement
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e design: Resources: Process Guidelines
The Process Guidelines for High-Performance Buildings were

implemented in 1998 as an updating of the Florida Energy
Conservation Manual (1992 Revision) and State Energy Management
Plan (1986 Revision). The Process Guidelines for High-Performance
Buildings were developed to provide general information and
legislatively mandated guidance for a range of personnel with facility
and project responsibilities during all phases of building design,
construction, and operation. The Process Guidelines incorporate
provisions formerly addressed by the State Energy Management Plan
(SEMP) and the Florida Energy Conservation Manual (FECM); and
also provide information and provisions related to the state's Energy
Consumption Tracking Database (ECTD) and Florida Energy
Modeling Program (formerly known as FLEET).
NOTE: This is a work product of the Florida Energy Update Project

and is not currently mandated by the Florida Department of
Management Services as mandatory for State of Florida facilities.
Therefore, the specific procedures discussed are not necessarily the
official policy of the State of Florida.
To access the Process Guidelines for High-Performance Buildings

select an area of responsibility and a facility design or occupancy
phase from the choices below, then press the "Continue" button to see
a list of tasks related to the responsibility and phase selected. Follow
the instructions, select a specific task (and possibly a specific
subtask), and retrieve applicable provisions of the Process Guidelines
and related information and resources.
Responsibility: (Select)
Phase: (Select)
Continue
If you prefer, there is a Text-only Index and a Graphic Interface
available, as well.
For more general reference, there is also a Library of online and print
references available.
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Santa Monica Green Building Program
Santa Monica Green Building Program
The City of Santa Monica has a commitment to protecting the environment, improving
Search quality of life, and promoting sustainability. In order to fulfill this commitment, the City
has adopted a set of requirements and recommendations to encourage the
Help Advanced development of "green" buildings without forcing excessive costs or other burdens
upon developers, building owners or occupants. The City has also developed Green
Building Guidelines to explain possible ways
Green Building
of achieving green building goals.
Requirements
Guidelines This site contains information both on what
Case Studies you must do and what you might consider
Additional Resources doing in order to achieve Santa Monica’s
standards of excellence in green building
Site Map
design and construction.
For information on green techniques in

general, and strategies for both Required
and Suggested practices, see the Green
Building Design and Construction
Guidelines link. The Introduction to the
Guidelines contains background information
on Santa Monica’s Green Building Program,
as well as explanations of the green building
design process.
For information on city requirements for all building projects in Santa Monica, see the
Green Building Program Requirements.
For information about other City of Santa Monica Environmental Programs go to www.
smepd.org.
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Indoor Water Conservation

Composting Toilets
Pervious Materials
Xeriscape
Greywater Irrigation
Harvested Rainwater
Water Budget
Passive Solar Design

Landscaping for Energy Conservation
Radiant Barrier and Ridge-and-Soffit Venting
Earth Sheltered Design
Solar Hot Water, Heating and Cooling Systems
Photovoltaic Systems
Gas Water Heating Systems
Ductwork
Fans
Energy Recovery Ventilator
Programmable Thermostat
Energy Efficient Appliances
Lighting
Electro-Magnetic Fields
Ground Source Heat Exchange

Dimensional Lumber
Wood Treatment
Engineered Structural Materials
Engineered Sheet Materials
Engineered Siding and Trim
Flyash Concrete
Non-Toxic Termite Control
Earth Materials
Floor Coverings
Wood Flooring
Roofing
Structural Wall Panels
Insulation
Windows and Doors
Cabinets
Paints, Finishes and Adhesives
Straw Bale Construction
Home Recycling
Compost Systems
Construction Waste Recycling
Appendices
How to be Listed in the Sourcebook
Design Criteria for Central Texas
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Sustainable Saint Paul Office of Real
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160 City Hall, Saint Paul, MN 55102 • 651-266-8850; fax 651-266-8919
Explore Saint Paul
Mayor
Council Sustainable Facilities Management
Departments
City Org Chart For City of Saint Paul Facilities
Budget
Weekly Meetings The city needs to be understood as part of a functioning ecosystem. This
does not mean that future development should be discouraged or that there
should be a wholesale restoration of the natural environment. It means
Parks & Recreation instead that efforts should be made to redress the imbalance that now exists
between the natural and built environments. The intent is to understand the
Libraries
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Schools
Saint Paul for Kids (Excerpted from the Saint Paul Mississippi Development Framework, 1997)
Where in St. Paul
The Minnesota Sustainable Design Guide has been adopted by the City of
City Job Openings Saint Paul for managing City-owned facilities. The University of Minnesota
City Contracts created this set of guidelines, and it was adopted by the State of Minnesota
for use in the design of new State facilities. This guide takes the place of the
Housing & Property Info City's Sustainable Decision Guide, created in 1997.
Licensing/Permits
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Sustainable Decision Guide
Maps
Documents
Official Publications
TASK FORCE
Other Government Sites
Ramsey County ● Jim Graupmann Water Utility
● Lee Williamson Library Services (SPPL)
State of Minnesota
● Del Swanson Fire and Safety Services Department (FIRE)
United States
● Ray Schmidt Police Department
● Darold McMahan Planning and Economic Development (PED)
● Duane Kroll Contract and Analysis Services, Department of Technology and
Management Services (TMS)
● Rick Person Public Works Department (PW)
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● Scott Getty Northern States Power (NSP)

● Duane Stolpe Parks and Recreation (PR)
TASK FORCE STAFF
● Mark Basten Design Group, Real Estate Division, Department of Technology and
● Chuck Ekstedt Design Group, Real Estate Division, Department of Technology and
● David Godfrey City Council Investigation and Research Center (CTY CNCL)

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The Sustainable Design Resource Guide
The Sustainable Design Resource Guide The Sustainable Design Resource Guide
Enter the site
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WBDG - Whole Building Design Guide
The Gateway to Up-To-Date Information on Integrated

'Whole Building' Design Techniques and Technologies
WBDG Quick Links Access New WBDG Services

Below are a selection of WBDG
pages, documents or tools that are
frequently requested by users:
- Construction Waste
Management Database
- Building Envelope Design Guide
- Federal Green Construction
Guide for Specifiers
- GSA LEED® Cost Study and
Applications Guide
- Unified Facilities Criteria
New and Updated WBDG
- Unified Facilities Guide Pages
Specifications (UFGS)
- Fire Station NEW
- Building Integrated
New Version of the Federal Photovoltaics (BIPV)
Green Construction Guide - Heating, Ventilating, Air-
for Specifiers Now Conditioning, and Refrigerating
Available! (HVAC&R) Engineering NEW
To address the need for a
comprehensive guide for procuring - Information Technologies
green building products and Engineering NEW
construction services within the - UFC/ISC Security Design
Federal government, EPA, in Criteria Overview and Comparison
partnership with the Federal
© 2006, National Institute of NEW
Environmental Executive and the
Building Sciences. All rights
Whole Building Design Guide - Cool Metal Roofing
reserved. Disclaimer.
(WBDG), has developed the Federal - Running a Design Competition
Green Construction Guide for - Cost Estimating NEW
Specifiers. The Guide contains more
- Plumbing Engineering NEW
than 60 model "green" guide
specification sections—covering a - Energy Master Planning for
vast array of construction materials HVAC Systems in New and
and methods—to help Federal Existing Buildings NEW
agencies in meeting Greening of
- HVAC System Dynamic
Government Executive Orders; EPA's
Integration
Final Guidance on Environmentally
Preferable Purchasing; EPA's - Value Engineering NEW
Comprehensive Procurement - Planning and Conducting
Guidelines for recovered content;
Integrated Design (ID) Charrettes
USDA's Federal Biobased Products
Preferred Procurement Program; NEW
ENERGY STAR® & DOE Federal - Electric Lighting Controls
Energy Management Program - Air Decontamination
(FEMP) Product Efficiency
Recommendations; the Energy Policy
Act of 2005; and the recently signed
Federal Leadership in High
Performance and Sustainable
Buildings Memorandum of
Understanding. This new version
reflects EPA's response to more than
100 industry public comments.
The "Whole Building"

Design Approach
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WBDG - Whole Building Design Guide
The goal of 'Whole Building' Design

is to create a successful high-
performance building. To achieve
that goal, we must apply the
integrated design approach to the
project during the planning and
programming phases. It is necessary
for the people involved in the
building design to interact closely
throughout the design process. The
owner, building occupants, and
operation and maintenance
personnel should be involved to
capture their understanding of how
the building and its systems will
work for them once they occupy it.
The fundamental challenge of 'whole
buildings' design is to understand
that all building systems are
interdependent.
Read more
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Sustainable Architecture and Building Design (SABD) http://www.arch.hku.hk/research/BEER/sustain.

1.1 What is Sustainable Development?

1 of 19 31/12/2005 05:25 p.m.

1.1 What is Sustainable Development?

1.2 Various Viewpoints

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"Future generation is the most important" --- Confucius.

1.3 Three Dimensions

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Economic dimensions of Environmental dimensions of Social dimensions of

Resource consumption would be minimal

1.4 Further Reading

Definition of Sustainability [AGS]

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Sustainable Development: Education for Engineers & Others

"Architecture presents a unique challenge in the field of sustainability. Construction

2.1 Sustainable Construction

minimising non-renewable resource consumption

5 of 19 31/12/2005 05:25 p.m.

Theme Environmental Economic Social

Green Code for Architecture

2.2 Environmental Architecture

Five principles of an environmental architecture (Thomas A. Fisher, AIA, November, 1992):

6 of 19 31/12/2005 05:25 p.m.

eliminate energy use.

The Hannover Principles

Living buildings will:

Harvest all their own water and energy needs on site.

-- Jason F. McLennan, BNIM Architects

2.3 Ecological Building

Ecology Ecological Building

7 of 19 31/12/2005 05:25 p.m.

2. an orderly, functional arrangement of

Environment Building Fabric Building Technology

Air Facade and roof Cooling energy

What does "Ecos" mean?

2.4 Green Building

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"It's not easy being green." -- Kermit the Frog, 1972.

reducing energy in use

What Makes a Building Green?

Reduce human exposure to noxious materials.

9 of 19 31/12/2005 05:25 p.m.

Principles of Sustainable Design

Understanding Place - Sustainable design begins with an intimate understanding of place.

"Sustainable architecture involves a combination of values: aesthetic, environmental,

2.5 Further Reading

Agenda 21 on Sustainable Construction [CIB]

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Urban Sustainability (slide show)

SITE ENERGY WATER

MATERIALS WASTE COMMUNITY

Sustainable Urban Design

What is Sustainable Urban Development? [University of Salford]

Principle 1: Increasing Local Self-Sufficiency

Landform/Microclimate Site Design Infrastructure Efficiency

Topography Solar orientation Water supply and use

Land-Use Transportation On-Site Energy Resources

Use density Integrated, mulimodal Geothermal/groundwater

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urban and land-use planning;

Proposed concepts in Hong Kong

Sustainable Cities and Green Development