Reflection Paper no.

7: Green Buildings and Sustainable Construction – Group 8

Green Buildings and Sustainable Construction report talk about the different
issues regarding construction sustainability. They also explained the green building, its
objectives, and its importance. And the international and local green building grading
systems that are used to indicate the level of environmental friendliness for buildings.

With the increasing economy of the construction of buildings and infrastructure

comes the inevitable adverse environmental effects. The impacts of construction
industry and its maintenance are brought about by the consumption of natural
resources. So, it is necessary to have these green building practices that address these
unwelcome environmental impacts by promoting environmentally responsible
construction practices and building strategy that lessen the carbon footprint through
energy and resource efficiency.

In addition to the report, in the Philippines, we already have an existing code

about the Green Building Construction where in high-rise buildings that are constructed
after the code’s implementation should comply with its provisions. Moreover, it is good
to know that there is already existing grading system such as LEED, an internationally
recognized green building rating system, and BERDE, a locally developed based on
LEED, which served as benchmarks to measure the environmental performance of
buildings.

Looking specifically at green materials and their impact on the production of

structures, it is evident that they are a prime choice for building materials. As the cost
for sustainable materials and products are declining, building green seems to be the
most cost-effective kind of design and construction. Using green materials should be
promoted because they are better for the environment, more healthful for the consumer,
and better for the economy.