HOW WOULD I EXPLAIN WHY MY CLIENT SHOULD

CARE ABOUT SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN?

MY CLIENT WOULD BE INFORMED ABOUT THE FOLLOWING POINTS:

1. THE BUDGET
Prioritising sustainability in the budget will result in a better, more
economical and energy efficient house that yields greater savings over time.
A sustainable house doesn’t need to be an expensive house.

A house with good passive design and a well-insulated and air-tight

envelope is cheaper to operate. A smaller, smarter floor plan reduces
material and construction costs, and can offset higher upfront investments,
such as double glazing, solar PV arrays and durable materials that require
less maintenance and repair.

2. THE HEALTH
Sustainable architecture promotes certain intangible qualities that humans
innately enjoy: thermal comfort, natural light and ventilation, good air
quality, outdoor views and a connection to nature. A sustainable home is
also a healthy home, with spaces that nurture and support our physical and
mental wellbeing.

Good sustainable architecture further emphasises these qualities through its

holistic approach that extends to using natural and non-toxic materials,
integrating landscaping into buildings and framing views of greenery. It’s
architecture that not only looks and feels good, but actively contributes to
our wellbeing.
 3. LONGEVITY
Investing in sustainable architecture is an investment in the longevity of a
house. Buildings should inarguably be designed and built to last.

Quality construction, durable materials and versatile design not only reduce
the cost of a building over time, they also help ensure that it ages well.
Making maintenance and repairs uncomplicated and worth doing will
extend the building’s life.

4. LOCAL ENVIRONMENT
Sustainable buildings minimise their impact on nature and resources, and
make a positive contribution to a context and the local environment.
Respect for the environment is the overriding principle of sustainable
architecture.

5. THE LIFE CYCLE CARBON FOOTPRINT

The goal of sustainable architecture is to create buildings that have a low
carbon or carbon neutral footprint throughout their life cycle, from
construction to operation and maintenance.

An LCA considers the embodied and operational carbon of a building over

the course of its life. Embodied carbon refers to the emissions associated
with the production, transport and installation of materials. Operational
carbon is the emissions associated with operating a building, such as energy
for heating, cooling, cooking and domestic hot water. To achieve a carbon
neutral footprint, a building must be carbon neutral in both embodied and
operational carbon.

LCA: life cycle assessment -one metric for measuring and assessing the
carbon footprint and environmental impact of a building-

Name: Maya Wessam Abbass

ID: 20011165