Sustainable building is an eco-friendly approach that prioritizes creating buildings in a way that lessens their environmental impact and improves the overall health of our planet and the people on it. The benefits of sustainable construction are plenty.
The most sustainable building method is using eco-friendly materials and prefabricating them in controlled environments. This method reduces waste and the energy required to construct a building.
Everyone must do what they can to lessen their carbon footprint, and one of the most influential industries in this regard is the construction industry. The rest of this article explains what sustainable building is, the various techniques used, and the benefits of this approach to building.
Why Current Building Methods Are Not Sustainable
One of the biggest and most environmentally harmful problems in construction is waste, because either the materials aren’t cut precisely, or the materials are cut in conditions that change their shape, such as extremely hot or extremely cold weather.
If these materials are cut in a controlled environment, the conditions that may change their shape are avoided, eliminating the need to redo certain parts of the project and wasting material.
Another reason why current building methods are not sustainable is that they don’t use more eco-friendly materials. Materials manufactured locally and from recycled products are better for the environment than other construction materials.
Locally-sourced materials are better for the environment because they don’t have to travel far, reducing the energy required for transportation.
Additionally, materials with low embodied energy are less harmful than materials that require a lot of energy for extraction. Embodied energy refers to the factors that contribute to a certain material’s sustainability, and encompasses everything the material requires throughout its life in all stages, including:
When current building methods don’t use these types of materials, they are unsustainable and can harm the environment.
Current building methods also don’t use eco-friendly materials, which can create issues later down the road. When using sustainable building methods, it’s important to focus on those that are appropriate for the climate they’ll be used in.
If a material doesn’t hold up well in its environment, it’ll need to be replaced often, using more energy and resources. Eco-friendly material is one that can endure in its climate and last a long time.
Sustainable Buiding Methods Use Eco-Friendly Materials
An essential part of sustainable construction is using eco-friendly materials. Here are some of the best materials for sustainable building:
Using these materials instead of their less eco-friendly alternatives is essential for sustainable construction and a great step towards better building practices industry-wide.
What Is Sustainable Construction?
Sustainable construction refers to the practice of reducing the construction industry’s impact on the environment by utilizing sustainable building methods and green technology. The primary goal of sustainable construction is to reduce environmental impact.
The construction industry uses a large number of materials and energy, so construction companies can make a significant impact by changing how they build and with what. The main advantage of sustainable construction is the reduction of practices that are harmful to the environment.;
However, there are some other benefits of sustainable construction:
The benefits of sustainable construction are plentiful, varied, and meaningful. It’s to the advantage of everyone and the planet to build more sustainably.
Other Sustainable Building Methods
Because many organizations recognize the value of sustainable building methods, there have been various new advances and practices introduced in the industry. Let’s discuss some of these methods.
Synthetic Roof Underlayment
The underlayment on roofs has traditionally been asphalt-based, but asphalt breaks down quickly and has to be replaced frequently. Synthetic roof underlayment weighs less and is more durable, and it’s made with polymer created from recycled scrap materials.
Green Roofs
Green roofs are made with a material that supports the growth of grass, plants, and other greenery. This isn’t only aesthetically pleasing, but also beneficial for the building. The green roof reduces heating and cooling costs and improves air quality.
Passive Solar
Buildings utilizing the passive solar concept work with the sun’s energy to warm the building in the winter and block the sun in the summer, reducing the need for artificial heating and cooling. It can also help with your energy costs, which means you should have lower utility bills.
Structural 3D Printing and Just-In-Time Production
Structural 3D printing reduces the environmental costs of moving building materials to a site.
Just-In-Time (JIT) production is a practice that calls for the production of materials when the customer wants them and in the quantity requested, instead of ordering large stocks of materials. This eliminates waste, overproduction, and the cost of storage.
Construction Management Software
Construction management software replaces paper plans and files and updates in real-time, so everyone is working from the correct plan, reducing the possibility of mistakes and waste. This is sustainable, as it reduces the need to cut down more trees to make paper.
Greywater Systems
Greywater systems use greywater for irrigation. Greywater reuse increases drinking water supply and decreases wastewater utility bills. The more these methods are used in construction, the healthier the planet and everyone on it’ll be.
What Is LEED?
LEED is the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership and Environmental Design rating system for evaluating the environmental performance of buildings’ design, construction, and operation. LEED certification can lead to tax credits, reduced fees, expedited permits, and zoning allowances.
Even though a council in the United States developed it, the program is used worldwide to help building owners, operators, and contractors to be environmentally responsible. Furthermore, for-rent LEED office spaces have higher rental rates and occupancy.
Building contractors can use LEED guidelines to design and construct a more environmentally responsible building.
Still, something to consider is that pursuing a LEED rating often increases the cost of initial design and construction. Additional costs are associated with LEED design consultants and USGBC correspondence.
The LEED rating system is grouped into five categories:
Additionally, there are four levels of LEED certification:
LEED Platinum buildings are considered the most environmentally sustainable buildings globally and are highly regarded in architecture and construction communities.
Examples of Sustainable Construction Companies
For those who doubt the possibility of creating durable and beautiful buildings sustainably and making a profit doing so, here are some of the best construction companies who are leading the charge on sustainability:
Conclusion
Overall, the best sustainable building method is using eco-friendly building materials and measuring and cutting them in a controlled environment to reduce waste.
However, there are many sustainable building methods that are all beneficial not only to the environment but also to the human population and the economy. The construction industry can make a big and important difference with these methods.
