The Impact of Buildings on the Environment Essay example

During the construction phase, there will be a lot happening all over. This may vary from the actual erecting of the building, to the transport of goods, to the extraction of materials needed, etc. There will be a lot of damage done to the o-zone layer, a lot of habitat and biodiversity destroyed, amongst other things.

Sustainability is becoming an ongoing trend in construction. This word in reference to construction means to be built sturdy while not depleting the environment around it. According to Lafargeholcum Foundations [1], “Sustainability is one of the worlds most talked about but least understood words, its meaning

This manifesto proposes an approach to sustainable design that I am interested in exploring during my time studying architecture. The idea of sustainability is a complex one, not without apparent contradictions. This makes it difficult to define in a wholly satisfactory manner. For the purposes of this manifesto I will advert to the definition proposed by Jason McLennan who asserts that sustainable design: “seeks to maximize the quality of the built environment, while minimizing or eliminating negative impact to the natural environment.” I find this definition particularly useful in the emphasis which it places on quality. By quality, in this

The indefinite growth of the human population, has monumental impacts on the natural environment, not only in the UK, but around the globe. Architecturally, the entire process of designing and constructing a building, both domestic and not, can lead to the rapid exhaustion of natural resources across the planet. Building with environmental design strategies in mind not only combats the impact we as humans have on the natural environment, but also has considerable economic benefits, due to lower running costs of buildings and advanced occupant productivity. There are also many social benefits, such as improved air quality which resultantly leads too enhanced health of a buildings occupants.

"Sustainable Architecture" - this phrase in recent years is mentioned a lot. The concept of "sustainable architecture" is associated, even identified with the concept of green architecture, ecological architecture, environmentally friendly, energy efficient ... to reach a stable value for the environment human life, reduce negative impacts on the environment in the present and future. However, although this interpretation is correct, but only one aspect, because that's what people are missing and need to achieve. Try to reach and understanding of sustainable architecture in general and more simple ...

Being environmentally friendly isn’t merely a trend. After thousands of years of using the earth’s resources, we have finally come to realize that we are destroying this beautiful gift we were honored with. Architects play an influential role in trying to preserve this gift by encouraging a multitude of strategies that can be more cost efficient in the long run, be more comfortable for its users, and most importantly, have a lower carbon footprint. Strategies can include drastic changes to heat and air systems, construction material selections, or even specific design details to the architecture of a building that would reduce the amount of energy it consumes.

Green buildings could become one of the main factors to preserve our rapidly decaying environment. There is no easy way to define a green building, but a green building is essentially a structure that amplifies the positives and mitigates the negatives throughout the entire life cycle of the building (Kriss, 2014). There are many definitions for a green building, but all of them include the planning, designing, constructing, and operating of the building while taking into huge considerations of the energy use, water use, indoor air environment, materials used and the effect it has on the site the green building is being built on. The first green buildings dates back to as far as the 1970’s, when solar panels went from experiments to reality. Green buildings were not as popular as they are today due to their extremely high pricing. With technology rapidly growing, solar panels are becoming cheaper and cheaper, making the transition to creating green buildings more affordable. This is the primary reason for the increased growth of green buildings today. A modern company that is paving the way to the growth of green buildings named LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, focuses primarily on new and effective ideas for environmentally friendly buildings projects. With more than 60,000 commercial projects worldwide and 1.7 million square feet being certified every day, LEED is one of the leading groups for promoting green buildings. LEED has popularized the entire

The book's selection of outstanding, best quality work provides several examples for homeowners with a discerning sense of style and environmental responsibility. The spectrum of featured projects has a range between energy efficient restoration and the construction of intelligent extensions to the planning and building of new low-energy or passive homes. The book introduces not only the current building forms and materials but also case studies examining the best division of space, architectural planning, and the use of innovative technologies to control and improve heating and air conditioning. Therefore, Building Better provides a striking overview of the topic of sustainable building, and insightful information on details from technical data to blueprints. In the book, both homeowners and architects have their motivations, ideas, desires, and real experiences. Against this background, Building Better is both an inspirational and a practical guide for everyone who thinks that the sustainability not as limiting, but rather as a creative opportunity. As such, it is an essential reference for everyone who wants to build a

In “Timber Rising”, Robert Reid outlines the benefits of constructing tall building using timber structural members, as well as the growing interest and research to do so. The largest motivation to use timber structural members presented in the article is the desire to design and build structures that are more sustainable. The author highlights an interview in which a professional in the field says constructing buildings using timber, compared to the conventional materials of steel and concrete, can greatly reduce the carbon footprint due to construction. In addition, the author mentions that the trees, before being harvested for timber, absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and convert it to oxygen. Lastly, the author presents research

Whether you are tearing down a roof on a residential home or you are renovating a commercial site, these processes produce a lot of waste. With increased waste around the area, your construction site is more prone to accidents. Beyond the fact that accidents can cause accidents, they also expose your business to liability risks. When you reduce the amount of waste from your project, then you reduce the possibility of risks.

Advances in building materials continually improve and in turn boost living standards while reducing environmental impact. While some of these improvements only exist in research labs, many new building material advancements benefit the trade today. A few of these improvements come in the form of stronger, longer lasting building mediums, while others reduce carbon footprint and waste during production. Upgrades such as these increase structure lifespan, save the environment and reduce the number of new builds required to serve landowner needs.

Humans today are using much more electricity than we need to in our houses and this is impacting our world more then we realise. Although electricity is a huge advantage to humans it has the complete opposite effects on our environment. By using more electricity, we are using more of the earth’s resources and if we keep going down this road then we are going to run out. The solution for this mass overuse of energy is to build houses which are more energy efficient. Features like LED lightbulbs, insulating and even positioning your house in the correct position for natural airflow instead of using air conditioning are all ways we can help improve this problem.

Larkin put "The Building" in the middle of his collection for a reason, it is a pillar that supports the rest of the collection with its long lines and many verses, and because of this, is maybe a bit more clearer than some of his other poems in the ideas and views that are expressed through it. Of course, being a Larkin a poem, there is the obligatory underlayer which so many people miss, but in "The Building" it is easier to discern and comprehend.

In this part, government attitude and policies are focused on, as well as advanced technologies are considered. Finally, this paper also turn to highlight the relevant field in China and what availability would suit for China, especially focus on what recommendations be suggested to local authorities in order to guide the whole society to aware the importance of green building and accelerate the development of this industry.

Finally, many tools were used to document our site visits that would used during the modeling of the buildings. As stated before, PlanGrid was very useful when viewing the construction sheets. PlanGrid was used on an iPad for easy access during the site visit. The iPad, as well as our phones, was used to take pictures of any notable changes or major features of the buildings. The pictures were used as references during the modeling portion of the project. A measuring tape was also used to take the dimensions of sections of the buildings that were not clearly labeled on the construction sheets. For example, the Architecture Annex’s terrance needed a measuring tape to measure its dimensions because the top-down view was absent from the