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An Introduction To Green Building |
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purpose of this website is to inspire thought on what is called Green building. What
this website is about might also be described by what it is not about.
It is not about the the right versus the wrong way of doing things. It
is not about judging one approach as being better than another approach
in all instances. It is about being aware of both the pros and cons of
any given idea or system and then making a decision based on that knowledge.
We now live in
a time of tremendous technological advances. Some feel that technology
will solve all of the challenges we face. Others feel that technology
is creating many of our problems and that we should turn back the clock
to what is perceived as simpler times. Most likely, the solutions lie
somewhere in between. We need to look back and ahead. There is a benefit
to both. This is what is called appropriate technology. It is using what
is appropriate for the problem at hand. It might be framing a roof out
of large diameter bamboo instead of dimensional lumber or steel. It might
be using a microchip in the faucet of a public restroom to automatically
turn the water on and off to conserve resources.There
is something elegant about building a house with adobe (unfired bricks of mud) and generating the electricity for the house with a series
of photovoltaic cells on the roof. These thin silicone wafers convert
sunlight into electricity without any moving parts or the need for fossil
fuels. The adobe helps moderate temperature extremes and naturally gives
way to beautiful forms and spaces, even when applied by people with no
previous building experience. Both materials are being used for what they
do best. It is the merging of high tech and low tech that gives us a product
that is greater than the sum of its parts.This
awareness is also being alert to what the global impacts are in regard
to the type of car we drive and what it uses for fuel. It
is about understanding that there is no such thing as a "waste product"
– only too much of one element where it is not needed.It
is also about truly seeing the environment we live in – both the
visual and the physical. It is understanding
why being in some spaces gives us a feeling of contentness and peace while
others make us feel restless. Designing our
visual surroundings is many times overlooked, particularly in regards
to the psychological impact it has on us. Visual design is as important
as the technology employed to invent energy efficient transportation and
buildings. We can have both.On
another scale, it is knowing what keeps the house warm in the winter and
cool in the summer, other than just turning the dial on the thermostat.
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