Columbia Earthscape: Previous Updates

June/July 2006: Green Buildings

Seattle Central Library

This month Earthscape puts the spotlight on "green" building practices. The Green Building movement has inspired urban planners and municipal officials that once competed for the tallest buildings and busiest shopping centers to now strive for greater sustainability and eco-awareness.

In the United States, buildings account for:

36% of total energy use/65% of electricity consumption
30% of greenhouse gas emissions
30% of raw materials use
30% of waste output/136 million tons annually
12% of potable water consumption

Source: U.S Green Building Council

By integrating natural resources, human health, and community concerns into building design and construction, architects and designers can create buildings that are cleaner, healthier for occupants and the environment, and which deplete fewer resources.

Web Resources

Earth Institute's Center for Sustainable Urban Development evaluates the benefits of cool roof development in the South Bronx. The project will assess passive rooftop cooling technologies that may have multiple advantages in conserving peak electrical load by reducing need for air conditioning during hot days; improving air quality by reducing the formation of ground-level ozone; and improving public health by reducing summertime heat stress during hot days and heat waves.

The National Resources Defense Council's website Building Green - From Principle to Practice offers case studies, planning, budgeting and promotional tools for owners and builders.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is leading a national consensus for producing a new generation of buildings that deliver high performance inside and out. USGBC developed the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System® is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings.

To help achieve sustainable, high performance buildings, BetterBricks is dedicated to raising awareness and demand for energy efficiency by sharing information and resources with the people who design, own and operate them.

According to the Sierra Club's newsletter Green Streets, cities across the country once competed to build the tallest high rises, but now they seek other bragging rights: San Francisco and Columbus, Ohio, both claim to be working on the nation's largest green building.

Educational Resources

Building Momentum - National Trends and Prospects for High-Performance Green Buildings

Health and Productivity Gains From Better Indoor Environments and Their Relationship with Building Energy Efficiency

The Costs and Financial Benefits of Green Buildings - A Report to California's Sustainable Building Task Force

From the Earthscape Archives

Build It Right: Cleaner Energy For Better Buildings

Putting It Together: Whole Buildings and a Whole Buildings Policy

Sustainable Building Technical Manual – Green Building Design, Construction and Operations

Green Building and the Bottom Line - Increasing Productivity Through Energy-Efficient Design

June/July Additions to Earthscape:

Policy

Papers and Conferences