Article Review "What Makes a Building Product Green"

Article Review "What Makes a Building Product Green"03/06/2012

 

               What Makes a Building Product Green?

Recently my curiosity has been lit to learn more about what makes products “Green”. Information as come my way that you can put a “green” or “organic” stamp on something without having the legitimacy of really being green or organic. This article caught my attention, and discusses what makes a green building “green” and I was intrigued to discover more about what actually makes a product, or in this case building materials, green. This article is taken from Reed Construction Data under, “Market Intelligence, Green & Sustainable Construction”

A lot of these “green products” tend to be, in some cases, only nearly less toxic or more efficient than traditional building materials. These products range from cotton insulation, to recycled asphalt paving, to photovoltaic arrays. Even though they might only be slightly better than the traditional material, it seems to all add up in a big way with the larger picture of time and the positive effect in a global way. These green materials and processes fall into 6 categories; Green Process, Improved Sustainability, Recycled Content, Recyclable, Low Toxicity and Biodegradable.

The Green Process goes into what the impact is on the actual process of building something and who and what the affects are. There are considerations for the exposure of harmful chemicals to the workers. I find this to be extremely important, as there seems to be a vast amount of people who have developed illnesses from exposure to toxic materials. This exposure seems to have happened either in the building process, or in just being around the materials after they are built. This is a serious issue and begs more research to be done on materials that we are using and exposing people to. The green process of building demands looking at how much energy is used to create something, and opens up potential advancements to find and create new and more energy efficient ways in building. Because this falls under the category of using a green process, even a company distributing a harmful material into our environment, such as plastics, can receive a green building process stamp of approval, even though their end product is not at all very green.

The Improved Sustainability category calls for the use of the available and renewable products in the area. This is great because it opens up a new market of products and systems to build more sustainably.

The category of Recycled Content is wonderful because it addresses using recycled materials in the building process. There are so many materials out there that have been turned to waste, that have the potential to be reclaimed into a building project. The following category is Recyclability and is really an extension of this category and places in the need to look at the materials that you are using and if they can also be recycled for something else in the future.

Low Toxicity is the next section of how and what it means to “build green”. With the research now of the negative affects of toxic materials with people, all products are required to have Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), which will list their materials and potential hazards. There is an issue with this rating system since most architects are not educated in how to interpret them. This is an issue since if you can’t read what the materials and hazards mean, then you wont be able to make the correct choices of using low toxic and hazard-less materials. It seems that reading these MSDS data should be a part of the education of builders and architects.

Biodegradability is another factor of building green and is the last step in the forward thinking of how to build green. Biodegradability addresses how well the material can decompose naturally back into the earth and environment under exposure from the elements. This is a incredible section to have to build green, as it forces the builder to look far into the future of the building and its contents uses, and how they will go back full circle to nature.

Reading these topics have helped me identify how to quantify the "green-ness" of the products used for building. There is, of course, a huge range of how something can be considered "green", however I now have more of an ability to address it and create my own opinion on how "green" something really is.

Melinda L. Phoenix


Review of article on site: http://www.reedconstructiondata.com/market-intelligence/green/green-building-products/

Article Review: "Building 'green' reaches a new level"

Article Review: "Building 'green' reaches a new level"03/04/2012

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Below is the second article review for my Green Building Class:

"Building 'green' reaches a new level

By John Ritter, taken from USA TODAY
(Original Article taken from Here)

This article, taken from USA Today, explores the impressive newSouth Waterfront condo building built in Portland, Oregon. Costing $2.2 billion dollars it is the nations first large-scale redevelopment to go 100% green. The building features many essential green building techniques such as living roofs, solar panels, rain water catchment for toilets and landscaping, etc. The condos span from one bedroom apartments ($200k) to penthouses ($3 million plus) and have been sold well before production began.

I found this article to be very encouraging, as it blatently promotes the realism of not only the need for a mainstream shift to green building, but also the cost effectiveness. It states that unlike what many may believe, that the initial costs of green building are only 1-2% higher than “traditional building”, which of course is quickly made up in the energy savings. I find it refreshing that this perspective is becoming a norm within the building industry and that so many states/cities requiring new buildings to meet LEED building standards (Fed Gov’t, 15 states, and 46 cities). Several times throughout the article it was stated that green building is more of a standard and that companies that don’t participate are simply not going to be in the game.

One of my favorite parts in the article stated that the first question that comes up around the country, is whether or not a building is green. How wonderful that the culture is shifting dramatically enough toward sustainable awareness that it is the first question many consumers are asking! Additionally, corporate recognition of green practices is increasing through the entire manufacturing, employing, and sales process - eliminating “green washing”. Though of course it is disturbing that many companies are following the trend strictly because the market is demanding it and not because they recognize the overall benefit - at least there is change happening. Big-hitters such as Bank of America, Target, Ford, Toyota, Starbucks and more, who hold an incredible amount of power through capitol, will absolutely continue to effect the mainstream awareness.

Undoubtedly the momentum will continue to move forward with this movement as new technologies and education increase the availability and awareness of green building options. As a newer generations are brought up with key words such as “sustainability”, “green building”, “global warming”, “alternative energy”, etc - they will expect their implimentation as an everyday norm. I am eager to be part of this normilization and enthusiastic to witness the exponential growth of the culture and industrial consciousness!

Article review for Green Building class.

Article review for Green Building class.02/28/2012

 

        “With 42 green buildings, city leads the pack”
                                     Reference to article by: Sharanya Gautam with TNN on Feb 13, 2012 

This article was found in “The Times of India”, and makes a focus on Channai but also on the world. I have a deep interest in what type of green building progression is going on in the world and how that affects us in the United States so I decided to use this article:

It excites me to see that other nations are taking giant steps to become the top in green, sustainable building techniques. The city of Channai, India is taking the lead in sustainable building and energy and environmental design in India by having 42 of the 212 green buildings. It is said in the article that the demand for green building is increasing, as well as the builders also becoming proactive about building green. Additionally to the materials changing there is also a shift towards joining agriculture and building development.

I feel it is a great movement to have an awareness to utilize all spaces to grow plants and edibles. There is an exorbitant amount of concrete ground and skyscrapers due to the nature of cities and population. In order to balance our need as humans for these city areas with large populations, and our need for oxygen, it seems brilliant to start shifting these urban areas into growing greenhouses within and on top of building structures. This will aid in empowerment for humans who can grow their own food, as well as open up a whole new work force for those in green building.

            Green certification is also aiding in creating a whole new niche for those in construction. It creates a specialization that many are now looking for. People are willing to pay more for a green building, since it will be saving nearly 50% on energy consumption. Building a green structure compared to a normal building adds on only a 3-5% expense, so the pay offs seem well worth the initial investment, not to mention the pat on the back your conscious will be giving you in making the switch.

            All in all it seems that the consciousness of the world is growing to understand that we don’t merely want, but absolutely need to make changes in the way in which we are building. We are starting to become aware of the materials that we are using, and the way in which we are consuming energy. We are also realizing that it can be just as affordable, and payoff in many more ways than just financially. With the whole world making these changes, it is inevitable that we all will be making the switch.

Melinda L. Phoenix

Article Review: “New Research Reveals the Safety Hazards of Green Building”

Article Review: “New Research Reveals the Safety Hazards of Green Building”02/10/2012

 

Below is the first Article Review for my Sustainable Building class:

“New Research Reveals the Safety Hazards of Green Building” 
By Katie Frasier taken from GreenSource Magazine
(Original Article Found Here)

          This article’s title, taken from GreenSource Magazine, originally caught my attention with an automatic position of defense and urge to negate such an implication that Green Building would encompass a higher safety risk than “traditional” building. Upon reading, however, I have gained a matured insight on how the evolution of new practices presents a need for new safety evaluations.

            Matthew Hallowell, an assistant professor in the Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering Department at the University of Colorado Boulder was inspired to investigate the claims of a study showing an approximate 50% increase of injuries in LEED-certified projects. Through empirical research and on-site evaluations, Hallowell and his team identified 14 LEED credentials that possibly heighten risks to construction workers. Some of these risks include sustainable roof and PV panel installation, injuries from construction waste management and collection of salvaged building materials, etc. The article continues with suggested solutions to each identified risk.

            With the skyrocketing of cultural and financial support for sustainable practices, which is a relatively “new” industry, it is understandable that there is some stumbling during the growth process. Training and hazard awareness may have seemed to be less of an immediate priority due to a standard understanding of traditional construction hazards. It takes time and experience to become aware of elements specific to any new system, even if that experience stems from accidental injury.

However, with the open evaluation of on-site injuries and the expanding reach of LEED-certification it is incredibly important to quickly evolve. The article states that the LEED rating system had not yet included improvement to workers safety, but that the US Green Building Council (USGBC) has been in process to evaluate this. The intention, which I feel is a brilliant addition, is to include worker safety as part of the LEED credentials. Obviously, the philosophy of sustainability must extend to personal health as well as environmental health. By including these credentials we not only can rest assured as consumers that we are supporting a vastly sustainable product, but also feel secure as potential employees of the growing sustainable building market.

I encourage the scrutiny of this and any industry in such serious matters of worker health and applaud the receptivity of LEED and USGBC. By allowing an open dialog of such important issues with quick response we can feel confident in the integrity of the blossoming green building industry.

Sustainable Building Class!

Sustainable Building Class!02/10/2012

 

Aloha!

Our recent settlement in Santa Cruz, California has allowed for us the time, space, and focus to really build up our educational foundation. On of my biggest goals for Dreem Reality has been to acquire some true knowledge on the various sustainable elements. Usually I consider myself a generalist and facilitator, but am eager to become an even more devoted specialist. Thus, we have taken up a few classes at our local community college that will assist in developing specific knowledge: Edible Landscaping (see this blog) and Sustainable Building.

This blog's purpose is to introduce the Sustainable Building class and how we intend to incorporate the lessons learned and projects completed into Dreem Reality. What a perfect opportunity to share knowledge with everyone!

The first Sustainable Building class was held this past Tues, Feb 7th at Cabrillo college. The professor is a licensed professional Mechanic Engineer and a LEED accredited professional, who is enthusiastically open to sharing his knowledge and resources on his college website (here). Our syllabus promises to introduce us to topics such as: building design, site selection, passive solar fundamentals, sustainable building materials and methods, Build-It-Green and GreenPoint rating, and more.

Throughout the semester we will be responsible for providing our evaluation of various Sustainable Building articles and engaging in class discussions. Melinda and I are looking forward to sharing our evaluations with you! The first is due next Tuesday. I just completed mine and will be posting it momentarily under the tag "Article Evaluations". Our final project will be a group evaluation of an actual Sustainable Building, which we will make sure to share with you as well.

I am truly excited for the opportunity to grow my knowledge on Sustainable Building in a stable environment that will allow for the blossoming of various elements of Dreem Reality.

Hope you enjoy the article!

~Dani