Sustainable construction

The terms high performance, green, and sustainable construction are often used interchangeably; however, the term sustainable construction most comprehensively addresses the ecological, social, and economic issues of a building in the context of its community. In 1994, the Conseil International du Bâtiment (CIB), an international construction research networking organization, defined sustainable construction as “creating and operating a healthy built environment based on resource efficiency and ecological design.” The CIB articulated seven Principles of Sustainable Construction, which would ideally inform decision making during each phase of the design and construction process, continuing throughout the building’s entire life cycle, These factors also apply when evaluating the components and other resources needed for construction. The Principles of Sustainable Construction
apply across the entire life cycle of construction, from planning to disposal (here referred to as deconstruction rather than demolition). Furthermore, the principles apply to the resources needed to create and operate the built environment during its entire life cycle: land, materials, water, energy, and ecosystems.

Green Buildings

The term green building refers to the quality and characteristics of the actual structure created using the principles and methodologies of sustainable construction.
Green buildings can be defined as “healthy facilities designed and built in a resource-efficient manner, using ecologically based principles.” Similarly, ecological design, ecologically sustainable design, and green design are terms that describe the application of sustainability principles to building design. Despite the prevalent use of these terms, truly sustainable green commercial buildings with renewable energy systems, closed materials loops, and full integration into the landscape are rare to nonexistent. Most existing green buildings feature incremental improvement over, rather than radical departure from, traditional construction methods. Nonetheless, this process of trial and error, along with the gradual incorporation of sustainability principles, continues to advance the industry’s evolution toward the ultimate goal of achieving complete sustainability throughout all phases of the built environment’s life cycle.

esolution construction & Engineering