Sustainable Construction Chapters 1-2
closed Loop
process of keeping materials in productive use by reuse and recycling rather than disposing of them as waste at the end of the product or building life cycle
building delivery system
process used by building owners to ensure that a facility meeting their specific needs is designed, built and handed over for operation in a cost-effective manner
land ethic
there must be an ethical relationship to the land and that relationship should and must be based on love, respect, and admiration for the land - Aldo Leopold
sustainable land use
undeveloped, natural or agricultural land (greenfields), is a precious finite resource, and its development should be minimized
sustainable construction (high performance or green construction)
'Creating and operating a healthy built environment based on resource efficiency and ecological design.' (CIB definition) The ecological, social, and economic issues of a building in the context of its community.
7 Principles of Sustainable Construction articulated by the CIB
1. Reduce resource consumption (reduce) 2. Reuse resources (reuse) 3. Use recyclable resources (recycle) 4. Protect nature (nature) 5. Eliminate toxics (toxics) 6. Apply life-cycle costing (economics) 7. Focus on quality (quality)
High performance building projects are beginning to address 3 major shifts
1. demand for resource-efficient buildings 2. location of building to minimize transportation energy 3. challenge of climate change
5 Golden Rules of Ecodesign
1. impact to environment considered on a life cycle basis - cradle to cradle 2. use of process, services should be maximized 3. use of resources (materials, land) minimized 4. hazardous materials eliminated 5. must use renewables
Architecture 2030 Challenge
Goal is to achieve a dramatic reduction in the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the built environment by changing the way buildings and developments are planned, designed, and constructed.
embodied energy
The energy invested in building materials, commonly producing its materials and products and in constructing the building. Energy required to extract raw materials, manufacture the product, and install it in the building, and includes the transportation energy needed to move the materials comprising the product from extraction to installation.
Design for the environment (DfE) or green design
a practice that integrates environmental considerations into product and process engineering procedures and considers the entire product life cycle
polluter pays principle
addresses existing technologies that have not been subject to the precautionary or reversibility principles, and places the onus for mitigating damage and consequences on the individuals causing the imparts
ecological economics - Triple bottom line
addresses the relationship between human economies and natural ecosystems. Values social, environmental and economic stability
producer responsibility
addresses the whole life-cycle environmental problems of the production process, from initial minimization of resource use, through extended product life span, to recovery and recycling of products once they have been disposed of as waste
distributional equity distributive justice
an obligation to ensure the fair distribution of resources among present people so that the life prospects of all people are addressed refers to the right of all people to an equal shore of resources, including goods and services, such as materials, land, energy, water and high environmental quality
ecological rucksack
attempts to quantify the mass of materials that must be moved in order to extract a specific resource
biocentric outlook
centered in life, having life as its principal fact
intergenerational justice chain of obligation
choices of today's generations will directly affect the quality and quantity of resources remaining for future inhabitants of earth and environmental quality, this implies a 'chain of obligation' between generations that extends from today into the distant future
biomimicry
concept that demonstrates the direct application of ecological concepts to the production of industrial objects - the 'conscious imitation of nature's genius' - Janine Benyus. advocates the possibility of creating strong, tough, and intelligent materials from naturally occurring materials, at ambient temperatures, with no waste, and using current solar 'income'
triple bottom-line reporting
corporate refocus from mere financial results to a more comprehensive standard that includes environmental and social impacts
oil rollover point
describes the time when peak worldwise production of oil will occur and when approximately 50% of the world's oil supply will have been depleted
sustainable design
design and construction practice that significantly reduces or eliminates the negative impact of buildings on the environment and occupants
environmental amenity
enjoyment that nature provides because of its many positive effects on human beings
anthropocentrism
human-centered viewpoint
biophilia hypothesis
humans crave a connection with nature and that our health, in part, is dependent on being able to connect on a routine basis with nature/asserts the existence of a fundamental genetically based human need and propensity to affiliate with life and lifelike processes
eco-efficiency
includes environmental impacts and costs as a factor in calculating business efficiency. The delivery of competitively priced goods and services that satisfy human needs and enhance the quality of life while progressively reducing ecological imparts and resource intensity throughout the products' life cycles to a level commensurate with the earth's estimated carrying capacity
reversibility principle
making decisions that can be undone by future generations - 'do not commit the irrevocable'
Materials intensity per unit service (MIPS)
measures how much service a given product delivers
sustainable development (construction)
meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs
protect the vulnerable
people who are essentially powerless due to governing and economic structures are vulnerable to decisions of those who are powerful because of their wealth or influence, those in power must protect these vulnerable people
ecological footprint
referring to the land area required to support a certain population or activity, this is the inverse of carry capacity and represents the amount of land needed to support a given population
green Building
refers to the quality and characteristics of the actual structure created using the principles and methodologies of sustainable construction. 'Healthy facilities designed and built in a resource-efficient manner, using ecologically passed principles.'
precautionary principle
requires the exercise of caution when making decisions that may adversely affect nature, natural ecosystems, and global biogeochemical cycles
construction ecology
subcategory of industrial ecology that applies specifically to the built environment. supports the design and construction of a built environment that has a 1. closed loop materials system, 2. depends solely on renewable energy 3. preservation of natural system functions.
ecological design, ecologically sustainable design, and green design
terms that describe the application of sustainability principles to building design
carrying capacity
the number of people who can be supported in a given area within natural resource limits, and without degrading the natural society, cultural and economic environment for present and future generations
industrial ecology - pg44
the study of the physical, chemical, and biological interactions and inter-relationships both within and among industrial and ecological systems - major effort is to reduce the massive quantities of waste generated by traditional manufacturing processes. Encompasses 1. design for environment, 2. product design 3. closing material loop 4. recycling