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