Why choose sustainable construction?

What is sustainable construction?

Sustainable construction are methods which contribute to creating a healthy environment for the future. This relates to both interior and exterior environments. 

The goals of sustainable construction are to reduce the industry’s impact on the environment. 

Why is sustainable construction important?

While creating buildings that are energy efficient, part of saving energy depends on the everyday practices of individuals, energy efficiency is more than remembering to turn off the light switch when you walk out of the room. 

With sustainable construction, energy efficiency is built into the structure.


Sustainable construction methods include

• Using renewable and recyclable resources
• Reducing energy consumption and waste
• Creating a healthy, environmentally-friendly environment
• Protecting the natural environment

The challenges of sustainable construction

Adopting sustainable construction methods is not an overnight process.

There are challenges to face, the greatest of which is cost. 

There will always be pressure on construction organisations to reduce costs where possible, but there are still concerns that sustainable construction methods will cost an organisation more.

The easiest way to condense what sustainable really means is to remember the 3 Re's. 

• Reduces
• Re-uses
• Recycles

The benefits of sustainable construction

Naturally, adopting sustainable construction methods will reduce your organisation’s impact on the environment. But there are more tangible benefits too which will help you demonstrate the value of sustainable construction beyond environmental concerns.

There are few organisations which empower and set certain guidelines for a house or a building to qualify as a Green building which is Eco-friendly and Sustainable.

Green Building Ratings 

What is LEED?

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized green building certification system,  providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.

Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED provides building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.

LEED is flexible enough to apply to all building types – commercial and residential. It works throughout the building lifecycle – design and construction, operations and maintenance. 

 LEED for Neighborhood Development extends the benefits of LEED beyond the building footprint into the neighborhood it serves.

LEED provides a point system to score green building design and construction. The system is categorized in five basic areas: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy and Atmosphere, Materials and Resources, and Indoor Environmental Quality. 

Buildings are awarded points based on the extent various sustainable strategies are achieved. 

The more points awarded the higher the level of certification achieved from Certified, Silver, Gold, to Platinum.

What is GRIHA?

GRIHA or Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment, is the national rating system of India for any completed construction. It is an assessment tool to measure and rate a building’s environmental performance. 

GRIHA endeavors to calculate facets, for instance, energy consumption, waste generation, renewable energy adoption, among other points, in an attempt to manage, control and reduce the same to the finest achievable degree.

What is the Role of GRIHA?

GRIHA  will estimate the environmental performance of a building as a whole over its complete life cycle. 

The rating system, based on accepted energy and environmental principles, seeks to strike a balance between the established practices and emerging concepts, both national and international. 

It needs to be noted that the guidelines or criteria appraisal, if you may, could be reworked every three years or so to keep in mind the most recent scientific developments during the period. 

GRIHA has always stressed upon maximizing resource (water, energy, and materials) and conserving as well as enhancing efficiency of the system and operations.

GRIHA Rating Criteria

For any structure or building, the construction is as vital as the end result- which is the finished product in itself.  

• The percentage of total outdoor lighting fixtures with solar lighting system, as per GRIHA tenets which is a minimum of 25% of total number or 15% of total connected load, whichever is higher, can fetch 1point.
• Demonstrated use of minimization and consolidation of transportation or service corridors and shading of pedestrian roads, as per GRIHA can garner 1 point.
• The Use of aggregate utility corridors, as per GRIHA is another point to the kitty.
• Furthermore, firming up of utility corridors along the formerly disturbed areas or along new roads in order to reduce needless cutting and trenching and ensure easy maintenance is also a GRIHA point.

What is IGBC?

The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), part of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) was formed in the year 2001. The vision of the council is, "To enable a sustainable built environment for all and facilitate India to be one of the global leaders in the sustainable built environment by 2025".

To achieve the IGBC rating , the project must satisfy all the mandatory requirements and the minimum number of credit points

Certification is applicable to the following rating systems

• IGBC Green New Buildings
• IGBC Green Existing Buildings
• IGBC Green Homes
• IGBC Green Schools
• IGBC Green Factory Building
• IGBC Green Townships
• IGBC Green SEZs
• IGBC Green Landscapes
• IGBC Green Mass Rapid Transit System

Sustainable Construction Techniques

The following list are some of the techniques recognized in sustainable construction:

• Low volatile organic compounds (VOC) paint
• Plywood processed without using formaldehyde
• Install big windows that provide plenty of fresh air and natural light
• Install energy and water efficient appliances
• Install low-emitting carpet
• Proper site selection and prevention of pollution on the construction site: For example do not build on:
• • Prime farmland
  • In a floodplain
  • On threatened animal habitat
  • Too close to wetlands
• Build within walking distance to 10 basic services
• Provide space for storage and collection of recyclables
• Establish minimum level of indoor air quality performance
• Minimize environmental tobacco smoke
• Build near alternative transportation
• Reuse or recycle construction materials when possible

• An already built building or a new building can apply to these organisations for there rating based on the certain standards set by them.
• As per evaluation with respect to their standards, a building can be qualified or disqualified for the Green building rating.
• If your building qualifies their standards then your building will get a rating accordingly.

CHOOSE SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION

                         GO GREEN!

SAVE THE EARTH FROM DYING...