GREEN DESIGN

When designing any structure, including a “green” structure, there are a number of issues which should be considered. One of the main issues is that of the economic function of the structure. Whether the property is income producing becomes pivotal in the decision making process as it relates to the overall design as well as to the components which contribute to the overall design. Determining the ability of a property to generate a return on investment is a function not only of initial costs, but also on the short term and long term operating costs; both in terms of maintenance and energy usage.

The basic underlying issues utilized in “Green Design” are (1) to be unyielding in the decisions made to minimize or design away the extraneous; (2) integrate design aspects for multiplicity of functions where practical; (3) design for all aspects of climate at all levels, which means you don’t design the same building in Seattle as you would in Miami; and (4) design for durability and longevity, which considers longevity relative to embodied energy, maintenance, and renewal.

Selecting materials, when designing “green,” involve those materials that use their base resources most efficiently. That is to say, how do we squeeze the most out of a material? It also involves designing to use only local and regional resources and to use products with recyclable materials and recycled content, and to look for the least toxic materials and manufacturing processes.

The chart on this page shows some of the decisions which need to be made in creating “green architecture.