Green buildings were once nothing more than a fashion statement for most people. Many architects, clients and contractors now agree that sustainable buildings are a necessity, and for many reasons. Smart architects and designers recommend the using of green materials which not only saves the environment we live in but also cuts costs of building and acquiring materials. If you are considering going green or have no idea why you should, I have compiled a list of top reasons why you should consider sustainable building.
a) Cut building costs
This is pretty much one of the top reasons individuals could go for sustainable green building. The best thing about green buildings is that they are much more affordable to put and can save you a lot of money from the moment you decide to put up a green house or building. However, this still largely depends on what green materials you use and where you are building. Many governments today are encouraging its citizens to go green and even offer incentives and tax breaks for those who buy environment-friendly building materials.
b) Lower utility requirements
On another point of saving money, sustainable buildings reduce the owner’s expenditure on utility expenses. This means that a properly designed sustainable building will require less electricity to heat up or cool down and can do well with less water and gas. This results in lower expenditure on bills compared to a traditional modern house of similar size. When green houses are designed, energy efficiency is often one of the core design elements, that is why we have net zero homes and zero energy buildings today.
c) Health of the occupants
Before it was discovered how asbestos was killing millions of people every year, everyone though that it was one of the best materials to build houses. As time passed, scientists have uncovered many elements that cause problems such as diseases and especially the sick building syndrome that has plagued many for years. Green buildings eliminate most of these problems as they are much healthier to live in, have better ventilation systems and are not built from toxic building materials. Green buildings are much healthier to live in, especially for families with kids.
d) High market value
If you plan to sell your house and make some money on top of the costs of building it, then you should build green. Because of high demand, sustainable buildings often sell faster and at a higher price compared to other buildings in the market today. The populace is steadfastly gaining knowledge on the importance of going green and being sensitive to their environment, are willing to pay extra for an environmentally friendly building and promote a greener earth agenda. Prospective buyers and tenants choose sustainable buildings knowing that eventually they will spend less on utilities too.
e) Integrated design
Integrated design is the emerging trend in the building industry today. This form of design integrates high performance technologies, interior aesthetics, environmental friendly specifications and space utilization to design and build houses and buildings that are tailored to fit one’s specific needs. Since sustainability can also be measured based on the optimal benefit of space and not just the reduction of expenses, an integrated design is the way forward considering the ever-increasing population in the world, especially in urban settings.
f) Environmental benefits
The biggest winner when the world goes green is the environment – Mother Nature. Building green is the best way to preserve the environment and preventing the deletion of the natural resources. Sustainable substitutions in building and construction enable us to protect the ecosystem, reduce greenhouse emissions, conserve water, improve the quality of air and water, reduce waste streams, waste reduction and efficient temperature control. This also happens to be the most important reason to go green and choose sustainable building over traditional modern construction styles and materials.
Sustainable building has its downsides, of course, including poor labor laws compliance requirements, structural orientation to utilize natural energy resources such as solar and wind, security and poor understanding of the meaning of sustainable building by the populace, but with time, all these will be overcome. At the moment, it is much more profitable to build green and if you have plans to build a house or a business premise, you should definitely go green.
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