SUSTAINABLE BUILDING

 

What Is Sustainable Building?

 

Sustainable building is architecture that seeks to minimise the negative environmental impact of buildings by efficiency and moderation in the use
of the materials, energy and development space to provide better productivity, health and wellbeing for occupants.

 

Sustainable building uses a conscious approach to energy and ecological conservation in the design of the built environment.  It promotes the benefits of sustainable buildings, reducing waste, reducing energy consumption, reducing carbon emissions, reducing water use and protecting natural resources.  The idea is to ensure our actions and decisions today do not inhibit the opportunities of future generations.

 

One of the most important goals over the entire life cycle of building is energy efficiency, using passive and active techniques to reduce energy needs
of buildings and increase their ability to capture or generate their own energy - this includes orientation for daylight, solar heat gains and ventilation.

 

Some of the benefits of green building design include lower operating costs, higher return on investment, greater tenant attraction, productivity benefits, reduced liability and risk, healthier places to live and work and future proofed assets.

 

 

Passive Solar Design

 

Passive solar design allows buildings to harness the energy of the sun efficiently without the use of any active solar mechanisms such as photovoltaic cells or solar hot water panels.   Passive solar design incorporates materials with high thermal mass that retain heat effectively together with strong insulation that works to prevent heat loss.

 

 

Thermal Mass

 

Thermal mass is a property of the mass of a building which enables it to store heat, providing ‘inertia’ against temperature fluctuations.  It is the ability of a body to store thermal energy.   To be effective it means having appropriate areas of glazing facing appropriate directions with appropriate level
of shading, ventilation and insulation.    When used well and combined with passive solar design, thermal mass can play an important role in major reductions to energy use in active heating and cooling systems.  If used well enough it can remove the need for mechanical heating and cooling
systems altogether.  It is important to note that the correct use and application of thermal mass is dependant on the prevailing climate in a district.

 

Thermal mass is not a substitute for insulation.  Thermal mass stores and releases heat where insulation stops heat flowing in or out of the building. 
A high thermal mass material such as concrete, bricks or tiles is not generally a good thermal insulator.   Thermal mass is particularly beneficial
where there is a big difference between day and night outdoor temperatures or diurnal.

 

 

Sustainable Building Products

 

Sustainable building products include:

• Recycled denim                     • Blown-in fibre glass insulationSustainably harvested wood            • Sheep woolPanels made from paper flakes      
• Baked and rammed earth       • Clay and expanded clay grains                                                         • Flax, Sisal and Seagrass
• Coconut                                 • Bamboo                                                                                             • Hemp                                                  
• Calcium sand stoneLocally obtained stone and rock      
• Non toxic VOC paints and glueStructurally insulated panels          
• High and ultra performance concrete

 

Sustainable building products also include recycled products such as reclaimed timber and copper and even doors, windows and hardware, and products that can be rapidly replenished, such as bamboo which can be harvested for commercial use after only six years growth - this is also a type
of bamboo that does not affect the panda habitats.   The latest recycled product looking to come onto the market is discarded macadamia shells that have water resistant properties and could be the key ingredient in a new sustainable timber product.

 

Lower volatile organic compounds or VOC’s are used wherever feasible with some insulation being made from low VOC emitting materials such

as recycled denim or cellulose.  Green products are usually considered to contain fewer VOC’s and be better for human and environmental health.  

 

 

Building Orientation

 

Orientation is the positioning of a building in relation to seasonal variations in the sun’s path as well as prevailing wind patterns, and needs to take into account the solar north for the area being built in, temperature ranges, both seasonal and diurnal (day to night),  humidity ranges, direction of cooling breezes, hot winds, cold winds and wet winds, seasonal characteristics including extremes, impact of geographic features on climatic conditions and
the impact of adjacent buildings and the existing landscape.  

 

Good orientation and solar passive design combined with the use of large eaves can increase a building’s efficiency, reduce or even eliminate the need for mechanical heating and cooling, reduce energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions, and improve the health and comfort of the occupants.

 

Living areas, kitchens and areas that you spend most time in should be located on the northern side with laundries, bathrooms and wet areas located

on the southern side, which can also be designed to accommodate thermal mass if necessary.Orientation is one major issue that many builders, owners and developers still do not take into account. 

 

Typically, Australian houses are built with a double garage facing the street with no regard for the direction the house faces or solar passive gains.  Australians also often build with small or no eaves.