Green building

Green building (also known as green construction or

sustainable building) refers to both a structure and the
application of processes that are environmentally responsible
and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from
planning to design, construction, operation, maintenance,
renovation, and demolition.[1] This requires close cooperation
of the contractor, the architects, the engineers, and the client at
all project stages.[2] The Green Building practice expands and
complements the classical building design concerns of
economy, utility, durability, and comfort.[3]. In doing so, the
three dimensions of sustainability, i.e., planet, people and
US EPA Kansas City Science & Technology
profit across the entire supply chain need to be considered.[4]
Center. This facility features the following
green attributes:
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a
set of rating systems for the design, construction, operation, LEED 2.0 Gold certified
and maintenance of green buildings which was developed by
the U.S. Green Building Council. Another certificate system Green Power
that confirms the sustainability of buildings is the British Native Landscaping
BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental
Assessment Method) for buildings and large-scale
developments. Currently, World Green Building Council is conducting research on the effects of green
buildings on the health and productivity of their users and is working with World Bank to promote Green
Buildings in Emerging Markets through EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies) Market
Transformation Program and certification.[5] There are also other tools such as Green Star in Australia,
Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) used in the Middle East and the Green Building Index
(GBI) predominantly used in Malaysia.

Building information modelling (BIM) is a process involving the generation and management of digital
representations of physical and functional characteristics of places. Building information models (BIMs) are
files (often but not always in proprietary formats and containing proprietary data) which can be extracted,
exchanged or networked to support decision-making regarding a building or other built asset. Current BIM
software is used by individuals, businesses and government agencies who plan, design, construct, operate
and maintain diverse physical infrastructures, such as water, refuse, electricity, gas, communication utilities,
roads, railways, bridges, ports and tunnels.

Although new technologies are constantly being developed to complement current practices in creating
greener structures, the common objective of green buildings is to reduce the overall impact of the built
environment on human health and the natural environment by:

Efficiently using energy, water, and other resources

Protecting occupant health and improving employee productivity (see healthy building)
Reducing waste, pollution and environmental degradation[3]

A similar concept is natural building, which is usually on a smaller scale and tends to focus on the use of
natural materials that are available locally.[6] Other related topics include sustainable design and green
architecture. Sustainability may be defined as meeting the needs of present generations without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.[7] Although some green building
programs don't address the issue of retrofitting existing homes, others do, especially through public schemes
for energy efficient refurbishment. Green construction principles can easily be applied to retrofit work as
well as new construction.

A 2009 report by the U.S. General Services Administration found 12 sustainably-designed buildings that
cost less to operate and have excellent energy performance. In addition, occupants were overall more
satisfied with the building than those in typical commercial buildings. These are eco-friendly buildings.[8]

Contents
Reducing environmental impact
Goals of green building
Life cycle assessment
Siting and structure design efficiency
Energy efficiency
Water efficiency
Materials efficiency
Indoor environmental quality enhancement
Operations and maintenance optimization
Waste reduction
Reduce impact onto electricity network
Cost and payoff
Regulation and operation
International frameworks and assessment tools
Green building by country
See also
References
External links

Reducing environmental impact

Globally, buildings are responsible for a huge share of energy,
electricity, water and materials consumption. The building sector has
the greatest potential to deliver significant cuts in emissions at little
or no cost. Buildings account for 18% of global emissions today, or
the equivalent of 9 billion tonnes of CO2 annually.[9] If new
technologies in construction are not adopted during this time of rapid
growth, emissions could double by 2050, according to the United
Nations Environment Program. Green building practices aim to Hanging gardens of One Central
reduce the environmental impact of building. Since construction Park, Sydney
almost always degrades a building site, not building at all is
preferable to green building, in terms of reducing environmental
impact. The second rule is that every building should be as small as possible. The third rule is not to
contribute to sprawl, even if the most energy-efficient, environmentally sound methods are used in design
and construction.
Buildings account for a large amount of land. According to the National Resources Inventory, approximately
107 million acres (430,000 km2) of land in the United States are developed. The International Energy
Agency released a publication that estimated that existing buildings are responsible for more than 40% of
the world’s total primary energy consumption and for 24% of global carbon dioxide emissions.[10][11]

Goals of green building

The concept of sustainable development can be traced to the energy
(especially fossil oil) crisis and environmental pollution concerns of
the 1960s and 1970s.[12] The Rachel Carson book, “Silent
Spring”,[13] published in 1962, is considered to be one of the first
initial efforts to describe sustainable development as related to green
building.[12] The green building movement in the U.S. originated
from the need and desire for more energy efficient and
environmentally friendly construction practices. There are a number Blu Homes mkSolaire, a green
building designed by Michelle
of motives for building green, including environmental, economic,
Kaufmann.
and social benefits. However, modern sustainability initiatives call
for an integrated and synergistic design to both new construction and
in the retrofitting of existing structures. Also known as sustainable
design, this approach integrates the building life-cycle with each green practice
employed with a design-purpose to create a synergy among the practices used.

Green building brings together a vast array of practices, techniques, and skills
to reduce and ultimately eliminate the impacts of buildings on the environment
and human health. It often emphasizes taking advantage of renewable
resources, e.g., using sunlight through passive solar, active solar, and
photovoltaic equipment, and using plants and trees through green roofs, rain
gardens, and reduction of rainwater run-off. Many other techniques are used,
such as using low-impact building materials or using packed gravel or
permeable concrete instead of conventional concrete or asphalt to enhance
replenishment of ground water.

While the practices or technologies employed in green building are constantly

evolving and may differ from region to region, fundamental principles persist
from which the method is derived: siting and structure design efficiency, energy
efficiency, water efficiency, materials efficiency, indoor environmental quality Taipei 101, the tallest
enhancement, operations and maintenance optimization and waste and toxics and largest green
reduction.[14][15] The essence of green building is an optimization of one or building of LEED
more of these principles. Also, with the proper synergistic design, individual Platinum certification in
green building technologies may work together to produce a greater cumulative the world since 2011.
effect.

On the aesthetic side of green architecture or sustainable design is the philosophy of designing a building
that is in harmony with the natural features and resources surrounding the site. There are several key steps in
designing sustainable buildings: specify 'green' building materials from local sources, reduce loads, optimize
systems, and generate on-site renewable energy.

Life cycle assessment

A life cycle assessment (LCA) can help avoid a narrow outlook on environmental, social and economic
concerns[16] by assessing a full range of impacts associated with all cradle-to-grave stages of a process: from
extraction of raw materials through materials processing, manufacture, distribution, use, repair and
maintenance, and disposal or recycling. Impacts taken into account include (among others) embodied
energy, global warming potential, resource use, air pollution, water pollution, and waste.

In terms of green building, the last few years have seen a shift away from a prescriptive approach, which
assumes that certain prescribed practices are better for the environment, toward the scientific evaluation of
actual performance through LCA.

Although LCA is widely recognized as the best way to evaluate the environmental impacts of buildings
(ISO 14040 provides a recognized LCA methodology), it is not yet a consistent requirement of green
building rating systems and codes, despite the fact that embodied energy and other life cycle impacts are
critical to the design of environmentally responsible buildings.

In North America, LCA is rewarded to some extent in the Green Globes rating system, and is part of the
new American National Standard based on Green Globes, ANSI/GBI 01-2010: Green Building Protocol for
Commercial Buildings. LCA is also included as a pilot credit in the LEED system, though a decision has not
been made as to whether it will be incorporated fully into the next major revision. The state of California
also included LCA as a voluntary measure in its 2010 draft Green Building Standards Code.

Although LCA is often perceived as overly complex and time consuming for regular use by design
professionals, research organizations such as BRE in the UK and the Athena Sustainable Materials Institute
in North America are working to make it more accessible.

In the UK, the BRE Green Guide to Specifications offers ratings for 1,500 building materials based on LCA.

Siting and structure design efficiency

The foundation of any construction project is rooted in the concept and design stages. The concept stage, in
fact, is one of the major steps in a project life cycle, as it has the largest impact on cost and performance.[17]
In designing environmentally optimal buildings, the objective is to minimize the total environmental impact
associated with all life-cycle stages of the building project.

However, building as a process is not as streamlined as an industrial

process, and varies from one building to the other, never repeating
itself identically. In addition, buildings are much more complex
products, composed of a multitude of materials and components
each constituting various design variables to be decided at the design
stage. A variation of every design variable may affect the
environment during all the building's relevant life-cycle stages.[18]

Exterior Light Shelves - Green Office

Energy efficiency Building, Denver, Colorado

Green buildings often include measures to reduce energy

consumption – both the embodied energy required to extract,
process, transport and install building materials and operating energy to provide services such as heating and
power for equipment.

As high-performance buildings use less operating energy, embodied energy has assumed much greater
importance – and may make up as much as 30% of the overall life cycle energy consumption. Studies such
as the U.S. LCI Database Project[19] show buildings built primarily with wood will have a lower embodied
energy than those built primarily with brick, concrete, or steel.[20]

To reduce operating energy use, designers use details that reduce air
leakage through the building envelope (the barrier between
conditioned and unconditioned space). They also specify high-
performance windows and extra insulation in walls, ceilings, and
floors. Another strategy, passive solar building design, is often
implemented in low-energy homes. Designers orient windows and
walls and place awnings, porches, and trees[21] to shade windows
and roofs during the summer while maximizing solar gain in the
An eco-house at Findhorn Ecovillage
winter. In addition, effective window placement (daylighting) can with a turf roof and solar panels
provide more natural light and lessen the need for electric lighting
during the day. Solar water heating further reduces energy costs.

Onsite generation of renewable energy through solar power, wind power, hydro power, or biomass can
significantly reduce the environmental impact of the building. Power generation is generally the most
expensive feature to add to a building.

Water efficiency

Reducing water consumption and protecting water quality are key objectives in sustainable building. One
critical issue of water consumption is that in many areas, the demands on the supplying aquifer exceed its
ability to replenish itself. To the maximum extent feasible, facilities should increase their dependence on
water that is collected, used, purified, and reused on-site. The protection and conservation of water
throughout the life of a building may be accomplished by designing for dual plumbing that recycles water in
toilet flushing or by using water for washing of the cars. Waste-water may be minimized by utilizing water
conserving fixtures such as ultra-low flush toilets and low-flow shower heads. Bidets help eliminate the use
of toilet paper, reducing sewer traffic and increasing possibilities of re-using water on-site. Point of use
water treatment and heating improves both water quality and energy efficiency while reducing the amount of
water in circulation. The use of non-sewage and greywater for on-site use such as site-irrigation will
minimize demands on the local aquifer.[22]

Large commercial buildings with water and energy efficiency can qualify for an LEED Certification.
Philadelphia's Comcast Center is the tallest building in Philadelphia. It's also one of the tallest buildings in
the USA that is LEED Certified. Their environmental engineering consists of a hybrid central chilled water
system which cools floor-by-floor with steam instead of water. Burn's Mechanical set-up the entire
renovation of the 58 story, 1.4 million square foot sky scraper.

Materials efficiency

Building materials typically considered to be 'green' include lumber from forests that have been certified to a
third-party forest standard, rapidly renewable plant materials like bamboo and straw, dimension stone,
recycled stone, recycled metal (see: copper sustainability and recyclability), and other products that are non-
toxic, reusable, renewable, and/or recyclable. For concrete a high performance or Roman self-healing
concrete is available.[23][24] The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) also suggests using recycled
industrial goods, such as coal combustion products, foundry sand, and demolition debris in construction
projects.[25] Energy efficient building materials and appliances are promoted in the United States through
energy rebate programs.

Indoor environmental quality enhancement

The Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) category in LEED standards, one of the five environmental
categories, was created to provide comfort, well-being, and productivity of occupants. The LEED IEQ
category addresses design and construction guidelines especially: indoor air quality (IAQ), thermal quality,
and lighting quality.[26][27][28]

Indoor Air Quality seeks to reduce volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, and other air impurities such as
microbial contaminants. Buildings rely on a properly designed ventilation system (passively/naturally or
mechanically powered) to provide adequate ventilation of cleaner air from outdoors or recirculated, filtered
air as well as isolated operations (kitchens, dry cleaners, etc.) from other occupancies. During the design and
construction process choosing construction materials and interior finish products with zero or low VOC
emissions will improve IAQ. Most building materials and cleaning/maintenance products emit gases, some
of them toxic, such as many VOCs including formaldehyde. These gases can have a detrimental impact on
occupants' health, comfort, and productivity. Avoiding these products will increase a building's IEQ.
LEED,[29] HQE[30] and Green Star contain specifications on use of low-emitting interior. Draft LEED
2012[31] is about to expand the scope of the involved products. BREEAM[32] limits formaldehyde
emissions, no other VOCs. MAS Certified Green is a registered trademark to delineate low VOC-emitting
products in the marketplace.[33] The MAS Certified Green Program ensures that any potentially hazardous
chemicals released from manufactured products have been thoroughly tested and meet rigorous standards
established by independent toxicologists to address recognized long term health concerns. These IAQ
standards have been adopted by and incorporated into the following programs:

The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) in their LEED rating system[34]
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) in their section 01350 standards[35]
The Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS) in their Best Practices Manual[36]
The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) in their level®
sustainability standard.[37]

Also important to indoor air quality is the control of moisture accumulation (dampness) leading to mold
growth and the presence of bacteria and viruses as well as dust mites and other organisms and
microbiological concerns. Water intrusion through a building's envelope or water condensing on cold
surfaces on the building's interior can enhance and sustain microbial growth. A well-insulated and tightly
sealed envelope will reduce moisture problems but adequate ventilation is also necessary to eliminate
moisture from sources indoors including human metabolic processes, cooking, bathing, cleaning, and other
activities.[38]

Personal temperature and airflow control over the HVAC system coupled with a properly designed building
envelope will also aid in increasing a building's thermal quality. Creating a high performance luminous
environment through the careful integration of daylight and electrical light sources will improve on the
lighting quality and energy performance of a structure.[22][39]

Solid wood products, particularly flooring, are often specified in environments where occupants are known
to have allergies to dust or other particulates. Wood itself is considered to be hypo-allergenic and its smooth
surfaces prevent the buildup of particles common in soft finishes like carpet. The Asthma and Allergy
Foundation of America recommends hardwood, vinyl, linoleum tile or slate flooring instead of carpet.[40]
The use of wood products can also improve air quality by absorbing or releasing moisture in the air to
moderate humidity.[41]

Interactions among all the indoor components and the occupants together form the processes that determine
the indoor air quality. Extensive investigation of such processes is the subject of indoor air scientific
research and is well documented in the journal Indoor Air.[42]
Operations and maintenance optimization

No matter how sustainable a building may have been in its design and construction, it can only remain so if
it is operated responsibly and maintained properly. Ensuring operations and maintenance(O&M) personnel
are part of the project's planning and development process will help retain the green criteria designed at the
onset of the project.[43] Every aspect of green building is integrated into the O&M phase of a building's life.
The addition of new green technologies also falls on the O&M staff. Although the goal of waste reduction
may be applied during the design, construction and demolition phases of a building's life-cycle, it is in the
O&M phase that green practices such as recycling and air quality enhancement take place. O&M staff
should aim to establish best practices in energy efficiency, resource conservation, ecologically sensitive
products and other sustainable practices. Education of building operators and occupants is key to effective
implementation of sustainable strategies in O&M services.[44]

Waste reduction

Green architecture also seeks to reduce waste of energy, water and materials used during construction. For
example, in California nearly 60% of the state's waste comes from commercial buildings[45] During the
construction phase, one goal should be to reduce the amount of material going to landfills. Well-designed
buildings also help reduce the amount of waste generated by the occupants as well, by providing on-site
solutions such as compost bins to reduce matter going to landfills.

To reduce the amount of wood that goes to landfill, Neutral Alliance (a coalition of government, NGOs and
the forest industry) created the website dontwastewood.com. The site includes a variety of resources for
regulators, municipalities, developers, contractors, owner/operators and individuals/homeowners looking for
information on wood recycling.

When buildings reach the end of their useful life, they are typically demolished and hauled to landfills.
Deconstruction is a method of harvesting what is commonly considered "waste" and reclaiming it into useful
building material.[46] Extending the useful life of a structure also reduces waste – building materials such as
wood that are light and easy to work with make renovations easier.[47]

To reduce the impact on wells or water treatment plants, several options exist. "Greywater", wastewater
from sources such as dishwashing or washing machines, can be used for subsurface irrigation, or if treated,
for non-potable purposes, e.g., to flush toilets and wash cars. Rainwater collectors are used for similar
purposes.

Centralized wastewater treatment systems can be costly and use a lot of energy. An alternative to this
process is converting waste and wastewater into fertilizer, which avoids these costs and shows other
benefits. By collecting human waste at the source and running it to a semi-centralized biogas plant with
other biological waste, liquid fertilizer can be produced. This concept was demonstrated by a settlement in
Lubeck Germany in the late 1990s. Practices like these provide soil with organic nutrients and create carbon
sinks that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, offsetting greenhouse gas emission. Producing
artificial fertilizer is also more costly in energy than this process.[48]

Reduce impact onto electricity network

Electricity networks are built based on peak demand (another name is peak load). Peak demand is measured
in the units of watts (W). It shows how fast electrical energy is consumed. Residential electricity is often
charged on electrical energy (kilowatt hour, kWh). Green buildings or sustainable buildings are often
capable of saving electrical energy but not necessarily reducing peak demand.
When sustainable building features are designed, constructed and operated efficiently, peak demand can be
reduced so that there is less desire for electricity network expansion and there is less impact onto carbon
emission and climate change.[49] These sustainable features can be good orientation, sufficient indoor
thermal mass, good insulation, photovoltaic panels, thermal or electrical energy storage systems, smart
building (home) energy management systems.[50]

Cost and payoff

The most criticized issue about constructing environmentally friendly buildings is the price. Photo-voltaics,
new appliances, and modern technologies tend to cost more money. Most green buildings cost a premium of
<2%, but yield 10 times as much over the entire life of the building.[51] In regards to the financial benefits of
green building, “Over 20 years, the financial payback typically exceeds the additional cost of greening by a
factor of 4-6 times. And broader benefits, such as reductions in greenhouse gases (GHGs) and other
pollutants have large positive impacts on surrounding communities and on the planet.”[52] The stigma is
between the knowledge of up-front cost[53] vs. life-cycle cost. The savings in money come from more
efficient use of utilities which result in decreased energy bills. It is projected that different sectors could save
$130 billion on energy bills.[54] Also, higher worker or student productivity can be factored into savings and
cost deductions.

Numerous studies have shown the measurable benefit of green building initiatives on worker productivity. In
general it has been found that, "there is a direct correlation between increased productivity and employees
who love being in their work space.”[55] Specifically, worker productivity can be significantly impacted by
certain aspects of green building design such as improved lighting, reduction of pollutants, advanced
ventilation systems and the use of non-toxic building materials.[56] In “The Business Case for Green
Building (http://www.usgbc.org/articles/business-case-green-building)”, the U.S. Green Building Council
gives another specific example of how commercial energy retrofits increase worker health and thus
productivity, “People in the U.S. spend about 90% of their time indoors. EPA studies indicate indoor levels
of pollutants may be up to ten times higher than outdoor levels. LEED-certified buildings are designed to
have healthier, cleaner indoor environmental quality, which means health benefits for occupants."[57]

Studies have shown over a 20-year life period, some green buildings have yielded $53 to $71 per square foot
back on investment.[58] Confirming the rentability of green building investments, further studies of the
commercial real estate market have found that LEED and Energy Star certified buildings achieve
significantly higher rents, sale prices and occupancy rates as well as lower capitalization rates potentially
reflecting lower investment risk.[59][60][61]

Regulation and operation

As a result of the increased interest in green building concepts and practices, a number of organizations have
developed standards, codes and rating systems that let government regulators, building professionals and
consumers embrace green building with confidence. In some cases, codes are written so local governments
can adopt them as bylaws to reduce the local environmental impact of buildings.

Green building rating systems such as BREEAM (United Kingdom), LEED (United States and Canada),
DGNB (Germany), CASBEE (Japan), and VERDEGBCe (Spain), GRIHA (India) help consumers determine
a structure’s level of environmental performance. They award credits for optional building features that
support green design in categories such as location and maintenance of building site, conservation of water,
energy, and building materials, and occupant comfort and health. The number of credits generally
determines the level of achievement.[62]
Green building codes and standards, such as the International Code Council’s draft International Green
Construction Code,[63] are sets of rules created by standards development organizations that establish
minimum requirements for elements of green building such as materials or heating and cooling.

Some of the major building environmental assessment tools currently in use include:

United States: International Green Construction Code (IGCC)

International frameworks and assessment tools

IPCC Fourth Assessment Report

Climate Change 2007, the Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC), is the fourth in a series of such reports. The IPCC was established by the World
Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to assess
scientific, technical and socio-economic information concerning climate change, its potential effects and
options for adaptation and mitigation.[64]

UNEP and Climate change

United Nations Environment Program UNEP works to facilitate the transition to low-carbon societies,
support climate proofing efforts, improve understanding of climate change science, and raise public
awareness about this global challenge.

GHG Indicator

The Greenhouse Gas Indicator: UNEP Guidelines for Calculating Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Businesses
and Non-Commercial Organizations

Agenda 21

Agenda 21 is a programme run by the United Nations (UN) related to sustainable development. It is a
comprehensive blueprint of action to be taken globally, nationally and locally by organizations of the UN,
governments, and major groups in every area in which humans impact on the environment. The number 21
refers to the 21st century.

FIDIC's PSM

The International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) Project Sustainability Management

Guidelines were created in order to assist project engineers and other stakeholders in setting sustainable
development goals for their projects that are recognized and accepted by as being in the interests of society
as a whole. The process is also intended to allow the alignment of project goals with local conditions and
priorities and to assist those involved in managing projects to measure and verify their progress.

The Project Sustainability Management Guidelines are structured with Themes and Sub-Themes under the
three main sustainability headings of Social, Environmental and Economic. For each individual Sub-Theme
a core project indicator is defined along with guidance as to the relevance of that issue in the context of an
individual project.

The Sustainability Reporting Framework provides guidance for organizations to use as the basis for
disclosure about their sustainability performance, and also provides stakeholders a universally applicable,
comparable framework in which to understand disclosed information.
The Reporting Framework contains the core product of the Sustainability Reporting Guidelines, as well as
Protocols and Sector Supplements. The Guidelines are used as the basis for all reporting. They are the
foundation upon which all other reporting guidance is based, and outline core content for reporting that is
broadly relevant to all organizations regardless of size, sector, or location. The Guidelines contain principles
and guidance as well as standard disclosures – including indicators – to outline a disclosure framework that
organizations can voluntarily, flexibly, and incrementally, adopt.

Protocols underpin each indicator in the Guidelines and include definitions for key terms in the indicator,
compilation methodologies, intended scope of the indicator, and other technical references.

Sector Supplements respond to the limits of a one-size-fits-all approach. Sector Supplements complement
the use of the core Guidelines by capturing the unique set of sustainability issues faced by different sectors
such as mining, automotive, banking, public agencies and others.

IPD Environment Code

The IPD Environment Code[65] was launched in February 2008. The Code is intended as a good practice
global standard for measuring the environmental performance of corporate buildings. Its aim is to accurately
measure and manage the environmental impacts of corporate buildings and enable property executives to
generate high quality, comparable performance information about their buildings anywhere in the world.
The Code covers a wide range of building types (from offices to airports) and aims to inform and support the
following;

Creating an environmental strategy

Inputting to real estate strategy
Communicating a commitment to environmental improvement
Creating performance targets
Environmental improvement plans
Performance assessment and measurement
Life cycle assessments
Acquisition and disposal of buildings
Supplier management
Information systems and data population
Compliance with regulations
Team and personal objectives

IPD estimate that it will take approximately three years to gather significant data to develop a robust set of
baseline data that could be used across a typical corporate estate.

ISO 21931

ISO/TS 21931:2006, Sustainability in building construction—Framework for methods of assessment for

environmental performance of construction works—Part 1: Buildings, is intended to provide a general
framework for improving the quality and comparability of methods for assessing the environmental
performance of buildings. It identifies and describes issues to be taken into account when using methods for
the assessment of environmental performance for new or existing building properties in the design,
construction, operation, refurbishment and deconstruction stages. It is not an assessment system in itself but
is intended be used in conjunction with, and following the principles set out in, the ISO 14000 series of
standards.

Green building by country

 Green building in Bangladesh
Green building in Germany
Green building in Israel
Green building in South Africa
Green building in the United Kingdom
Green building in India
Green building in the United States

See also
Alternative natural materials
Arcology — high density ecological structures
Autonomous building
Centre for Interactive Research on Sustainability
Deconstruction (building)
Eco hotel
Environmental planning
Geo-exchange
Green architecture
Green building and wood
Green Building Council
Green home
Green library
Green technology
Glass in green buildings
Healthy building
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
List of low-energy building techniques
Low-energy house
National Green Building Standard
Natural building
Sustainable city
Sustainable habitat
Tropical green building
World Green Building Council
Zero-energy building

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External links
Sustainable Architecture at the Open Directory Project (http://www.dmoz.org/Business/Constru
ction_and_Maintenance/Building_Types/Sustainable_Architecture/)
Prochorskaite A, Couch C, Malys N, Maliene V (2016) Housing Stakeholder Preferences for
the “Soft” Features of Sustainable and Healthy Housing Design in the UK. Sustainability 14(1)
(http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/13/1/111/htm/)

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