All about sustainability and what it means

Definition of Sustainability

The most widely quoted definition internationally is the "Brundtland definition" of the 1987 Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development - that sustainability means "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

Back in 1954, R. Buckminster Fuller, the famous architect and theorist, defined sustainability as "the conscious design of our total environment, in order to help make the Earth's finite resources meet the needs of all of humanity without disrupting the ecological processes of the planet." (http://www.ecomii.com/building/meaning-of-sustainability)

The concept of sustainability is also based on the ancient Great Law of the Native American Iroquois people, which states, "In every deliberation, we must consider the impact on the seventh generation. . . ." Each decision they made was based on the effect it would have seven generations into the future. This philosophy ensured their survival.(http://www.ecomii.com/building/meaning-of-sustainability)

Criteria of Sustainable Design

10 Measures of Sustainable Design

American Institute of Architects Committee on the Environment

http://www.aia.org/practicing/groups/kc/AIAS077365#

Sustainable Design Intent and Innovation

Sustainable design is rooted in a mindset that understands humans as an integral part of nature and responsible for stewardship of natural systems. Sustainable design begins with a connection to personal values and embraces the ecological, economic, and social circumstances of a project. Architectural expression itself comes from this intent, responding to the specifics region, watershed, community, neighborhood, and site.

Regional/Community Design and Connectivity

Sustainable design recognizes the unique cultural and natural character of place, promotes regional and community identity, contributes to public space and community interaction, and seeks to reduce auto travel and parking requirements and promote alternative transit strategies.

Land Use and Site Ecology

Sustainable design reveals how natural systems can thrive in the presence of human development, relates to ecosystems at different scales, and creates, re-creates or preserves open space, permeable groundscape, and/or on-site ecosystems.

Bioclimatic Design

Sustainable design conserves resources and optimizes human comfort through connections with the flows of bioclimatic region, using place-based design to benefit from free energies-sun, wind, and water. In footprint, section, orientation, and massing, sustainable design responds to site, sun path, breezes, and seasonal and daily cycles.

Light and Air

Sustainable design creates a comfortable and healthy interior environment while providing abundant daylight and fresh air. Daylight, lighting design, natural ventilation, improved indoor air quality, and views enhance the vital human link to nature.

Water Cycle

Recognizing water as an essential resource, sustainable design conserves water supplies, manages site water and drainage, and capitalizes on renewable site sources using water-conserving strategies, fixtures, appliances, and equipment.

Energy Flows and Energy Future

Rooted in passive strategies, sustainable design contributes to energy conservation by reducing or eliminating the need for lighting and mechanical heating and cooling. Smaller and more efficient building systems reduce pollution and improve building performance and comfort. Controls and technologies, lighting strategies, and on-site renewable energy should be employed with long-term impacts in mind.

Materials, Building Envelope, and Construction

Using a life cycle lens, selection of materials and products can conserve resources, reduce the impacts of harvest/manufacture/transport, improve building performance, and secure human health and comfort. High-performance building envelopes improve comfort and reduce energy use and pollution. Sustainable design promotes recycling through the life of the building.

Long Life, Loose Fit

Sustainable design seeks to optimize ecological, social, and economic value over time. Materials, systems, and design solutions enhance versatility, durability, and adaptive reuse potential. Sustainable design begins with right-sizing and foresees future adaptations.

Collective Wisdom and Feedback Loops

Sustainable design recognizes that the most intelligent design strategies evolve over time through shared knowledge within a large community. Lessons learned from the integrated design process and from the site and building themselves over time should contribute to building performance, occupant satisfaction, and design of future projects.

Whole Building Design Guide

http://www.wbdg.org/design/sustainable.php

Overview

Building construction and operation have extensive direct and indirect impacts on the environment. Buildings use resources such as energy, water and raw materials, generate waste (occupant, construction and demolition) and emit potentially harmful atmospheric emissions. Building owners, designers and builders face a unique challenge to meet demands for new and renovated facilities that are accessible, secure, healthy, and productive while minimizing their impact on the environment.

Considering the current economic challenges, retrofitting an existing building can be more cost effective than building a new facility. Designing major renovations and retrofits for existing buildings to include sustainability initiatives reduces operation costs and environmental impacts, and can increase building resiliency.

Recent answers to this challenge call for an integrated, synergistic approach that considers all phases of the facility life cycle. This approach, often called "sustainable design," supports an increased commitment to environmental stewardship and conservation, and results in an optimal balance of cost, environmental, societal, and human benefits while meeting the mission and function of the intended facility or infrastructure.

The main objectives of sustainable design are to avoid resource depletion of energy, water, and raw materials; prevent environmental degradation caused by facilities and infrastructure throughout their life cycle; and create built environments that are livable, comfortable, safe, and productive.

While the definition of sustainable building design is constantly changing, six fundamental principles persist.

• Optimize Site/Existing Structure Potential
  Creating sustainable buildings starts with proper site selection, including consideration of the reuse or rehabilitation of existing buildings. The location, orientation, and landscaping of a building affect the local ecosystems, transportation methods, and energy use. Incorporate Smart growth principles in the project development process, whether it be a single building, campus or military base. Siting for physical security is a critical issue in optimizing site design, including locations of access roads, parking, vehicle barriers, and perimeter lighting. Whether designing a new building or retrofitting an existing building, site design must integrate with sustainable design to achieve a successful project.
• Optimize Energy Use
  With America's supply of fossil fuel dwindling, concerns for energy independence and security increasing, and the impacts of global climate change arising, it is essential to find ways to reduce load, increase efficiency, and utilize renewable energy resources in buildings.
• Protect and Conserve Water
  In many parts of the country, fresh water is an increasingly scarce resource. A sustainable building should reduce, control, and/or treat site runoff, use water efficiently, and reuse or recycle water for on-site use, when feasible.
• Use Environmentally Preferable Products
  A sustainable building is constructed of materials that minimize life-cycle environmental impacts such as global warming, resource depletion, and human toxicity. Environmentally preferable materials have a reduced effect on human health and the environment and contribute to improved worker safety and health, reduced liabilities, reduced disposal costs, and achievement of environmental goals.
• Enhance Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)
  The indoor environmental quality (IEQ) of a building has a significant impact on occupant health, comfort, and productivity. Among other attributes, a sustainable building maximizes daylighting; has appropriate ventilation and moisture control; and avoids the use of materials with high-VOC emissions.
• Optimize Operational and Maintenance Practices
  Considering a building's operating and maintenance issues during the preliminary design phase of a facility will contribute to improved working environments, higher productivity, reduced energy and resource costs, and prevented system failures. Encourage building operators and maintenance personnel to participate in the design and development phases to ensure optimal operations and maintenance of the building. Designers can specify materials and systems that simplify and reduce maintenance requirements; require less water, energy, and toxic chemicals and cleaners to maintain; and are cost-effective and reduce life-cycle costs. Additionally, design facilities to include meters in order to track the progress of sustainability initiatives, including reductions in energy and water use and waste generation, in the facility and on site.

Impacts of U.S. Buildings on Resources

• 40% primary energy use (Environmental Information Administration 2008, EIA Annual Energy Outlook)
• 72% electricity consumption (Environmental Information Administration 2008, EIA Annual Energy Outlook)
• 39% CO2 emissions (Environmental Information Administration 2008, EIA Annual Energy Outlook)
• 13.6% potable water consumption (U.S. Geological Survey (2000))
• 60% Non-industrial waste generated, from construction and demolition (EPA, 2004)
• 25% harvested wood

Benefits of Sustainable Design

Benefits of Green Building

http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=1718

Environmental benefits

• Enhance and protect ecosystems and biodiversity
• Improve air and water quality
• Reduce solid waste
• Conserve natural resources

Economic benefits

• Reduce operating costs
• Enhance asset value and profits
• Improve employee productivity and satisfaction
• Optimize life-cycle economic performance

Health and community benefits

• Improve air, thermal, and acoustic environments
• Enhance occupant comfort and health
• Minimize strain on local infrastructure
• Contribute to overall quality of life

Other Benefits

• Up to 50% reduced energy use (Kats, G. (2003). The Costs and Financial Benefits of Green Building: A Report to California's Sustainable Building Task Force.)
• Up to 40% reduced water use (Kats)
• Up to 70% reduced solid waste (Kats)
• Up to 39% reduced CO2 emissions (Kats)
• Lower absenteeism in workplaces and schools
• Improved retail sales (daylighting study, Heschong Mahone Group, 2003)
• Improved learning in schools (daylighting study, Heschong Mahone Group, 2003)
• Positive public relations
• Lower maintenance cost.