Sustainable construction: what it is and its advantages
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What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the term “sustainable construction”? If you think of buildings with huge vertical gardens or that use solar panels, know that they may not be the best example of such buildings.
Sustainable constructions have been gaining more and more space, especially in large cities, with the growing concern for preserving the environment.
To ensure these ideals, several projects have been built with a view to promoting and encouragingsustainability, focusing on everything from choosing materials that are less harmful to the environment to ensuring a better quality of life for residents.
For tenants, living in sustainably constructed buildings also brings several advantages to their daily lives, not only for their health, but also financially. Curious to know more?
In this text, we will explain what characterizes sustainable construction, the importance of these buildings today, and the benefits they provide. Check out the topics that will be covered:
● What is sustainable construction?
● What are the basic principles of sustainable construction?
● How important are sustainable buildings?
● 5 examples of sustainable constructions.
Let's get started!
What is sustainable construction?
Sustainable construction represents the result of an entire process of building houses and buildings focused on harmonizing with the environment.
In practice, these buildings are concerned with mitigating the impact on the environment in all processes involved, from construction to post-construction, through actions such as adopting more ecological materials, reducing the amount of waste and using natural sources (such as water and sunlight) to support their operation.
According to the Belgian Building Research Institute (CSTC), sustainable construction can be described as the search for buildings that provide a balance between three pillars:
● Environmental perspective: concern for the preservation of the environment and its natural resources, since the construction sector is responsible for around 50% of the world's consumption of raw materials, and for 42% of the total energy consumption from heating and lighting buildings;
● Social perspective: concern about ensuring a good quality of life for tenants through air quality, thermal comfort and acoustic comfort, for example, since on average, a person spends 90% of their time inside buildings;
● Economic perspective: be concerned with building a project that is economically viable - after all, every building has routine expenses and risks that can damage it, which makes it essential to keep an open mind to possibilities for innovation that allow its conservation and renovation with actions that generate the least possible impact on the environment and the health of residents.
How did sustainable construction come about?
Although sustainable construction has gained momentum in recent years, this idea has been around for over 40 years.
The idea of buildings that focus on sustainability emerged in the 1970s after the Oil Crisis, when the oil industry decided to increase the price of this natural resource after discovering that it was not renewable.
In response to this price increase by major oil producers, some architects began to think of alternative ways to use energy and natural resources to overcome the crisis, so that they could continue to design buildings.
This idea gained so much popularity that, even after the end of this turbulent period, it continued to be thought about and put into practice. From the 1990s onwards, the concept of sustainability and the search for sustainable alternatives in civil construction gained more strength with international organizations and intensified in several countries.
Currently, the USGBC (United States Green Building Council) is the major company responsible for transforming the construction industry through sustainable practices.
To this end, it developed the most famous sustainable construction seal in the world: LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). It is nothing more than an environmental certification and guidance system for buildings, which analyzes a series of pre-established criteria to determine whether the building actually contributes to the environment.
Within this ranking, Brazil ranks 4th among countries that produce the most green buildings in the world, behind only the USA, China and the United Arab Emirates - which represents a great achievement if we consider that these ideals only began to be adopted in the country in 2006.
On our blog, we have a complete article about this seal, its importance and how to achieve it. Click on the following link and see: LEED Certification: find out what it is and its importance!
In addition, another very important sustainability certification is EDGE ( Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies ) . Administered in more than 120 countries by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), it aims to optimize the efficiency of project resources based on the sustainability goals established at the Paris Summit.
The rules for obtaining this certificate are slightly different from LEED. It is based on an online system that contains information about the water and energy consumption of typical buildings in each region. Thus, certification is obtained by projects capable of reducing the use of water, electricity, and energy used in the manufacturing of materials used in the project by at least 20%.
Now that we know the concept of sustainable construction, let's better understand the characteristics that these buildings must contain to receive this classification.
What are the basic principles of sustainable construction?
In addition to the three pillars mentioned above, sustainable constructions are based on five fundamental principles that guide the construction of buildings and, consequently, are evaluated if they want to achieve LEED certification.
These are: project intelligence; choice of materials; energy efficiency; sustainable water consumption and reduction of waste. Let's look at each of them in detail.
1. Projects must be smart in sustainable construction
Sustainable buildings are designed intelligently so that they can use and make the most of natural resources, generating the least possible impact on the environment and contributing to a more sustainable construction model.
To do this, engineers and architects must analyze and take into account characteristics such as the natural conditions of the terrain, the local climate, the topography, the existing vegetation, the lighting and the ventilation.
2. Choice of materials based on rationality
With the above ideology in mind, the second step is to prioritize the choice of materials based on rationality.
In other words, this means that the building must prioritize the use of ecological materials and their correct use. A great way to do this is by asking yourself some questions, such as:
- Is the raw material recycled and renewable?
- Does the production process have low water and energy consumption?
- Is the product polluting?
- Does the installation generate waste?
- Is the packaging recyclable?
- Does the product have any certification?
3. Energy efficiency in sustainable construction
The materials chosen for the construction of the building must be capable of allowing them to function and operate in an energy-efficient manner.
The use of solar energy to heat water, the use of photovoltaic systems to generate electricity, the option for low-consumption appliances and energy-saving light bulbs are some of the most common - and most effective - examples applied in various sustainable buildings.
4. Sustainable water consumption
In addition to valuing the efficient use of energy, the building's water consumption must also be geared towards sustainability.
There are several strategies that, as simple as they may seem, make all the difference to the final balance of water consumption. Examples include: using a dual-flush toilet and a timed tap, collecting rainwater for non-potable use, and adapting it to use water from the washing machine.
5. Reducing waste in sustainable construction
Finally, all of the above actions - and many others - must result in a fundamental principle: reducing the generation of waste from every building and, together with this, segregating it as much as possible for recycling purposes.
In this way, in addition to thinking about a construction method that uses sustainable resources that guarantee the efficiency and quality of life of tenants, all these materials will be recycled and taken to ideal destinations, so that they do not harm the environment.
Building a sustainable building is not an easy task, is it? But one thing is certain: all this effort is worth it! Sustainable buildings bring several advantages, which we will look at in detail in the next topic.
How important is sustainable construction?
The construction industry is one of the sectors that consumes the most electricity, water and other natural resources - and consequently - one of the sectors that causes the greatest impact on the environment. It alone is responsible for consuming 20% to 50% of all natural resources consumed by society, according to the Federation of Industries of the State of Bahia (FIEB).
Amidst this disharmonious relationship, sustainable buildings represent a major global innovation, as they contribute to the construction of projects with lower environmental impacts through more ecological materials and resources.
Among its advantages, the main ones are:
● Better waste management and control;
● Optimization of the use of material resources;
● Lower CO2 emissions;
● Greater appreciation of projects;
● Reduction of post-construction costs.
For tenants, in addition to living in a building that contributes to the environment, the main benefit is the significant savings. After all, these buildings value saving resources such as water and energy - which has a direct impact on residents' pockets.
Over the years, buildings that have smart energy and water systems have been able to save up to 65% on their bills. In practice, this will mean that tenants will spend less on these amounts each month, in addition to having a better quality of life by being able to interact with the condominium's green and ecological spaces.
It may seem far from our reality, but make no mistake: there are several sustainable buildings that have already become a reference in the sector due to their high performance and efficiency, significantly reducing impacts on the environment and making a major contribution to a more sustainable lifestyle.
Let’s take a look at some of these greatest examples below.
6 examples of sustainable construction
There is no doubt that sustainable construction is the big trend for the future of the sector. In Brazil alone, there are more than 1,450 registered and evaluated projects according to data from GBC, and in the coming years, this number is likely to increase even more.
In an interview with Gazeta do Povo, the technical director of Renewable Energies at Petinelli Soluções em Green Buildings, Rafael Ribeiro Sabetzki, said that the future of the sector will be marked by the construction of self-sufficient buildings, which generate and are responsible for everything they consume: energy, water, waste and carbon.
“Self-sufficiency is not simply installing photovoltaic panels, it is having extremely high energy efficiency to reduce consumption, combined with the generation of renewable energy with whatever is necessary”, he explains.
Nothing will make this theory clearer than seeing the greatest examples of sustainable construction around the world. Check out a special selection we have made:
1. Eldorado Business Tower - Sao Paulo
To start our list off on a high note, we brought you a famous sustainable building in São Paulo: the Eldorado Business Tower!
The reason for being ranked first is simple: it is the first building in Latin America to receive LEED® C&S - Platinum, the highest level of certification from the USGBC. The building was built entirely with intelligent systems for water use, energy savings, selective collection and reduction of the flow of water used.
2. Lunaria – Colombia
The Lunaria apartment community in Colombia was built entirely with a focus on reducing water and energy consumption.
As simple as the apartments may seem, all units are highly efficient and ecological through strategies such as the use of natural lighting to control energy use, natural ventilation, and pipes that control water pressure to reduce costs.
3. Kuggen - Gothenburg, Sweden
Considered one of the most beautiful tourist attractions in Gothenburg, the Kuggen has incredible architecture designed by the famous architectural firm Wingårdh Arkitektkontor.
Opened in 2011, its exterior is entirely covered in triangular windows that offer energy efficiency by allowing natural light to enter throughout the day. It also has a motion-activated ventilation and lighting system, as well as interactive heating and cooling.
Together, these strategies provide a huge gain in controlling the building's consumption, as they allow energy to be used only when it is really necessary.
All this was only possible thanks to its incredible architectural work: the mix of its gradient-based colors with its circular shape inspired by the Italian Renaissance, where each floor was built slightly off-center to the south to provide shade to the floor below - in addition to having a long spiral staircase responsible for the main circulation route in the building.
4. Bank of America - New York, United States
The Bank of America has one of the most efficient architectures in the world. Considered one of the tallest buildings in the city (366m), all the raw materials used in its construction come entirely from recyclable and renewable sources.
The main advantage of this choice is that all air entering the building is filtered, making the air leaving the building as clean as possible. This ensures excellent air quality and ventilation for everyone who passes through the building.
Furthermore, its exterior constructed entirely of glass allows for high energy efficiency and compensation, by prioritizing the use of natural light and internal temperature insulation through photovoltaic energy.
5. Ospedale dell'Angelo - Veneto, Italy
Designed in 2008, the Ospedale dell'Angelo is the first green hospital in the world.
Its great sustainability secret lies in the incredible proposal of its creation, thinking about the fair improvement and full recovery of the patient. To this end, the building was constructed in a rural area of the city according to the principles of humanization, where all the blocks of the hospital are interconnected by gardens, providing pleasant views and a feeling of tranquility.
To ensure this efficiency, the building is protected by a glass roof, which acts as a true greenhouse, bringing in natural light and renewing the air inside. In addition, the rooms have windows that overlook the surrounding vegetation and fields, and its parking lot was designed underground so as not to disturb this beautiful landscape.
6. Masdar - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Finally, the last case we will mention is not a single building, but rather a group of buildings located in Masdar City, in Abu Dhabi.
The region created an urban development project applied throughout the city with the aim of encouraging green urbanism, with the aim of providing the highest level of quality of life to its residents, generating the least possible environmental impact.
Under construction since 2006, it has already made great progress: it is 100% dependent on renewable energy, produces zero waste, is free of fossil fuels, and is still pursuing the goal of achieving zero carbon dioxide emissions.
All this with a major bonus: the city will be adapted for pedestrians and cyclists, eliminating the need for cars that emit gases that are harmful to the environment. Everything is expected to be ready by 2030.
Conclusion
Have you ever imagined what it would be like to live in one of these buildings?
Sustainable construction is the sector's big bet for the future, and there is no denying all the economic and quality of life advantages they provide.
For those interested in the subject, we also wrote a text with 10 tips for living sustainably.
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