Green Buildings:
- Importance of green design
Climate change and the release of CO2 into the atmosphere have become a great cause for concern. Response to these issues have taken hold in many forms, with the main goal of reducing energy use, and waste production. According to Hough (2004), buildings are of particular concern in the release of CO2 and so it is appropriate that design and construction process be a prime target in the war against climate change.
It is here, with the development of sustainable buildings, that architects and planners can help reduce the footprint of carbon emissions. There are several benefits from building green, not only environmental, but cost wise as well. Though much of the time a green building initiative will cost more, and therefore take longer to get off the ground, once completed the return on investment and savings in operating costs are proven to equal out, and even benefit (Hal, 2007).
The adoption of LEED as a guide for development has become quite common in the movement toward sustainable building. Though there have been several arguments claiming LEED is inefficient, and is not considerate to different regional needs, it has proven to be a valuable asset and foothold from which sustainable building has been able to push off from.
Under LEED project ratings are certified by the CaGBC (Canadian Green Building Council) based on the total point score, following an independent review and audits of selected credits of documentation submitted by a design and construction team. With four possible levels of certification (certified, silver, gold and platinum), LEED is flexible enough to accommodate a wide range of green building strategies that best fit the constraints and goals of particular projects. Under the LEED Canada structure the prerequisites and credits are organized into five principle categories.
- Sustainable Sites
- Water Efficiency
- Energy and Atmosphere
- Materials and Resources
- Indoor Environmental Quality
A checklist serves to determine what is required to obtain a LEED rating and determine what level of certification will be obtained.
Click here to see the LEED standards Checklist.
