What's in a Green Building?

Recently, I was lucky enough to find myself sitting shotgun to my Dad in his red Dakota Sport truck (yes, yes, I recognize it’s not a Prius). My nascent, NYC politics were combating his conservative non-idealism on a dividing topic: the environment. Self-assured, I couldn’t help but rant that yet another new building in what’s becoming the sprawling cement south of Cleveland, Ohio was, sigh, not green. To which my father asked, “What does that really mean, a green building? What makes a building green?” I confidently threw him a side-long glance, ready to beat him with the knowledge that makes my brain brimmeth over, only to open my mouth and bleat out something like: You know, they’re buildings, where they recycle. And have good air circulation. And stuff. Then I sadly went on with more “they” and “good” vagaries, mumbling about LEED certification. Maybe because of Dad’s Day, or because I’ve realized that sometimes in looking for really amazing stories—filled with wit or wows—I forget to focus on the simple. So here I begin...

Ahem.

“What Makes a Building Green” by Molly Webster

Generally, a “green building” aims to be environmentally friendly in seven areas: energy efficiency and renewable energy, water efficiency, waste reduction, building materials, toxics reduction, indoor air quality (yes! I knew air was being circulated), and smart growth and sustainable development.

1. Energy Efficiency and renewable energy
An efficient building is constructed both to use the least amount of energy possible, and to use renewable power sources, such as solar or wind. One way to make a building energy efficient is with streamlined power appliances, such as those with an Energy Star label. Other elements, for example windows that seal tightly, also ensure energy isn’t squandered. Reading about this category, I’m reminded of NRDC’s newly launched Center for Energy Efficiency Standards, which will work to make virtually every product you buy, and building you reside in, energy savvy.

2. Water efficiency
Saving H2O means not only conserving the precious liquid, but preserving water in and around a property—which goes beyond using low-flow toilets or making sure your faucets aren’t leaky. Ideally, green establishments should have landscaping, using healthy soils and plants as a way to absorb and purify water (plant roots can act like a filter, sucking bacteria and pollution out of water). This allows old water from the building, or rain, to be re-used. There’d also be a focus on using only environmentally friendly chemicals on, in, or around the building.

3. Waste reduction
I did get at least two things right when I mumbled to my father, one of which was recycling! Waste reduction involves following the three R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle. Print less, compost, use recycled paper. Also, build with…

4. Sustainable building materials
A definition, from the EPA, for that buzz-word sustainable: “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” This definition means there’s room to keep building, but we musn’t exhaust resources as we go. So that suburb doesn’t have to take down yet another farmer’s field; perhaps it could be positioned on a rehabilitated brownfield or in an abandoned mall. We should also protect wetlands and other habitats, and aim to implement recycled buildings materials, such as debris from coal combustion facilities, foundries, or construction sites. Such a policy reminds me of members of my hometown community, who would deconstruct old, non-used barns in order to recycle the wood. One family even converted a barn into their home.

5. Toxics reduction
Clear out those chemicals from your stomping grounds. Green buildings raise demand for materials such as less toxic flame retardant, or for biodegradable bathroom soaps. They also follow strict policies on lead and mercury (as in, avoid having them as guests in your home).

6. Indoor air quality
I found this parameter the most interesting because, frankly, I always forget that the air inside my home can be polluted. Indoor air quality is often referred to as Indoor Environmental Quality, or IEQ. Environmentally friendly indoor environments sustain a constant, temperate flow of air and relative humidity, as well as maintain pleasant lighting and sound quality. It turns out that some indoor materials, such as aerosols, air fresheners, paint, hobby supplies, and cleaners, may emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Additionally, elements such as fireplaces, gas heaters, and standing water also send elements—dust, particulate matter, or mold—into the indoor environment. These particulates come together to aggravate allergies and can lead to headaches, nausea, and fatigue. A green building will work to reduce these aggravators.

7. Smart growth and sustainable development
Design measures such as water and energy efficiency help ensure sustainability, but this category also queries: Are we providing a close-knit community, one that puts businesses next to residencies and also providing members the ability to drive less, be it because we’ve offered them pedestrian paths or light rail transport?

And finally, all these categories come together in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, certification program. This independent body is organized under the U.S. Green Building Council to help property operators and owners design green structures. Like a building Olympics, the third-party organization uses the colors gold, silver, and bronze to rate just how green an edifice is.

Phew. That’s the close of Green Building 101. To which I say: bring it on, Dad, I’m ready…