Green Buildings Provisions

 Green Building:
The meaning of green building (known also as green construction) is
the practice of creating structures and using processes that are
environmentally responsible and resource- efficient throughout a
building's life-cycle: from sitting to design, construction, operation,
maintenance, renovation, and deconstruction. The importance of this is
it lessens the consume of energy and the pollution as well because the
more we use nonrenewable energy the higher the risk of pollution.
The common objective is that green buildings are designed 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
Reducing waste, pollution and environmental degradation

Sustainable Building:
 Meeting the needs of present generations without compromising
the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
 It is a trend in the architecture field to build structures that are
water and energy efficient out of environmentally friendly
materials.
 This requires close cooperation of the design team, the architects,
the engineers, and the client at all project stages.

 Setting 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. 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.
Energy efficiency :
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. To reduce operating energy use,
high-efficiency windows and insulation in walls, ceilings, and floors
increase the efficiency of the building envelope, (the barrier between
conditioned and unconditioned space). Another strategy, passive solar
building design, is often implemented in low-energy homes. Designers
orient windows and walls and place awnings, porches, and trees to shade
windows and roofs during the summer while maximizing solar gain in
the winter. In addition, effective window placement (day lighting) can
provide more natural light and lessen the need for electric lighting
during the day. Solar water heating further reduces energy costs.
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.
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.
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, insulating
concrete forms, dimension stone, recycled stone, recycled metal, and
other products that are non-toxic, reusable, renewable, and/or recyclable
(e.g. Linoleum, sheep wool, panels made from paper flakes, compressed
earth block, adobe, baked earth, rammed earth, clay, vermiculite, flax
linen, sisal, sea grass, cork, expanded clay grains, coconut, wood fiber
plates, calcium sand stone, concrete (high and ultra high performance,
roman self-healing concrete) , etc.) The EPA (Environmental Protection
Agency) also suggests using recycled industrial goods, such as coal
combustion products, foundry sand, and demolition debris in
construction projects Building materials should be extracted and
manufactured locally to the building site to minimize the energy
embedded in their transportation. Where possible, building elements
should be manufactured off-site and delivered to site, to maximize
benefits of off-site manufacture including minimizing waste,
maximizing recycling (because manufacture is in one location), high
quality elements, better OHS management, less noise and dust
Waste reduction:
 Green architecture also seeks to reduce waste of energy, water and
materials used during construction. For example; 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 onsite solutions such as compost bins to
reduce matter going to landfills. To reduce the amount of wood that goes
to landfill, the CO2 Neutral. 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. 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. 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.
Green building material/product selection
criteria:
Overall material/product selection criteria
 Resource efficiency
 Indoor air quality
 Energy efficiency
 Water conservation
 Affordability

 Resource Efficiency can be accomplished by utilizing materials

that meet the following criteria:
• Recycled Content: Products with identifiable recycled content,
including postindustrial content with a preference for post
consumer content.
• Natural, plentiful or renewable: Materials harvested from
sustainably managed sources and preferably have an independent
certification (e.g., certified wood) and are certified by an
independent third party.
• Resource efficient manufacturing process: Products
manufactured with resource-efficient processes including reducing
energy consumption, minimizing waste (recycled, recyclable and
or source reduced product packaging), and reducing greenhouse
gases.
• Locally available: Building materials, components, and systems
found locally or regionally saving energy and resources in
transportation to the project site. Salvaged, refurbished, or
remanufactured: Includes saving a material from disposal and
renovating, repairing, restoring, or generally improving the
appearance, performance, quality, functionality, or value of a
product.
• Reusable or recyclable: Select materials that can be easily
dismantled and reused or recycled at the end of their useful life.
  Recycled or recyclable product packaging: Products enclosed
in recycled content or recyclable packaging.
 Durable: Materials that are longer lasting or are comparable to
conventional products with long life expectancies.

Some of the green building materials:

 Sustainable Foundation
The building foundation is at the core of a safe and secure home
environment for our families. As the base of all structures, foundations
provide the stability needed to create a solid and healthy environment.
Some builders are finding plastic to be extremely helpful in laying a
foundation.

Pouring concrete foundation into an Insulated Concrete Form (ICF),

which insulates the inside and the outside of the wall at the same time
for this green building.
Coupled with other building materials, such as concrete, plastics present
an array of innovative possibilities—such as Structural Insulated Panels
(SIPs) and Insulated Concrete Forms(ICFs). According to the Insulating
Concrete Form Association (ICFA), homes built with SIPs (made with
an expanded polystyrene (EPS) or extruded polystyrene (XPS) foam
core laminated to sheets of high-strength oriented strand board), can help
homeowners save hundreds of dollars each year on energy bills. In fact,
because SIPS create a tighter building envelope than conventional
insulation, your builder can actually reduce the size of heating and
cooling equipment. Better yet, according to the Structural Insulated
Panel Association (SIPA), SIPs keep costs down season after season,
year after year, for as long as you own your home. As a result, using
SIPs can slash energy costs by up to 50 percent.

An green building Structural Insulated Panel (SIP) illustration.

The laminated “sandwich” construction of SIPs provides buildings with
great wind and seismic resistance, snow loading, and soundproofing
characteristics. By eliminating a large portion of conventional wood
framing, SIPs can use “approximately 35 percent less raw lumber in
home construction, generating less manufacturing and construction
waste,” according to the Structural Insulated Panel Association.” SIP-
built houses provide superior and uniform insulation compared to more
traditional construction methods; they also take less time to build.
Another area in which plastics are becoming more commonly specified
is the growing use of EPS in ICFs. Used in this way, according to ICFA,
EPS can help lower energy bills, can decrease noise by as much as two-
thirds compared to ordinary frame walls with conventional insulation,
and can increase ease of construction and design flexibility (since foam
is easy to cut and shape). Building with ICFs also reduces the use of
lumber. According to the Insulating Concrete Form Association, “an ICF
wall with four-inches of Type II ASTM C578 polystyrene foam
insulation, combined with a five-inch concrete wall, is rated above R-17
at 75-degree mean test temperature. The result is a 25 to 50 percent
energy savings over traditional stud-wall or steel-frame homes.
  Insulated Concrete Form Foundations (ICFs)

Typically ICF foundations link together like building blocks and are
then filled with foundation concrete.
Times have changed. Today, basements are often used as gathering
places for the family—making warmth, comfort and energy-efficiency
crucial elements of building success.
Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) are forms for poured concrete walls
that stay in place as a permanent part of the wall assembly. The forms,
made of foam insulation, are either pre-formed interlocking blocks or
separate panels connected with plastic ties. This union allows concrete to
perform as a thermally efficient building structure, boasting R-values.
According to Structural Insulated Panel Association (SIPA), EPS, in this
application, may help provide lower energy cost by up to 50% and noise
abatement by as much as two-thirds compared to ordinary frame wall
with fiberglass insulation, as well as design flexibility and ease of
construction.
ICF provides all the benefits of concrete with the additional attribute of
two built-in layers of foam insulation. An ICF home capitalizes on the
durability and low maintenance of concrete.
 Wool brick:
Obtained by adding wool and a natural polymer found in seaweed to
the clay of the brick..37% More strength than burnt bricks .Resistant
for cold and wet climate .They
They are dry hard and don’t need to be
fired like other bricks

 Bamboo:
Usually used as flooring,
ing, this is the material that all architects seem to
turn to for a quick addition of sustainability to their designs.
However, bamboo is not always the greenest choice. Although it is a
rapidly renewable product, the forest that it comes from is sometimes
not. In order to ensure this material green credibility,
ty, it needs to come
from a FSC source. In general, a better and greener flooring material
would be rammed earth. It is just as strong and durable as concrete
and its source can be at the immediate sisite.
 Solar photo voltaic cell for external lighting
lighting:
Photovoltaic (PV) cells are semiconductor devices, usually made of
silicon, which contain no liquids, corrosive chemicals or moving parts
and produce electricity as long as light shines on them. It is
recommended for the external lighting in the campus of the
commercial complex. Photovoltaic module(s) with a variable total
power from 80 Wp to 250 Wp can be used. Advantages of PV cells
 are that it is a costeffective and viable option. The basic costs,
beginning with a portable PV unit with a 50-watt solar panel, low-
power inverter and battery, is about Rs.30000 and can operate three
high-efficiency lights, a small TV and a water pump. Disadvantages
are that it is not highly efficient as they convert only 12 to 15% of the
sun’s light into electricity. PV systems can power any electric device
but they are not suitable for water heating or other heat related
appliances.
 Green Building Interior Finishes

Choosing the right interior finishes has a huge impact on indoor air
quality and consequently the health of the inhabitants. Many popular
products and finishes are made with dangerous chemicals that can off
gas for years in a home. Contractors and interior designers have the
opportunity to help their clients choose finishes that are environmentally
friendly and won’t cause health problems. Here are some key
considerations:

 Toxicity – Some common building products emit unpleasant and

even dangerous fumes that can persist long after homeowners have
moved in.
 Durability – Building materials that hold up to the rigors of family
life are worth the investment over the long term.
 Resource conservation – Reusing salvaged materials or choosing
products that have been made with recycled material means fewer
resources have to be committed to making something new.
 Sustainability – As with other building materials, floor and wall
covering come from a variety of sources. The best choices are
products that are renewable.
Green Interiors’ Transition Guide
Use paint, adhesives and caulks that have low or no VOC
 Volatile organic compounds are chemicals that can trigger a whole
host of illnesses.
  Carefully read the labels provided to see what chemicals are used
in the product. Become familiar with chemicals that have adverse
side effects.
 These products should be available at your local home store.
Look for the Green Label Plus or recycled content carpet
 Carpet and carpet backing contains chemicals that can affect the
immune system. Carpets can now be made from recycled plastics,
natural backing and new materials.
 Look for carpeting with low VOC emissions certified by the Green
Label Plus program by the EPA and the Carpet and Rug Institute
 Carpeting should be minimized as it holds dust, dander and
moisture.
Install FSC certified wood floors
 FSC wood comes from sustainably managed forests.
 A wide range of flooring products are now available from FSC
managed forests
 FSC wood is not available everywhere. If you cannot get it locally,
be sure to let your home-store that you are interested in having
them stock FSC flooring.
Green from the Ground up Best Practices
 Establish an effective interior air barrier.
 If available, choose drywall whose core is made with residue that’s
taken from air scrubbers at coal-fired power plants.
 Choose low-VOC or no-VOC paints, caulks, and adhesives as well
as water-based finishes rather than solvent-based products.
 Avoid wood products that use urea-formaldehyde as a binder.
 Use wood products made with renewable or recycled content.
 Consider the distance that building products must be shipped and
choose those produced locally or regionally over those that come
from overseas.
 Specify the wood that’s certified by the Forest Stewardship
Council.
 If carpet is used as a floor covering, favor natural materials such as
wool or sisal but avoid products that contain styrene butadiene
 latex binders and wool that must be fumigated when it enters the
country.

Sustainable interior wall finishes

 According to the EPA, poor indoor air quality is one of the top five
hazards to human health. Indoor air quality can be three to five
times worse than outdoor air quality, even if you live in the city.
There are a plethora of reasons for this including the cleaning
products you use, your HVAC system and especially the building
materials you utilize indoors. Volatile Organic Compounds
(VOCs), formaldehyde and petroleum distillates are released by
interior finishes for years and are responsible for respiratory and
allergy symptoms, especially in children. Now a new generation of
sustainable, healthy indoor finishes are available to the discerning
home owner.

PAINTS

We are all aware of the dangers of lead-based paints, but even lead free
paints have tested high for VOC content. Now a new generation of low-
VOC or zero-VOC paints give homeowners a healthier option. The new
range of paints is every bit as durable as their unhealthier predecessors,
but with a plethora of health and environmental benefits. The water-
based paints are easier to clean and release fewer landfill, groundwater
and ozone depleting contaminants. The paints are a far better choice for
everyone, especially those with respiratory ailments, allergies or
chemical sensitivities.
WOOD SEALANTS
Interior and exterior wood sealants can be crammed with harmful toxins.
Now you have non-toxic choices that have no harmful chemicals and
also seal in the arsenic that occurs in pressure-treated wood. These new
sealants are mostly soy-based and penetrate the wood for long-lasting
protection. You can use them on everything from decks to furniture for
an odorless, safe and environmentally friendly solution.
WALLPAPER
Non-toxic wallpapers and pastes are available, but due to a lack of
demand, you may find them extremely expensive. Water-soluble
wallpaper paste is solvent free, non-toxic and free from fungicides,
preservatives and synthetic resins. Better still, you can make your own!
See the recipe here. If you want natural, sustainably grown wallpaper,
opt for bamboo wall coverings. The textured surfaces can give your
room a really interesting appearance.
ALTERNATE WALL FINISHES
Particleboard and medium-density fiberboard (MDF) utilize urea
formaldehyde binders. The products off-gas formaldehyde (a known
human carcinogen) for 5 years or more. Particleboard and MDF are used
for a number of finishes in homes including countertops, for cabinet
boxes, shelving, and stair treads. Formaldehyde-free particleboard and
MDF products are available, including some made with straw instead of
wood fiber. These products have almost zero emissions and provide a far
healthier alternative.
Low VOC stucco and plaster products are also available in a wide
variety of options. Tiles are another great way to ensure longevity. Here
recycled glass tiles or reclaimed mosaics provide the most sustainable
options. Glass tiles are durable and have zero emissions.
Ceramic and porcelain tiles are also devoid of VOC emissions just make
sure your grout is also VOC free!

Green building Rating system:

There are three primary Rating systems in India.
 GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment)
 IGBC(Indian Green Building Council)
 BEE(Bureau of Energy Efficiency)
 The Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) is the
rating system developed for certifying Green Buildings. LEED is
developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the
organization promoting sustainability through Green Buildings.
LEED is a framework for assessing building performance against
set criteria and standard points of references. The benchmarks for
the LEED Green Building Rating System were developed in year
2000 and are currently available for new and existing
constructions.
 The USGBC — created in 1993 — recognized the need for a
system to define and measure green buildings. In August 1998, the
first LEED Pilot Project Program was launched.
 The pilot program, commonly referred to as LEED Version 1.0,
was created by a USGBC committee comprised of architects,
realtors, a building owner, a lawyer, environmentalists, and
industry representatives. In 2000, a revised version was published,
LEED Green Building Rating System Version 2.0.
 The current version is 2.2. LEED certification is a third-party
validation of a building’s performance and can lead to builders and
developers receiving more profitable projects, financial
incentives/credits, and significant acknowledgments for their
efforts.
 The LEED Green Building Rating System for New Construction
and Major Renovation is organized into six different categories:
 Sustainable Sites,
 Water Efficiency,
 Energy and Atmosphere
 Materials and Resources,
 Indoor Environmental Quality
 Innovation in Design
 The LEED Rating System evaluates the overall performance of a
green building project based on points. Within each of the six
LEED credit categories, projects must satisfy particular
prerequisites and earn points.
 The number
mber of points earned determines the level of LEED
certification the project receives (Certified, Silver, Gold, or
Platinum Sustainable site development a sustainable project starts
with a sustainable site.
Typical Layout of Green Building