Building Summary
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Global Summary Building Summary Design Options Materials Stone Glass and Plaster Metals Earth Wood Strawbale Planted Roofs Ventilation Energy Savings Building Config. Room Layout Solar Orientaion Cooling/Heating Water Heaters Water Conservation Landscaping Rainwater Waste Water Readings Examples
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The man-made environmental quality of the built environment is especially
important as it is the materials around us and the air we breath that directly
impact upon our health. The air inside a sealed energy-efficient
office building often has ten times more pollutants than outdoor air.
Humidity and climate affect emissions and play a leading role in bacterial,
viral, and fungal growth. Indoor pollutants accumulate from four
sources: outside air, building materials, HVAC equipment, and people.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) include biological contaminants, ozone, carbon monoxide, asbestos, and tobacco smoke. We are surrounded by VOCs. The most dominant VOC, formaldehyde, is present in plywood, particle board, carpets, upholstery, draperies, and urea-formaldehyde foam insulation; therefore, the choice of materials we use in our buildings has a dramatic impact. Off-gassing occurs when products containing VOCs slowly emit them into the air that we then breath. For instance, particle board laminated with either a vinyl or wood veneer is now commonly used in most inexpensive furniture. Unless our homes and work places are properly ventilated, off-gassing materials pollute our indoor air. Electromagnetic fields have received much attention in recent years. They occur whenever a current runs through an operating appliance or wire. Electric transmission lines are sources of high magnetic fields; however, the wiring of our homes and our electrical appliances all have electromagnetic fields. Cellular phones emit strong electromagnetic fields that we voluntarily hold close to our heads. One way of minimising them in household wiring is by installing ‘twisted pair’ wiring. Here the electrical fields will cancel each other out. Research also shows that electric fields deplete negative ions. Outdoors in unpolluted places, the air contains 1000 to 2000 ions per cubic centimetre in a ratio of five positive to four negative, providing us with a natural balance and feeling of general well-being. Electronic devices and even cooking can deplete our homes of negative ions. Unless the indoor air is properly circulated and exchanged with outdoor air on a regular basis, the natural balance of ions becomes disrupted. This disruption has been considered a contributor to seasonal affective disorder during the winter months when windows are rarely opened. Noise pollution is another environmental factor that influences our quality of life. An ecologically conscious building is typically quieter than a standard building because of downsized HVAC equipment, additional building insulation, and super-windows. Soft-textured interior surfaces will help to absorb sounds. Landscaping, such as earth berms or vegetation, can help reduce traffic noise. Water fountains indoors or outside provide white noise to mask other bothersome noises. The best way to approach this vast array of environmental issues is quite often by using common sense. The Rocky Mountain Institute wrote, A Primer on Sustainable Building, which outlines many practical solutions to environmental problems. They write that, ‘as you design and construct your green building, you are likely to find yourself educating other - contractors, subcontractors, trades people, and clients....You have cost savings, energy efficiency, environmental preservation, and a host of other advantages to help convince skeptics.’ According to the Rocky Mountain Institute, here is a list of what a green building should do: Save energy
Save water
Promote economic development
Improve health and productivity
Reduce pollution
Protect the environment
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