07-04-2009, 10:59 PM
Buildings and homes (or the built environment) affects natural environment. Buildings, where people spend 90% of their time, adversely impact human health. Buildings also account for 40% of energy and 16% of the water used annually worldwide. Air quality inside buildings is 2 to 5 times worse than outside There are many factors to consider while studying the impacts of buildings Land use and ecosystems where buildings are built Materials and practices used to construct buildings Material, chemical, energy and water resources used to maintain and operate buildings Demolition and waste of a building at the end of its life Green Building involves minimizing these negative environmental and human health impacts and enhancing positive results throughout the buildingâ„¢s entire life cycle. In addition to environmental benefits, through integrated design, they can be constructed at the same or lower cost than conventional buildings. Typical Features of Green Buildings are *Eco-friendly Building Materials *Green Power *Water use Efficiency *Energy efficient and Eco-friendly equipment *Indoor Air quality
