Have you ever come across the term ‘going green?’ Do you know what it means? Going green is a movement that highlights the fact that earth, as we know it, is not sustainable. In other words, the time will come when the earth will run out of some of the essential natural resources that we need to survive.
This raises quite a lot of concern, which explains why a growing number of people are embracing the concept of green building. But, what is a green building and what are the dynamics of constructing one, the pros and cons of living in one as well as how it compares to regular homes in terms of the cost.
What is a Green Building?
A green building is one that allows you to preserve a great part of the natural environment where the house is constructed. To achieve this goal, it is important that the house you build still serves the purpose for which it was built while still retaining most of the natural elements of its location.
For a green building to be successful, you must put in a deliberate effort not to disrupt the land, energy, water and natural resources on the land on which your property is constructed.
Reasons For Building a Green Building
One of the most important reasons for building a green building is to promote a healthy environment for everyone involved.
Before a property can pass as a green building, it is expected that the process of building it does not hurt the environment. A green building is also expected to conserve resources all through the lifecycle of the property; all the way from design to design, actual construction, daily running, its maintenance and renovation. At no point in the cycle of a property should the natural elements be threatened.
Did you know that a green building is also known as a sustainable or high-performance property or building? Now you do.
Importance of a Green Building
It is important that you consider going green in the near future and we will look at reasons why your building plans should go in this direction.
1. Helps You reduce your carbon footprint
A carbon footprint is the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere as a result of the activities of a particular individual, organization, or community.
2. Offers the Environment a Helping Hand
Constructing a green building is an efficient way to sustain the resources we need to survive. As a user of these resources, it is your responsibility to protect the environment that nourishes you with nature’s elements that you need to survive.
How Green Buildings Save the Environment
By default, green buildings are designed to reduce the strain of property on your health as well as the environment. Below are some of the ways this is achieved.
- Cutting down pollution, trash and environmental degradation
- Efficient use of water and other natural resources
- Health preservation
The Cost Implication of Green Building
How much does it cost to construct a green building? Is it expensive? These are some of the questions that have been asked about this topical subject. There are many people like you who believe that a green building is an expensive project. Unfortunately, this is a misconception. When you begin to construct a green building, you might incur some cost that initially strikes you as high but with green buildings, this is not the case.
Green buildings help you save more in the long-term because, by design, they help you save money on energy in the long run. A green building is more of a long-term investment. It’s an investment that saves both your money as well as the environment.
Benefits of a Green Building
The benefits that you derive from a green building are not flat. What this means is that there is a range of benefits you derive from a greenhouse. Below are the economic, social and environmental benefits of green building.
Economic Benefits of Green Building
- Establishing a market for green products and services
- Improved sustainability of the building
- Cost reduction
- Energy efficiency
- Lower operational bills
Social Benefits of Green Building
- Improvement in the quality of life
- Reduces the strain on local infrastructure
- Heightened sense of comfort
Environmental Benefits of Green Building
- Overall health improvement
- Conservation of water
- Reduction of waste
- Lower greenhouse emissions
- Cleaner air
Disadvantages of Green Building
There are certain things that you need to know about a green building before you commit your resources to it.
1. Location
A typical green building requires sufficient sunlight. This means a green building needs to be constructed in a location where it can get sufficient sunlight.
2. No Air Conditioner
To live in a green building means you must be ready to live a life completely devoid of the brand of cool air that comes from air conditioners. This is perhaps why they are usually not designed for hot neighbourhoods.
3. Building Materials
The materials that you need to build a greenhouse might prove incredibly hard to find. This is particularly worse in urban areas where the protection of the environment is not the first option for a majority of the people.
4. Wildlife
Since a green building is closer to nature than other urban buildings, it is only natural to have certain species of wildlife around the home or even finding their way into the way. For instance, insects, rodents, snakes and other animals are bound to be close to your home.
Final Thoughts
The ultimate goal of a greenhouse is to make the earth more sustainable but that’s not all. When you ‘go green,’ you participate in the campaign to make the environment more sustainable without creating any disruption in the natural habitat where it finds itself.
If you already have a home and you want to join the circle of people who have embraced the idea of green building, you can still play a part by cutting down on your energy consumption, which helps you save money. It also makes you feel much better about yourself.
