Green building design
As more cities adopt sustainability goals, green building is shaping the skyline.
The Porter School of Environmental Studies - West Façade.
What is green building design?
Green building design considers the health of the natural environment and its inhabitants throughout the lifecycle of a building. It seeks opportunities to create positive impacts, while minimizing the negative.
Image courtesy of Geotectura / Axelrod-Grobman Architects / NCA / Assa Aharoni Consulting Engineers. Photographer: Joseph Cory
Top Three principles of green building design
A whole-system approach benefits occupants, communities, and the natural environment.
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![High performance building design]()
Energy Efficiency
Architects and engineers can drive high performance building design through techniques like solar analysis, HVAC right-sizing, and passive energy-conservation measures.
Image courtesy of Dekker/Perich/Sabatini
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![Two people viewing a rendering on a computer monitor]()
Materials Productivity
Choose healthy materials that are good for the people and planet, and design efficient structures that are made with minimal material waste.
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![Ariel view of various raw materials at a construction site]()
Reduction in embodied carbon
Building materials have a hidden climate impact resulting from resource extraction, manufacturing, and logistics. This should be minimized.
Benefits of green building design
Lower operating costs
Green buildings have lower operating costs because they use resources such as materials and energy more efficiently.
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Buildings produce about one third of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Green building design can drastically reduce this.
Increase property value
Owners are seeing a seven percent increase in asset value for new green buildings compared with traditional structures.
Improve occupant health and comfort
Green building design includes strategies to optimize temperature, humidity, and light, while minimizing pollutants, irritants, and noise.
Green building in action
A whole-system approach benefits occupants, communities, and the natural environment.
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![Exterior of example green building desig]()
BIM helps Schneider Electric
Schneider Electric uses BIM to create a new standard in efficient building operation and energy performance.
Image courtesy of Dekker/Perich/Sabatini
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![Green-building model]()
Green-building technology on the rise
Three emerging trends in green-building technology are advancing the sustainability revolution in architecture.
Model courtesy of DesignGroup and the National Audubon Society
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![Green bamboo reeds]()
Bamboo transcends the tropics for carbon-negative construction
Long ignored beyond the developing world, bamboo (a grass, not a tree) has the compressive strength of concrete and the tensile strength of steel.
Additional resources
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Learn the difference between LEED certification and LEED accreditation for professionals.
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Discover how seven buildings around the world are using BIM to meet LEED.
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Get on track for net zero buildings by 2030 with these five strategies.
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Quantify, report, and reduce embodied carbon with the EC3 tool.
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Find out how these New Mexico architects deliver high energy performance in a sunny, arid climate.
