“Alternative” materials in the green building and construction sector

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 270-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate Krueger ◽  
Adam Stoker ◽  
Gabrielle Gaustad
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Energy Resource ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Design Guidelines ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Alternative Materials ◽  
Indoor And Outdoor Environments

Purpose The construction, use and demolition of buildings carry enormous environmental burdens. As one step to reduce a building’s environmental impact, green building design guidelines and certification programs, such as Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, Cradle to Cradle and the Whole Building Design Guide, promote the specification of alternative, non-traditional building materials. Alternative materials carry a variety of potential benefits: reducing the amount of energy and other resources needed to create building materials; creating healthier indoor and outdoor environments; diverting or reducing waste from landfills; reducing the use of scarce, critical or economically volatile materials; and spurring innovation in the building industry. However, a lack of clarity surrounds alternative materials and creates a barrier to their usage. The purpose of this paper is to review definitions of alternative materials in various design guidelines in order to provide context to their specification and usage. Design/methodology/approach Through a survey of green building programs and guidelines, existing literature on alternative materials, and life-cycle assessment using multiple inventory databases, this study tackles the following questions: what constitutes an alternative building material; what are the current barriers to their specification; how are they specified in the most common design guidelines; and do alternative building materials present a “greener” alternative? Findings These results show that while often alternative materials do in fact show promise for reducing environmental impacts of the built environment, by how much can be a challenging question to quantify and depends on a variety of factors. While many green building guides and certification systems provide recommendations for use of alternative materials, the sheer diversity and uncertainty of these systems coupled with the complexity in understanding their impacts still present a significant barrier to their specification. Much work remains in a variety of disciplines to tackle these barriers. A clear emphasis should be on better understanding their environmental impacts, particularly with respect to the context within the built environment that their specification will provide energy, resource and emission savings. Other key areas of significant work include reducing costs, removing regulatory and code barriers, and educating designers, consumers, and end-users. Originality/value Alternative materials are defined and specified in a diversity of contexts leaving the design and construction communities hesitant to promote their use; other work has found this to be a key barrier to their widespread usage. By compiling definitions, barriers and design guidelines instructions while also exploring analytically the benefits of specific cases, this work provides a foundation for better understanding where new, more sustainable materials can be successfully specified.

scholarly journals Dynamic relationship between embodied and operational impacts of buildings

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 70-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saheed O. Ajayi ◽  
Lukumon O. Oyedele ◽  
Jamiu A. Dauda
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Mineral Resources ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Dynamic Relationship

Purpose Buildings and their construction activities consume a significant proportion of mineral resources excavated from nature and contribute a large percentage of CO2 in the atmosphere. As a way of improving the sustainability of building construction and operation, various sustainable design appraisal standards have been developed across nations. Albeit criticism of the appraisal standards, evidence shows that increasing sustainability of the built environment has been engendered by such appraisal tools as Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM), Code for Sustainable Homes (CfSH), Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficacy, among others. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of the appraisal standards in engendering whole lifecycle environmental sustainability of the built environment. Design/methodology/approach In order to evaluate the adequacy of sustainability scores assigned to various lifecycle stages of buildings in the appraisal standards, four case studies of a block of classroom were modelled. Using Revit as a modelling platform, stage by stage lifecycle environmental impacts of the building were simulated through Green Building Studio and ATHENA Impact estimator. The resulting environmental impacts were then compared against the assessment score associated with each stage of building lifecycle in BREAAM and CfSH. Findings Results show that albeit the consensus that the appraisal standards engender sustainability practices in the AEC industry, total scores assigned to impacts at each stage of building lifecycle is disproportionate to the simulated whole-life environmental impacts associated with the stages in some instances. Originality/value As the study reveals both strengths and weaknesses in the existing sustainability appraisal standards, measures through which they can be tailored to resource efficiency and lifecycle environmental sustainability of the built environment are suggested.

scholarly journals The knock-on effects of green buildings: high-rise construction design implications

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Blackburne ◽  
Koorosh Gharehbaghi ◽  
Amin Hosseinian-Far
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Rise ◽  
Construction Design

PurposeThe aims and objectives of this research are to establish whether or not the transition into green building in high-rise construction is practical. This is after considering several perspectives including financial, economic, environmental, and social. This subsequently leads to an evaluation on whether or not the continuation with a standard conventional build of high-rise buildings remains to be the most feasible option. Such objectives, therefore, aim to allow for validation of how and why high-rise construction designs are impacted through green buildings effects.Design/methodology/approachThrough six defined steps, the methodology commences with an introductory section of what it means to build green. This section is further broken down to evaluate what factors are involved in constructing a green building. Furthermore, the life cycle energy (LCE) is used as a framework to evaluate the knock-on effects of green buildings and subsequent high-rise construction design implications.FindingsThrough defining the ongoing relationship of green materials and sustainable design, various implications for high-rise constructions were discovered. First and foremost, it was determined that the LCE is the central consideration for any high-rise building design. In evaluating the LCE, and overall operating energy of the 50-year cycle of a building was carried out. As the results showed, the operating energy represents around 85% of the total energy that is consumed at the end of the 50 years cycle of the building. Precise LCE calculation can lead to a more efficient design for high-rise buildings. As a result, an increased understanding of the current status of green buildings within the construction industry is paramount. This understanding leads to a better insight into the contributing factors to green building in high-rise construction and the construction industry in general.Originality/valueThe potential contribution that can be gained from this research is the awareness that is raised in the research and development of green buildings in high-rise construction. This can be achieved by using certain materials such as new energy-efficient building materials, recycled materials and so on. This research will contribute to defining a new way of sustainable buildings, particularly for high-rise construction. The outcome of the research will be beneficial for practitioners such as design engineers and other related professions.

Factors limiting the adoption of hemp as an alternative sustainable material for green building delivery in Ghana

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kofi Agyekum ◽  
Emmanuel Adinyira ◽  
James Anthony Oppon
Keyword(s):  
Building Materials ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainable Material ◽  
Environmental Threats ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Comparative Review ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
The Government

PurposeThe increased awareness of global environmental threats like climate change has created an upsurge of interest in low embodied carbon building materials for green building delivery. Though the literature advocates for the use of hemp-based building materials, there is no evidence of studies to explore its potential use in Ghana. Therefore, this study explores the potential factors that limit the adoption of hemp as an alternative sustainable material for green building delivery in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachA structured questionnaire was used to solicit the views of built environment professionals operating in construction, consulting and developer firms. The questions were developed through a comparative review of the related literature and complemented with a pilot review. Data were analysed via descriptive and inferential statistics.FindingsOn the average, the majority of the respondents showed a moderate level of awareness of hemp and its related uses in the construction industry. Also, certain key factors like the perceived association of hemp with marijuana, lack of expertise in the production of hemp-related building materials, farmers not getting the needed clearance for the cultivation of hemp, lack of legislation by the government in the legalisation of hemp and the inadequate knowledge of consumers on the benefits of hemp-based building materials were identified as potential limitations to the adoption of hemp as an alternative sustainable material for green building delivery.Originality/valueThe findings from this study provide insights into a less investigated area in sub-Saharan Africa and further provide new and additional information to the current state-of-the-art on the potential for the use of hemp in the building construction sector.

Green Building Technologies

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Jeremy Gibberd
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Technical Detail ◽  
Built Environments ◽  
Global Energy ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Structured Approach

Buildings are responsible for 40% of global energy use and produce over a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. These impacts are being acknowledged and addressed in specialist building design techniques and technologies that aim to reduce the environmental impacts of buildings. These techniques and technologies can be referred to collectively as green building technologies. This chapter describes green building technologies and shows why they are vital in addressing climate change and reducing the negative environmental impacts associated with built environments. A structured approach is presented which can be applied to identify and integrate green building technologies into new and existing buildings. By combining global implications with technical detail, the chapter provides a valuable guide to green building technologies and their role in supporting a transition to a more sustainable future.

GREEN BUILDING AND BIODIVERSITY: FACILITATING BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN WITH BUILDING INFORMATION MODELS

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 116-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Kensek ◽  
Ye Ding ◽  
Travis Longcore
Keyword(s):  
Building Materials ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Visual Programming ◽  
Information Modeling ◽  
Indoor Environmental Quality ◽  
Information Models ◽  
Building Information ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Bird Collisions

Green buildings should respect nature and endeavor to mitigate harmful effects to the environment and occupants. This is often interpreted as creating sustainable sites, consuming less energy and water, reusing materials, and providing excellent indoor environmental quality. Environmentally friendly buildings should also consider literally the impact that they have on birds, millions of them. A major factor in bird collisions with buildings is the choice of building materials. These choices are usually made by the architect who may not be aware of the issue or may be looking for guidance from certification programs such as LEED. As a proof of concept for an educational tool, we developed a software-assisted approach to characterize whether a proposed building design would earn a point for the LEED Pilot Credit 55: Avoiding Bird Collisions. Using the visual programming language Dynamo with the common building information modeling software Revit, we automated the assessment of designs. The approach depends on parameters that incorporate assessments of bird threat for façade materials, analyzes building geometry relative to materials, and processes user input on building operation to produce the assessment.

An empirical survey of the perceived benefits of executing BIM and sustainability practices in the built environment

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy Oluwatosin Olawumi ◽  
Daniel W.M. Chan
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Information Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Empirical Survey ◽  
Building Information ◽  
New Construction ◽  
Sustainability Practices ◽  
Diverse Groups

Purpose The increasing urbanization of the built environment has bolstered the need to promote green Building Information Modeling (BIM) initiative in new construction projects and the rehabilitation of old premises. This study aims to explore and examine the key benefits of the implementation of BIM and sustainability practices in the built environment. Design/methodology/approach The study gathered the worldwide perceptions of 220 survey participants from 21 countries which were analyzed using descriptive and inferential analytical methods. The identified individual benefits of green BIM were further categorized into their underlying clusters using factor analysis. Findings The key benefits are related to enhancing project efficiency and productivity, ensuring real-time sustainable design and multi-design alternatives, facilitating the selection of sustainable materials and components, together with reducing material wastage and project’s environmental impact, among others. The study analyzed and compared the perceptions of the diverse groups of the respondents as well. Practical implications Effective blueprints and insightful recommendations for enhancing the various stakeholders’ capacities to implement green BIM in their construction projects were put forward to achieve the aim of sustainable smart urbanization. Originality/value The study identified salient benefits of the adoption of BIM and sustainability practices. The proper integration of these concepts and the execution of the recommended useful strategies by construction stakeholders, policymakers and local authorities will enable the built environment to reap the gains of its implementation.

The role of facilities management in green retrofit of existing buildings in the United Arab Emirates

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmoud Mawed ◽  
Vinay Tilani ◽  
Karima Hamani
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Facilities Management ◽  
Existing Buildings ◽  
Actual Case ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Green retrofitting is acknowledged as an essential strategy toward achieving long-term sustainability in the built environment. To implement this strategy successfully, the role of facility managers cannot be ignored. The purpose of this paper is to investigate present practices that are used in managing the existing facilities, to highlight the elements that govern the process of green retrofitting, and discuss the efforts and contribution of facility managers in enhancing the environmental performance of the existing facilities stock in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Design/methodology/approach This study suggests that an adequate level of awareness of the benefits of green retrofit amongst owners and decision-makers is mostly dependent on facilities management (FM) professionals, who must establish effective communication channel with senior management. FM professionals in the UAE are well equipped and competent in greening existing buildings and can simultaneously lead a building to the path of achieving green building certification. Findings To examine the role of FM in a green retrofit and its current status in the UAE built environment, a two-step qualitative method was adopted. The study started by conducting semi-structured interviews with FM professionals and then assessing the insights obtained from the interviews against an actual case study of a LEED Existing Building certified facility. Research limitations/implications Interviews were limited to FM professionals in the private sector and the results from one case study should be considered cautiously. Originality/value This paper emphasizes the primordial role of FM professionals in promoting green retrofit in the UAE.

The application and barriers of BIM in sustainable building design

2017 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olufolahan Oduyemi ◽  
Michael Iheoma Okoroh ◽  
Oluwaseun Samuel Fajana
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Design Tool ◽  
Building Information Modelling ◽  
Sustainable Building ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Information Modelling ◽  
Building Information

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore and rank the benefits and barriers (technological and non-technological) of using Building Information Modelling (BIM) in sustainable building design. It also employs the use of a design tool analysis of a case study using BIM compatible tools (Ecotect and Green Building Studio) to determine the environmental performance of a proposed multi-use building at Derby North. Design/methodology/approach The paper explores the benefits and barriers of using BIM through a literature review. Regression and factor analysis were used to rank these benefits and barriers. A questionnaire was distributed to a sample of 120 practitioners with 69 completing the survey. Finally, the paper employs the use of a design tool analysis of a case study using BIM-compatible tools (Ecotect and Green Building Studio) to determine the environmental performance of a proposed multi-use building at Derby North riverside. Findings The key findings of the statistical analysis indicated that professionals ranked the integrated project delivery as the most established benefit, while the lack of interoperability was ranked the greatest technological challenge. Only three of the attributes of non-technological challenges made statistically unique contributions, namely, training costs and software costs, client demand and potential legal issues. It was also discovered that BIM delivers information needed for environmental performance. In a forward-looking approach, the paper attempts to provide some recommendations that would encourage the continuous application of BIM in sustainable building design. Research limitations/implications This paper does not cover all features of BIM functionality, as the scope of BIM is very enormous and the resources of this research were limited. Practical implications The implication of the study is that it will assist in exploring and ranking the benefits and barriers (technological and non-technological) of using BIM while proffering recommendations for future use. This research will be of interest to industry practitioners and academic researchers with an interest in building information modelling. Originality/value This paper contributes with new outlooks aimed at syndicating sustainability with environmental performance and adds to the limited empirical studies on the benefits and barriers of the application of BIM.

Informing sustainable building design

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 194-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathilde Landgren ◽  
Signe Skovmand Jakobsen ◽  
Birthe Wohlenberg ◽  
Lotte Bjerregaard Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Integrated Design ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Design Teams ◽  
Design Decisions ◽  
Sustainable Building ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Interdisciplinary Design

Purpose In recent decades there has been a focus on reducing the overall emissions from the built environment, which increases the complexity of the building design process. More specialized knowledge, a greater common understanding and more cooperation between the stakeholders are required. Interdisciplinary design teams need simple and intuitive means of communication. Architects and engineers are starting to increase their focus on improving interdisciplinary communication, but it is often unclear how to do so. The purpose of this paper is to define the impact of visually communicating engineering knowledge to architects in an interdisciplinary design team and to define how quantifying architectural design decisions have an impact during the early phases of sustainable building design. Design/methodology/approach This work is based on a study of extensive project materials consisting of presentations, reports, simulation results and case studies. The material is made available by one of the largest European Engineering Consultancies and by a large architectural office in the field of sustainable architecture in Denmark. The project material is used for mapping communication concepts from practice. Findings It is demonstrated that visual communication by engineers increases the level of technical knowledge in the design decisions made by architects. This is essential in order to reach the goal of designing buildings with low environmental impact. Conversely, quantification of architectural quality improved the engineer’s acceptance of the architects’ proposals. Originality/value This paper produces new knowledge through the case study processes performed. The main points are presented as clearly as possible; however, it should be stressed that it is only the top of the iceberg. In all, 17 extensive case studies design processes were performed with various design teams by the 3 authors of the paper Mathilde, Birthe and Signe. The companies that provided the framework for the cases are leading in Europe within sustainability in the built environment, and in the case of Sweco also in regards to size (number of employees). Data are thus first hand and developed by the researchers and authors of this paper, with explicit consent from the industry partners involved as well as assoc. Professor Lotte B. Jensen Technical University of Denmark (DTU). This material is in the DTU servers and is in the PhD dissertation by Mathilde Landgren (successful defence was in January 2019). The observations and reflection is presented in selected significant case examples. The methods are descriped in detail, and if further information on method is required a more in depth description is found in Mathilde Landgrens PhD Dissertation. There is a lack in existing literature of the effect of visualisation in interdisciplinary design teams and though the literature (e.g. guidelines) of integrated design is extensive, there is not much published on this essential part of an integrated design process.

Energy consumption analysis of glass house using electrochromic window in the subtropical region

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Wang ◽  
Misheng Lin ◽  
Ke Xu ◽  
Shuyang Zhang ◽  
Hongwei Ma
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Energy Saving ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Building Design ◽  
Total Solar Radiation ◽  
Subtropical Region ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Green Building Design ◽  
Electrochromic Window ◽  
Building Engineering

Purpose Electrochromic window (ECW) has been gradually applied to building engineering in recent years. However, empirical study of this technology used in green building design is still lacking. This study aims to verify the lighting and energy-saving performance of ECW under a specific geographical environment. Design/methodology/approach The meditation pavilion of Jinwan new materials research institute in Zhuhai is taken for research object. Three kinds of sun-shading techniques, namely, ECW, Low-E window and ordinary glass window, with same specifications are selected as the building facade structure for simulation. Day lighting analysis, sun-shading performance and annual energy consumption are separately simulated in the same environment by the Autodesk Ecotect Analysis software. The energy-saving performance of ECW is obtained by comparisons. Findings Result shows that the shading performance of ECW is much better than ordinary window and Low-E window. When ECW is used in the east, west or top lighting interfaces of a building, about 40% of the total solar radiation can be reduced during daytime in summer. Taking the ordinary glass window as a basic reference, ECW can save about 90% of the annual energy consumption of the glass house. ECW can effectively reduce the annual refrigeration energy consumption of buildings in the subtropical region. Practical implications Reasonable use of ECW in the subtropical region can effectively reduce the annual energy consumption of buildings. Originality/value It is a precedent study to analyze the lighting performance and energy consumption of a glass house with ECW. The energy-saving characteristics and beautiful appearance of ECW shall make it a future green building technology.

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