Wk 5_Classmates posts

Post 1:

“Sustainable Development”

Use of sustainability in building construction can help maintain and make the ecological system a balance for the earth and future human beings. The steps taken today, may not show their effects to anyone in their current lifetime, but will certainly make a great difference to the future generations. Proper use of non-renewable resources and utilization of earth friendly materials is key to this situation. To have a sustainable building, architects and engineers are always faced with great challenges. Making the best use of the land to get the most sun and least heat are sometimes challenges for the architect. At the same time, engineer faces difficulties when needing to use different material than the norm and training her team for use of that material as well. Even though the architects and engineers play a vital role in creating a sustainable structure, there are other factors also in play. The other stakeholders in this process include clients, government policies and investors. Investors need to show a profit with their investment and it may not be the most profitable to purchase more sustainable material. If the person investing in this technology and using the LEED guidelines fails to have a proper return on investment, then they are more likely to not go that route. Many clients in the market, they do not know or understand the difference between a sustainable development versus a traditional one other than the cost difference. Governments, like DC, they are in the market for affordable and quick housing for all. Therefore, bringing all these factors together creates great challenges to overcome for sustainable development in new building constructions. However, we need to think about our community and environment to better understand why sustainability is important in new construction. People living inside of sustainable buildings, will see the benefits on their health from sustainable material and savings on their pockets from energy efficiency. It is estimated that building and construction consume much energy to be built. Using more green and efficient manners in the construction can help reduce future energy usage in the building. For example, 72 percent of domestic emissions come from the energy needed to heat a home and water. Use of geothermal heating can help reduce this energy cost by using the temperature difference in the ground to help heat and cool the water and reduce costs. 32 percent of the landfill waste come from demolition of old buildings and the making of new construction. Use of recycled material and supplies that are biodegradable can help reduce waste from landfills. Most of this waste also comes from material that come from non-renewable resources as well and their recycling and reuse is vital. Lastly from the cited article, 13 percent of the products delivered to a construction site are being sent to the landfill due to damage or not being used. 

Therefore, it is important to control waste at a construction site. Items should be specified on proper disposable and proper recycling. In addition, since the use of energy to construct the buildings may not be avoided, it is possible to use more energy efficient systems to help reduce energy costs in the lifetime of the building. Designing a geo-thermal heating and cooling system, utilization of daytime lighting and green roofs can help reduce a building’s long term energy costs. 

Post 2:

1. Why is sustainable development important in new building construction?

It is important in new building construction as a result of the amount of natural resources needed for construction, operation and maintenance. The earth has a limited amount of natural resources and sustainable development ensures the preservation of these resources for future generations to use. New buildings are going to continue being constructed as a result of the growing population, and to regulate and limit the use of large amounts of natural non-renewable energy sources, while incorporating sustainable methods for the buildings' operation and use, sustainable development can drastically control and reduce environmental damages. The USGBC reports that construction accounts for 40% of worldwide energy consumption, and sustainable development policies ensure that environmentally friendly methods are practiced.

2. Describe what you would look for in a sustainable construction site?

I would look for an integration of sustainable construction practices, such as reducing the amount of waste generated during demolition/construction. Recycling salvageable materials and re-purposing them within the same building also would reduce the amount of waste.  Construction companies should try being paperless, for example, Graham Construction in Canada uses a construction management application that can save up to $35,000 in printing costs on a single project and using digital copies of drawings and specs can also reduce the amount of waste on site. Construction sites should have minimal water consumption and rain water harvesting for landscaping and construction. Being energy efficient on site by using solar panels for electricity should also be available. Green spaces and preserving elements of existing eco systems is also an important factor to sustainable sites, such as protecting trees whenever possible.  

Post 3

1. Why is sustainable development significant in new building construction?

   Sustainable development plays a vital role in the construction of new buildings. According to the World Commission on Environment and Development, sustainable development is a type of development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The impact of the construction industry is one of the highest on the environment, and because of that, it is essential to try to invert this trend by changing our techniques and practices and be more sustainable when constructing a new building. The critical component in sustainable construction relies on finding a balance between development and the carrying capacity of our planet. When realizing a new building, it is crucial to focus on the performances of the building to understand if the building is sustainable and which aspects of it could be improved to minimize its impact on the environment. Sustainable development is also very important in new building construction because the philosophy of sustainable development is based on the goal of creating a better built environment where the quality of life has to be better compared to the past. 

2. Describe what you would look for in a sustainable construction site.

   When starting any type of project, the most important thing to do is to analyze the site. First of all, a good architect should take into consideration if the site is sloping or it's flat, and on which direction it is sloping. The reason of doing that is because what we want to achieve when designing a structure is the greatest amount of passive heat gain possible, and to achieve this goal we need to maximize the amount of sunlight coming from the south face of the structure and minimize the glass exposition to the north side of it. Another important aspect that must be taken into consideration when analyzing a site is related to the flow of the water through it. Keeping in consideration how the rain runs through the site is important because the new building should be less disruptive to the site as possible, and trying to preserve the natural water runoff would be ideal. The last but not least important thing to do would be to analyze the surroundings of the site and understand how to design a structure where local materials would be used as much as possible, and this aspect is also reflected in the LEED scoring agenda as well. If a new structure uses local materials that would assign points to it.