Dear Inspired Readers - Inspired to be Green

Green Building MaterialsThe choice of materials and products used in a building play an important role in the “Greeness” of a project andhas a major role in energy savings, indoor environment and can reduce the environmental impact of buildingconstruction. The LEED and IGBC rating systems are excellent guides which provide a framework for the team towork towards green, although architects and consultants need to go above and beyond the rating systems to achievehigher levels of sustainability.What are “Green Materials”?The “Greenest Material” in the world, is the materialwhich has not been used, and does not exist in thebuilding. It has zero embodied energy and zero carbonfoot-print! This brings us to the core of Green Buildingdesign, which is minimum material and maximumefficiency. The team should validate the design throughenergy and lighting simulations such that no elementof the building is over designed or unnecessary or onlyfor aesthetic purposes. Beauty comes from simple andharmonious buildings, not from add-ons, this conceptis evident in all of Nature’s creations. I believe thatmaterials and products in a building are “Green” byvirtue of how they are used in an appropriate manner.When designing, also consider the “Cradle to Cradle”concept, which was so well developed and articulatedby sustainability pioneer, William McDonough. Anyproduct and material we use in the building should beput back in the manufacturing process after its use in thebuilding. For example, the insulation from a demolishedbuilding should be capable or direct reuse or processedin some way so that it can be made into newinsulation (recycled content) or made into an entirelynew product. Currently, most of our building materialsand systems follow the “Cradle to Grave” system andwe are running out of space for “Graves” in India!A lot has been said about the use of glass in aGreen Building, what is your take on this?A simple analogy; medicines are vital to all life tomaintain health and cure disease. Drug abuse is whenwe use these in an inappropriate way and actually causeharm to ourselves. Similarly, glass is a vital elementin our buildings bringing in daylight and a connectionto the outdoors. Just like drug abuse, when architectsand clients use glass with no respect to the climateand site, it becomes a deterrent to the operating costof the building and health of its occupants. Energyand lighting simulations can help you to optimizethe glass quantity, orientation, shading and thermalproperties as well as guides like ECBC and ASHRAEcan assist in the building design. If used intelligently“Glass can be Green”.