Green Architecture

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Green Architecture

In the contemporary era, the increase in public awareness related to environmental issues has enhanced the significance of green, healthy and efficient homes. The creation of less waste and healthier habitat lies at the very heart of the green architecture. Green architecture caters to the materials used in building, the construction technique used in making them and the technologies utilized to cool and heat them. Besides, green architecture also outlines the means to light the interiors and provision of water and electricity. The United States Department of Energy advances to supplement the application of green architecture by hosting the Solar Decathlon wherein the college teams compete to build, design and operate the most-appealing solar-powered house. Primarily, the green architecture offers a potential mean for the conservation of natural resources through the preservation of resources and discussion of pollutants by utilizing other methods of attaining energy.

Moreover, there exist several architectures advocating for the growth, application and awareness of green architecture. An illustrious advocate for the wood architecture is Michael Green who is an architect residing in Vancouver, British Colombia (Getlein, 2015). His seasoned Wood Innovation and Design Center was established as a showcase for the structural potential of timber. Its height is 97 feet and is deemed the tallest timber building located in North America. The pivot to endow wood with such immense strength to replace concrete and steel is lamination. It comprises the process of gluing together of several thin layers to form a profound thick one. The design was kept simple by Green to assist other architects to imitate the work and sustain the existence of green architecture. A wide range of architects nourishes the essential belief that the path to the sustainable future lies at the very heart of utilizing bio-engineering or biological systems to manifest organic and innovative building materials. David Benjamin is a renowned architect involved in this line of study who leads the Living Architecture Lab of Columbia University and co-founder of a design studio, The Living. Benjamin recently advanced to design a productive architect program to offer the young people the platform to showcase their expertise in the architecture. The prominent feature and outcome of the program were working with guidelines to address environmental issues like recycling and sustainability.

To discuss the advantages of green architecture, it profoundly assists to produce a sustainable living environment and reduce pollution. It is essential to highlight it helps increase material efficiency, water and enhanced maintenance of the structures from the environmental elements. Moreover, it also yields financial benefits as electricity bills are saved by making electricity using the equipment as solar generated air conditioners and water pumps. A significant aspect is supervising the heating in summer and full-time air conditioning in the summer which also offers control over temperature variance. There also exist difficulties related to green architecture as an impediment for the industrial world. The expensive cost, resources and investments further make it challenging for the architects to accomplish goals. Besides, the construction of green structures needs to be maintained through special equipment.

Global Ecology Research Centre is a prime example of green architecture located in Stanford, California. It operates as an office building and a laboratory by cutting carbon emissions. It is an essential wonder of the functional design which hosts a night sky radiant cooling technique. For instance, water is sprayed and cooled by the night air on the roof. Afterward, the cooled water is stored in insulated tanks until it is required to be used.

Works Cited

Getlein, Mark. 2015, LIVING WITH ART. New York.