What Are The Features Of Sustainable Design?

Landscaping & Site Impact

Retaining existing vegetation, planting in a way that takes minimal upkeep and water, and creating building environment that allows native plants and wildlife to flourish are all examples of how landscaping can work with rather than against a building's natural surroundings.

A socially sustainable building is one that takes into account the requirements of its residents and guests. They provide a pleasant and secure setting that is also easily accessible and in keeping with its surroundings.

The following are examples of factors that are integral to social design and construction:

Health & Comfort

A sustainable structure should ensure its occupants' comfort by providing them with adequate room, privacy, ventilation, and natural light. Having the taller walls face north, for instance, shields the inside from the sun in the summer and allows for optimal heating in the winter.

Safety & Security

Using non-combustible materials, low-formaldehyde materials, low-volatile-organic-compound (VOC) paint, and making sure that entryways and paths are easily accessible and well-lit are all good strategies to reduce the likelihood of an accident or injury occuring in a building. Equipment like motion-detecting lights and alarm systems are also viable options for security fixtures and fittings.

Buildings that are environmentally and fiscally responsible have lower operating and maintenance costs over time because of their use of energy-efficient design elements, materials, and equipment.

The following are examples of the role that economics play in design and construction:

Construction Costs

It is important to keep costs in mind during the design phase by making smart choices about things like square footage and construction materials. In order to save money in the long run, it's a good idea to use recycled or locally sourced materials whenever possible throughout building.

Running Costs

After a building is built, it's crucial to factor in the price of upkeep. There will be less need for repairs and replacements to be made to a facility that was built with sustainability in mind, as the use of artificial lighting and climate control will be decreased.

Sustainable Building

Green buildings, or sustainable design as we know it now, are a relatively recent idea. Nonetheless, it has survived in one form or another for millennia by making use of regionally appropriate materials and styles that take into account certain climatic and geographical considerations.

More energy-efficient buildings and renewable energy alternatives were needed as the price of petroleum rose throughout the 20th century, giving rise to the green building movement. The preceding decade's rising environmental consciousness also contributed significantly to the public's newfound knowledge of the way in which structures affect the natural world.

The term "sustainable architecture" as it is now understood in 2019 refers to more than just the use of appropriate materials, the restriction of non-renewables, and the guarantee of energy efficiency. Every stage of the building's lifecycle—from initial planning and design to ongoing upkeep and eventual demolition—must be taken into account for a structure to be considered "green," from the outset to the final recycling of its components. The area immediately surrounding the construction site should also be safeguarded to prevent further environmental harm.

One step on the road to a sustainable building is ensuring resource efficiency across energy, water, and materials. Other steps include reducing and managing waste onsite to keep it out of landfills, using recycled or recyclable, choosing products with a small carbon footprint during production, and buying locally to cut down on transportation emissions.

The direction of a building, the location of rooms, and the size and placement of windows are all important aspects of sustainable design. The use of insulation, sealing, sun shading components, moderate glass, double- and almost double windows, including high thermal mass construction items all contribute to a material palette that is optimised for energy effectiveness and reduced energy use. Many of these ideas are incorporated into passive design, which has been shown to save energy use in green houses as much by as 40 percent.

By using environmentally safe paints and finishes, we ensure a safe and healthy space for future residents. By prioritising materials that deliver both great performance and low maintenance over the long term, this approach provides a durable, environmentally friendly option.

Importantly, the use of renewable energies as a replacement for fossil fuel-driven power sources, along with resource equipment, ocean fittings, LEDs, rain barrels and greywater mechanisms, natural materials, good lighting devices, and roof gardens, among other things, helps bring buildings fairly close to their Net ‘ 0 energy and energy goals.

Sustainable House Designs And Eco Architecture

Clare Cousins Architects/ The Sociable Weaver

The first carbon-positive, 10-star energy-rated, zero-waste, building-biology-inspired home in Victoria is a display home.

Jean Nouvel's Sekisui House and Frasers Property

Using hydroponic walls or horizontal planters, the green landscape covers over half of the building's exterior, providing a pleasant environment for the building's occupants. In addition to providing shade in the summer and solar warmth in the winter, the plants serve as a renewable but annual sun control device.

Australian Islamic Centre

This Melbourne mosque was designed using biophilic principles, and its main double-height prayer space is illuminated by natural light coming through the 96 gold-painted chandeliers facing North, South, East, and West. The louvres on the building's exterior allow air to flow in from different directions.

7 More London Riverside

A high-performance facade provides shade and insulation for the 10-story PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP headquarters at 7 More London Riverside, which also boasts green roofs, heated by solar panels, a combined heat and power (CCHP) trigeneration plant that generates low carbon cooling, heating, and power, and a high - performance building management system that gives each employee control over the lighting and temperature in their individual workspace. In addition to being the first office complex in England to receive the BREEAM "Outstanding" rating, 7 More London Bridge is also the tallest office building in England.

Payette Architects

The new Science Center at the university provides cutting-edge resources for the college's science programmes and students in an open, collaborative environment. Energy consumption in this adaptable space is reduced by 76% when compared to a conventional research centre because to the use of natural materials, roof skylights, chilled beams, radiating slabs, acoustic barriers, and a photovoltaic array.

Bnim Architects

The high school is for a population of largely subsistence farmers in a rural area of northwestern Kenya. By taking into account the challenging climate and local economy, BNIM's design was shaped by sustainability. The complex was constructed to hold classrooms, offices, dorms, and housing for teachers, and it was created using regional resources and local labour, resulting in zero nett energy and zero nett water use.

Opsis Architecture

The Education Center at the Oregon Zoo is a classroom that inspires young zoogoers to do their part for the environment by fostering connections between the constructed and natural worlds. The Center has a number of meeting rooms and classes, as well as a Nature Exploration Statio designed to get people out into nature. The Center has just acquired a LEED Platinum certification thanks in part to its environmentally friendly features like photovoltaic arrays, native plants, bird-safe windows, and rain gardens.

Murphy Burnham & Buttrick Architects

St. Patrick's Cathedral, New York City's most visited religious site, was constructed in the 19th century and recently refurbished in 1949. By installing 10 subsurface wells, fully integrating new machinery, and enclosing the building with energy-efficient glass doors and structure glass walls, the cathedral's yearly energy consumption was reduced by 29% during its 21st century makeover.

Australia’s Most Sustainable Buildings

Sustainable design prioritises reduced environmental impact through increased efficiency and the use of cutting-edge materials and technology. The emphasis is on producing one's own food, energy, etc. Sustainable architecture takes an ecological context into account during the design process. Sustainable design is increasingly being looked to for solutions as the climate problem worsens. There is a wide variety of sustainable building practises around the world.

The Council House 2, Melbourne

In Melbourne, the City of Melbourne worked with architect Mick Pearce and his colleagues to create the Council House 2 building. This structure was planned to include its users as active contributors in its overall design. The climate-regulating façade, for example, was inspired by the surrounding forest. Green Building Council of Australia's six-star accreditation is achieved in great part because to technological advancements. Solar panels and wind turbines are installed on the roof, and it also features a gas-powered power plant and heating system.

One Central Park, Sydney

Located in the heart of Sydney, the One Central Park project attempts to blend in with its natural surroundings. The centre courtyard has been built up to the 21st story, where it now serves as a beautiful green open area. There are 250 different kinds of Australian plants and blossoms growing all over the outside. Two buildings, one with 34 stories of residential flats and the other with 12 stories of service apartments, are situated over a retail floor. A thermal type structures plant provides heating, cooling, and electricity to this complex, which is home to around 3000 people and features 65,000 square metres of commercial and shopping space.

Santos Place, Brisbane

Santos Place has the highest green rating of any Australian skyscraper, a perfect six stars. Many eco-friendly systems have been built into the structure of this 41-story skyscraper. The building is equipped with a gas-powered energy-efficient tri-generation plant, a rainwater collecting system, a greywater recycling system, passive climate control features, motion sensor lighting, etc. The building itself is made up of 20% recycled aggregate and 90% repurposed steel.

25 King, Brisbane

The majority of this nine-story structure was prefabricated off-site and then erected at the construction site, cutting down on waste and saving time. Furthermore, the wood comes from Spruce tree forests that are managed in a sustainable manner. Rainwater harvesting, optimum air conditioning, aluminium solar shielding, energy-efficient lighting, etc. are a few further examples of sustainable design features.

Hopkins Street Affordable Housing, Moonah, Tasmania

Xsquared Architects worked with the Tasmanian government on this affordable housing project. Effective insulation and heating, shared solar panels, and solar thermal water heating are just some of the characteristics of this building. Compost bins, bike racks, clotheslines, and other eco-friendly amenities have been integrated into the layout of many community gardens.

Australian Centre For Indigenous Knowledges And Education

Charles Darwin University's ACIKE at Casuarina, Northern Territory, is a four-star facility. The temperature may be set and there are energy-saving features like LED lighting and air conditioning. The garden made use of collected rainwater as well as greywater from the building's air conditioning system.

Gen Y Demonstration Housing

The layout features plenty of spacious open and semi-open communal areas. Shared areas include a garden, a place to store bicycles and other outdoor equipment, and a common area for residents to congregate. WGV's One Planet Community initiative inspired the creation of this endeavour.

Conclusion

As the prospect of catastrophic climate change becomes more serious, green building practises have greater significance. A building is considered ecologically friendly if it has water and electricity efficiency measures, uses sustainable materials, and has landscaping that respects the site's biodiversity and natural qualities. Environmental design elements include things like double-paned windows, roof vents, window shades, a light-colored roof, and the placement of the water heater near the sites of usage. All new buildings must comply with the Australian Building Code, and all homes and townhouses erected in Queensland must meet a minimum 6-star rating. A socially sustainable structure is one that provides for its occupants and visitors.

The space, privacy, air flow, and natural light it offers must be sufficient, and it must be a secure and safe environment as well. To cut down on operational and maintenance expenses, it should include energy-efficient design features, materials, and machinery. Although the concept of green buildings is relatively new, structures that take advantage of local resources and design have been around for millennia. There is more to "sustainable design" than merely the right choice of materials, the elimination of non-renewables, and the assurance of low energy consumption. In order for a building to meet the criteria for "green," consideration must be given to the structure at every point of its lifecycle, from planning to demolition to recycling.

Energy, water, and material use must all be optimised, trash must be minimised and managed onsite, and products must have a minimal impact on the environment during their creation and use. Buying locally can help reduce emissions from transit. Use of passive design strategies has been demonstrated to reduce energy consumption in green houses by as much as 40 percent. In addition to the use of renewable energies to replace fossil fuel-driven power sources, buildings can get close to their Net'0 energy and energy goals by implementing resource equipment, ocean fittings, LEDs, rain barrels, greywater mechanisms, natural materials, good lighting devices, and roof gardens. The main double-height prayer room of this Melbourne mosque was built with biophilic architecture in mind, and it is lit by sunlight streaming in through 96 gold-painted chandeliers oriented north, south, east, and west. 7 More The Education Center at the Oregon Zoo serves as a classroom that encourages young zoogoers to do their part for the environment, and the London Riverside office complex was the first in England to obtain the BREEAM "Excellent" grade.

Zero nett energy and zero nett water were used in the construction of the high school in Kenya by Bnim Architects, who relied on local resources and labour. The university's Science Center, designed by Payette Architects, fosters an atmosphere conducive to interdisciplinary research and learning by providing state-of-the-art facilities to the college's science programmes and students. The principles of sustainability informed the work of Murphy Burnham & Buttrick Architects. The goal of sustainable design is to minimise harm to the environment by optimising existing systems and using the most recent innovations in materials and technology. The most popular church in New York City, St. Patrick's Cathedral, was renovated in 1949 to cut its energy use by a third.

Users were encouraged to have a hand in shaping the final look and feel of the Council House 2 in Melbourne. The Santos Place skyscraper in Brisbane, Australia, has the highest green rating of any building in Australia, with a perfect six stars, thanks to its gas-powered energy-efficient tri-generation plant, rainwater collection system, greywater recycling system, passive climate control features, motion sensor lighting, etc. This nine-story building was partially constructed away from the actual construction site to reduce waste and speed up the building process once it was finally assembled. Eco-friendly elements include: a shared solar power system, energy-efficient lighting, aluminium solar shielding, efficient air conditioning, and rainwater collection. The garden also used greywater reclaimed from the building's air conditioning system and collected rainwater.

Content Summary

• As sustainable factors like energy efficiency and water management are enforced by state and federal construction laws, contemporary architects are able to conserve materials and design in harmony with their settings.
• As the number of buildings in Queensland continues to grow, sustainability will become an increasingly significant factor from now until 2026, when an estimated 33,000 new residences will be erected yearly.
• A socially sustainable structure is one that provides for its occupants and visitors.
• The use of energy-efficient design components, materials, and equipment reduces the long-term running and maintenance costs of environmentally and financially responsible buildings.
• 7 More London Bridge is the highest office skyscraper in England and the first English office complex to obtain the BREEAM "Outstanding" certification.
• The Oregon Zoo's Education Center is a learning space that encourages young visitors to make a positive impact on the natural world by bridging the gap between the human and non-human environments.
• Originally built in the nineteenth century and renovated in 1949, St. Patrick's Cathedral is New York City's most popular place of worship.
• Sustainable construction methods can be found in all corners of the globe.
• This nine-story building was largely constructed off-site and then assembled at the construction site to speed up the process, reduce waste, and save money.
• are a few more instances of eco-friendly construction methods.
• This structure features high-quality insulation and heating, as well as shared solar panels and solar thermal water heating.
• Many community gardens now include compost bins, bike racks, clotheslines, and other environmentally friendly features as part of their design.