Green buildings are planned, designed, constructed, and operated in ways that reduce the impact on the environment and take issues such as climate and energy into deep consideration. The goal of a residential green building is to preserve as many natural resources as possible and create a balance that enables us to live quality lives with smaller carbon footprints.
Green Building Trends
There is a push towards "going green" when it comes to construction and a good reason behind it. Continuing on the same path will only lead to increased resource consumption, excess energy consumption, and ultimately more CO2 emissions. As a result, there are several green building trends that builders and developers are gravitating towards, and their efforts will help to create a more sustainable future.
Walk UPs
Walkable urban places (Walk UPs) have continued to gain popularity among those who wish to contain their footprint and purchase goods and services locally without the need to commute. While sprawling out was once the thing to do, we're now seeing higher real estate and rental prices for walkable communities whether for residential or commercial spaces, and it's expected that this trend will continue as more people pursue active, healthy, and sustainable lives.
Government-Driven Incentives
Numerous governments across the globe are making the shift towards green construction and have introduced programs to help fuel the initiative. Cleaner and more sustainable energy sources come with incentives that make it easier for home and business owners to actively make the switch to greener solutions for commercial buildings, homes, and infrastructure. Government-driven incentives are a big motivator, and their partnership will drive the movement forward in 2021 and beyond.
Caring For Personal Health
While many of the milestones in green construction have already been achieved, the subject of personal health has a strong potential to keep many on track with focusing on and pursuing greener construction solutions. Sustainable materials are not only better for the environment, but they are better for all humans and create happier, healthier, and safer spaces to live and work.
Environmental Resiliency
Preventing buildings from failure due to catastrophic environmental events has become more of a priority in recent years as climate brings new challenges to the surface. In terms of green design, this means developing resilience strategies to combine sustainable materials and construction methods with high performance so that buildings are better equipped to withstand unpredictable weather and other similar events. Many service providers are also developing strategies to combine vital services and monitor energy consumption data to ensure greener and more stable results.
LEED Certification
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification is being pursued by more manufacturers and retailers of building supplies to meet customer demand. These companies have the ability to create more sustainable products that can be used in green construction projects and attract buyers and renters who wish to operate within a smaller carbon footprint. Materials including insulated concrete forms, fiber cement, composites, and steel have green options available for LEED buildings, as does bamboo, fiberglass, natural fiber, and more.
Realcognita Is Up-to-Date on Residential Green Building Trends
At Realcognita our 6 Star Compliance Division is dedicated to ensuring that the highest energy ratings are met. We work with drafting teams to provide packages that are tailored to meet either Australia's code or the Energy Conservation Code (IECC) for our US clients.
