Green building design is the practice of professional architects to plan and build projects such as homes, buildings, and offices in a way that will have an environmentally positive impact. Many architects have years of practice and research on the best methods for green building and are ready to take your green dreams and turn them into a reality.
One thing that usually stands in the way of building an entirely green design is almost always the money. The question: “will there be a return on investment” is always present. Making the investment in green building design, material, and construction may seem difficult. But with new technology, research, knowledge, and materials, the investment gap is closing, making the decision easier.
There are so many options and outlets that green building architects can utilize that there are many ways to protect your investment. It has been proven time and again that going green and choosing environmentally sound building materials pays off in the future.
There are lots of ways that your investment will benefit the earth and the environment, but what about your wallet? Don’t worry; green will grow there too. A study from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory stated that eco-friendly building designs saved 15% more than building with no green additions. There are two factors to consider when focusing on ways to gain the most return on your investment of a green building.
Building Design: The design of the building will be a basis of all eco-friendly options.
The design will allow for certain green materials to be used and will enable certain weather patterns to be utilized as an advantage. The building plans and design are the blueprints that will enable the greenest design options to be used successfully.
Building Materials: The materials that can be used in an office building can range from wood, metal, or concrete.
All of these now have the greener and more sustainable alternatives to them that will yield an eco-friendly and equally strong structure. Bamboo has proven to be stronger than concrete and better for the environment as a substitute for hardwood, while Autoclaved Aerated Concrete blocks are a more energy efficient alternative to regular concrete. It is always beneficial, when possible, to embrace natural materials in your green design. Use reclaimed or repurposed wood or mismatched tiles for the floor.
These are simple solutions that will pay off for you and the Earth as time goes on.
Ways to improve your energy savings can be as simple as recycling more than you did last year, turning off all unnecessary appliances, and using more natural light from your windows will cut down on your electric bill each month.
Green building architects are never going to force you to implement ecological materials or solutions if you are not ready. Asking their advice and learning a bit about straightforward and easy sustainability methods to implement today will help you create a building that will save you money, time, and energy in the future.
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We are a small Design-Centered Practice Studio that promotes cost effective Green Building technologies.
We provide a wide range of services, and no job is too big or too small for our experience. With over 15 years of commercial experience, we can design a wide variety of architectural styles that can fit most needs or tastes.
