THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF GREEN BUILDING
MATERIALS
Since the publication of the first edition of Ecohouse many of the concepts relating to environmental impact have become more widely known and the
availability of commercial environmental impact assessment services has
increased. Despite this increase in the availability of information, many architects
and designers still have to rely on common sense and deal with constrains
of budget and location when specifying materials. This chapter aims to
introduce basic concepts and ideas that will help designers develop strategies
for specifying materials which minimize negative environmental impact. A reading
list at the end of the chapter lists more detailed sources of information
about the environmental impact of building materials.
Green Building materials require processing before they are incorporated into a
building; this inevitably requires the use of energy and results in waste generation.
The choice of materials therefore affects the environmental impact of
a building. The processing may be minimal, as in the case of a traditional cottage
constructed from materials found locally, or it may be extensive, as in
the case of prefabricated construction.
Even basic materials have an environmental impact. It is estimated, for
example, that the production of cement accounts for 5 per cent of global
human-made CO2 emissions, about half of which arise from chemical reactions
in the cement-making process and half from the energy consumed in
producing cement (Kruse, 2004).
We can calculate the overall environmental impact of a house if we know
the impacts that result from its day-to-day use and the manufacture and
delivery of its construction materials and components. We can, with this
information, see how the choice of materials affects its impact on the
environment.
It will become clear that calculations to determine the exact impact of
each and every dwelling are, at present, not feasible. This chapter will therefore
refer to a very detailed study of the Oxford Ecohouse, which took
account of the impact of materials selection. It will also refer to other
research in this field and will aim to draw some practical conclusions of use
to the prospective house designer, builder or renovator.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Post a Comment