 |
| Image source: |
In class, I've been studying sustainability in the various components of green architecture. This week we read article about how to choose a renewable material based on a lot of different factors. This article relates to what I'm learning because it's important to know what makes a material green when choosing which material to use in a green home design. It is important to think and learn about these things because they enable us to begin to reverse the damage we've done to our environment.
 |
| Image source: www.arup.com |
 |
Planned obsolescence, complexity, and human vs. machine labor should also be considered. Planned obsolescence is when companies produce consumer goods that will become obsolete, or age and break down in such a way that they can't be repaired, only replaced. "Maintenance-free" products do require no maintenance - because after a while they become obsolete beyond repair. Those products that aren't maintenance-free do require regular refurbishment but because of this they can last centuries. Complexity is, in this case, quite a common-sense principle: the more parts a product has, the more opportunity there is for it to malfunction or breakdown, becoming waste. As far as human vs. machine-labor goes in environmental terms, human labor is much less impactful than a machine's. A person applying by hand a product made locally is much more sustainable than having to ship a machine-manufactured product from a distant factory.
 |
Overall design is a "green consideration that is often overlooked when it comes to designing a sustainable home - a well-built conventional home will probably outlast a poorly built sustainable one. Another pretty obvious thing you should consider doing when designing a green home is setting sustainable goals and making informed choices about your chosen material. If a material earns many green points in one area, it probably has drawbacks in others. The best way to find the right or the "greenest" material is to take advantage of third-party certification. As well, even if a building is extremely green/sustainable/uses only renewable materials and resources, if it's ugly or not likely to make people care about it, it won't be cared for through future generations, once again outlived by more beautiful conventional homes. When picking a material, you should also look out for greenwashing. Greenwashing is falsely advertising products as green, and has a very negative effect on the environment, because people motivated to make green choices may, as a result of greenwashing, think they are making those choices when they aren't. Overall, there are three categories environmental merit can be judged in:
- low overall energy consumption, which can be achieved by using energy-efficient appliances and systems.
- reduced toxins or environmental impacts, a large category which includes recycling, responsibly harvesting producing, durability, reduced waste, and more.
- creation of a non-toxic indoor environment, which is just what it sounds like - keeping harmful toxins our of the inside of your house.
Transportation impacts are also important to think about. The distance your material must travel, the weight of that material, and mode of transportation all contribute towards the transportation impact. The lower the transportation impact, the better.
 |
An interesting concept mentioned in the article was "Comparing Like To Like." This means that once you've chosen your renewable material, its impact can still vary based on the supplier you choose. Whether or not the chosen material was harvested and/or processed sustainable should definitely affect a material's overall "green points" With the current trend towards green home design, a lot of new products are entering the market. They all share a common goal - to improve upon their competitors' environmental performance, affordability, durability, and ease of installation. It is up to each individual buyer to judge for themselves, with the help of trustworthy third-party certifications, which material is green enough to use in a sustainable home design.
