Green building

The creation of ecocities will require us to think deeply about the impacts our buildings have on people and on the earth. We will need ecological, "green" building methods, as well as new ways to arrange buildings and public spaces to form communities.

Consider these initiatives in the building community:

Example: The City of Austin, TX, has introduced the first city-endorsed "green building" program in which anyone building with government funds must demonstrate how they have:

  • Made appropriate use of the land.
  • Made efficient use of limited natural resources.
  • Enhanced human health for builders and homeowners.
  • Used non-toxic, local materials to assist the local economy.
  • Preserved plants, animals, endangered species and natural habitats.
  • Protected agricultural, cultural and archeological resources.
  • Reduced total lifetime energy usage.
  • Made the structure economical to build and operate.
  • Demonstrated recyclability.
  • Created a building that has a positive effect on occupants in the working or living space.

Example: A builder in Chicago is now building homes for moderate-income families that have 2,000 square feet of living space, and he guarantees that they will heat for less than $200 per year or he will pay the difference. He has not paid out a penny yet.

The City of Austin and the Chicago builder are the upside in the move toward "green building." On the downside, the National Association of Home Builders Research Center (NAHB) has completed a study on waste at building sites and found that the typical builder spends $511 per house for construction waste disposal, which includes 790 pounds of solid wood scraps, 458 pounds of manufactured wood, 46 pounds of sawdust, 154 pounds of cardboard, 1,788 pounds of drywall scraps, 155 pounds of plastic, 262 pounds of asphalt roofing scraps, 133 pounds of masonry materials and 21 pounds of paper.

These illustrations clearly demonstrate that homebuilders can take many positive steps to create an environmentally friendly house, but there is still much to be done. It is also very clear that until you, the homeowner, decide that you want a "green building," it is not likely to be built. On the other hand, it is also clear that once you do demand it, builders have been able to respond and produce a product that is not much more expensive to build and, in almost every case, is far less expensive to operate and maintain.

Strategies

If you are seriously interested in "green building" techniques—whether for new construction or rehab— there are four basic strategies to keep in mind. You should be searching for practitioners who can provide them in your project.

  • Optimum-value engineering: While engineering principles have always been used in the design of housing, there has always been a tendency to overbuild and to not effectively use materials in many instances. For example, wood frame walls are built with studs as the vertical members and wooden plates on the top and bottom to hold the structure together. The current practice is to use two or more plates on the top. We now know, however, that if the floor-framing members can rest right where the studs are, it is not necessary to have more than one top plate. This change can save hundreds of feet of lumber and actually helps reduce heat loss through the walls.Thus, it is possible to design and engineer a solid house, while dramatically reducing the waste products produced.

  • Energy-efficient building:You really can build a house that heats for $200 a year if you seal the building envelope (the exterior walls, ceilings and floors of the structure), insulate the building envelope so heat loss is reduced to a minimum, install ductwork that is not leaky, and effectively ventilate the structure so there are sufficient air changes for good health (without unnecessary air changes that lose the heat you paid to generate). In such a house you need a far smaller heating system, which requires much less fuel to achieve a desired level of comfort. And such a house is cheaper to cool as well. The technical know-how to produce such housing and retrofit existing housing is available right now.

  • Ecological building materials. This involves choosing building materials that use the least energy to manufacture or produce, are most likely to be recyclable or are already recycled, and are produced from an easily renewable resource.
    Would you believe that the construction of homes using bales of straw to form the sidewalls is becoming a common construction practice?
    Hundreds of them are beginning to appear all over the country because straw is readily available in nearly every part of the country.
    Moreover, straw bales are cheap to produce, the simple act of harvesting is the manufacturing process and there will always be a supply. When covered with several coats of stucco, straw-bale construction produces a house with insulation R-values in the walls as high as 30.
    The walls are also extremely durable.
    These days there are fewer and fewer big trees to provide lumber necessary to create beams, rafters and joists. So a growing amount of this kind of material is being made from ground-up wood fibers that, when bonded together, create an incredibly strong piece of wood. In addition, plastic bottles can be recycled and mixed with wood fibers to form a composition material that can be used for decks and other outdoor projects This material will never rot and can be reused or recycled endlessly over time.

  • Nontoxic materials and systems. Green building also involves using building materials and systems that do not foul the environment or harm the health of inhabitants. Over the years, the chemical revolution helped us in many ways, but it also has produced chemicals that have been used in pesticides and building materials that have made people sick. The good news is that we have learned what many of these are and have developed safer products to replace them.
    We also have begun to reduce the number of unvented heating appliances we have in our homes, which have contributed to personal injury and sometimes death. We are choosing building materials that do not out-gas harmful chemicals when they are hot and/or wet. We are adopting strategies for controlling moisture and reducing mold and mildew growth and the deterioration of building materials due to these organisms. And we are manufacturing products that will not present health hazards in the first place.

Cleveland catching up

Whether you are building a new home or are thinking of making improvements to your existing home, paying attention to green building concerns will produce a better building, make for a healthier and more effective living space and contribute to the sustainability of our natural resources.

Where can you start looking in Northeast Ohio for help with green building? We have a long way to go to reach the level of resources available in a place like Austin, TX. In other parts of the country, the driving forces behind such efforts have been environmental or climatic concerns, such as water shortages, soil conditions, very cold or very warm or very humid weather.

We happen to live in an area with plenty of water, a temperate climate and cheap natural gas. A building scientist visiting this area once remarked, "You guys can get away with a lot here because you are not dealing with any serious extremes; if you wait long enough the problem will go away." A bit overstated perhaps, but it means that anyone wishing to make strides in green building may have to work harder in a region like Northeast Ohio.

But we've seen a dramatic increase in interest during the past several years. Local groups like the Cleveland Green Building Coalition and Green Contractors Association of Greater Cleveland (lead by Gary Cole) are developing a network of knowledgeable people in the building community. And more building projects in Northeast Ohio are pushing the design envelope each year (see links above).

Resources

  • The Last Straw Journal
  • Cedar Rose Galbraith's The Natural Plaster Book

This article was originally published in EcoCity Cleveland's Greater Cleveland Environment Book (1998).

Back to top

EcoCity Cleveland
3500 Lorain Avenue, Suite 301, Cleveland OH 44113
Cuyahoga Bioregion
(216) 961-5020
www.ecocitycleveland.org
Copyright 2002-2005

 

 

Green building principles
Philosophy of building science
Green building from the inside
Green building codes
Cleveland Green Building Coalition
U.S. Green Building Council
BuildingGreen.com
Jim LaRue's green building site

Other green building resources

Local examples:

Back to main Ecological Design

 

 

It is clear that until you, the homeowner, decide that you want a "green building," it is not likely to be built. On the other hand, it is also clear that once you do demand it, builders have been able to respond and produce a product that is not much more expensive to build and, in almost every case, is far less expensive to operate and maintain.

 
go to home page go to home page

Slot Deposit 5k yang Menawarkan Peluang Menang Besar

Banyak pemain mencari slot yang memberikan peluang menang lebih besar. Dengan Slot Deposit 5k, pemain bisa menikmati permainan dengan tingkat kemenangan yang lebih tinggi dibandingkan biasanya. Ini menjadi pilihan utama bagi mereka yang ingin memaksimalkan kemenangan dengan modal kecil.

Banyak pemain berpengalaman memanfaatkan data harian untuk memilih mesin dengan slot rtp tertinggi hari ini. Ini menjadi salah satu cara untuk meningkatkan peluang menang secara signifikan. Dengan adanya RTP live, pemain bisa mendapatkan informasi real-time tentang slot mana yang lebih menguntungkan. Memilih mesin dengan slot gacor juga menjadi trik yang banyak digunakan untuk mendekati kemenangan besar.

Simbol Scatter Hitam dalam permainan slot berfungsi sebagai pemicu fitur bonus yang menguntungkan. Ketika muncul di layar, Scatter ini memberikan kesempatan untuk mendapatkan free spins atau hadiah spesial lainnya. Dengan posisi yang strategis, Mahjong Slot meningkatkan peluang pemain untuk memperoleh hadiah yang lebih besar dalam setiap permainan.

Skin eksklusif terbaru akhirnya muncul dengan desain yang beda dari sebelumnya dan bikin karakter makin standout langsung cek situs toto. Tips farming yang efisien sekarang banyak dibagi pemain veteran di forum. Lumayan ngebantu pemain baru biar nggak salah langkah.

Slot Gacor dengan RTP Tinggi dan Pola Permainan Mudah

Banyak pemain slot online yang mencari permainan dengan RTP tinggi, dan Slot Gacor menjadi salah satu yang paling dicari. Game ini dikenal memiliki pola permainan yang mudah dipahami dan sering memberikan kemenangan besar. Dengan tampilan modern serta berbagai fitur bonus yang menarik, pengalaman bermain semakin seru. Tidak heran jika game ini selalu menjadi pilihan utama bagi para penggemar slot yang ingin mendapatkan cuan besar.

Dalam dunia hiburan digital yang terus berkembang, banyak orang memilih metode transaksi modern dan cepat, sehingga Slot Qris menjadi solusi praktis untuk menikmati permainan tanpa repot proses pembayaran.

Dalam dunia permainan online, banyak strategi yang bisa diterapkan, namun salah satu metode yang sering direkomendasikan oleh pemain berpengalaman adalah mencoba slot bet kecil untuk menguji pola permainan sebelum meningkatkan taruhan.

Platform Terpercaya untuk Bermain dengan Kemudahan Deposit dan Withdraw

Saat ini, banyak pemain mencari platform terpercaya untuk bermain, dan Situs Toto hadir sebagai solusi terbaik. Dengan tampilan yang user-friendly, pemain dapat dengan mudah menelusuri berbagai fitur yang tersedia. Kemudahan dalam melakukan deposit dan withdraw juga menjadi salah satu faktor utama yang membuat banyak orang memilih platform ini.

Sebagai salah satu situs yang sangat populer, Situs Togel menawarkan berbagai pasaran dari negara-negara terkemuka. Di sini, pemain dapat menemukan pilihan pasaran seperti Hongkong, Singapore, hingga Macau, yang semuanya memiliki hasil pengundian yang akurat. Dengan tampilan yang sederhana namun efisien, Situs Togel memberikan kemudahan bagi pemain untuk bertaruh dengan nyaman.

Banyak pemain togel yang mengandalkan Data Macau sebagai referensi utama dalam menyusun strategi taruhan mereka. Data ini mencakup hasil keluaran sebelumnya yang bisa dianalisis untuk menemukan pola angka tertentu. Dengan menggunakan metode statistik, banyak pemain yang berhasil meningkatkan peluang kemenangan mereka. Selain itu, beberapa situs togel juga menawarkan layanan analisis data yang lebih mendalam. Oleh karena itu, memiliki akses ke data ini sangat penting bagi setiap pemain togel.

Toto macau Sebagai Pilihan Utama Pemain yang Ingin Sensasi Menegangkan dan Hadiah Besar

Ketika membahas permainan angka, tidak sedikit pemain yang menjadikan Toto macau sebagai pilihan utama karena menawarkan sensasi menegangkan sekaligus kesempatan mendapatkan hadiah besar.

Cara Mengenali Pola Slot Gacor Thailand yang Sering Memberi Jackpot

Kinerja stabil dan dukungan teknologi terkini membuat slot server Thailand menjadi pilihan favorit, terutama bagi pemain yang mengutamakan kenyamanan, kecepatan, dan keadilan dalam bermain.

Setiap pemain memiliki preferensi sendiri dalam memilih platform permainan, namun di antara banyaknya nama besar, kehadiran Slot88 di dunia hiburan digital menjadi simbol konsistensi dalam memberikan layanan cepat, tampilan menarik, serta reputasi sebagai tempat bermain yang adil dan menguntungkan.

Registrasi Lebih Mudah Berkat Sistem Berbasis Togel Online

Proses registrasi menjadi lebih sederhana karena sistem permainan kini memanfaatkan Togel Online sebagai elemen pendukung utama yang mempermudah langkah awal pemain.

Skin eksklusif edisi terbatas ini cuma muncul sekali dan tampilannya bikin karakter makin sangar, intip dulu toto togel. Kalau koneksi sering drop coba main di jam sepi. Ping lebih stabil dan matchmaking biasanya lebih cepat.

Skin eksklusif yang baru rilis ini bukan cuma soal tampilan, tapi juga efek animasi yang bisa kamu lihat pada toto togel. Update patch kecil sering dianggap sepele padahal dampaknya besar. Perubahan kecil bisa bikin meta bergeser.

Skin eksklusif edisi terbatas ini cuma muncul sebentar dan efek animasinya bikin auto pamer di lobby, intip toto togel. Update kecil kadang kelihatan sepele tapi efeknya ke gameplay besar banget. Salah build dikit bisa langsung kalah di ranked.

Skin eksklusif edisi terbatas ini bikin tampilan karakter makin beda dari yang lain, detail lengkapnya bisa kamu lihat pada Bandar Togel. Banyak pemain lama balik main karena ada reward comeback menarik. Progress jadi nggak terasa ketinggalan jauh.

Skin eksklusif yang cuma muncul sekali ini lagi jadi incaran banyak player dan detailnya ada pada toto slot. Patch balance kadang bikin karakter favorit jadi makin kuat. Tapi ada juga yang harus rela ganti strategi.

Skin limited lagi comeback dan tampilannya bikin ngiler, cek detailnya pada Situs Togel. Kalau ping kamu sering naik turun, coba ganti server yang paling dekat. Main jadi lebih smooth dan nggak gampang emosi.

Skin eksklusif limited lagi balik lagi dan tampilannya makin sangar, info lengkapnya bisa kamu intip lewat situs toto. Tips buat push rank: jangan egois dan fokus objektif. Komunikasi tim itu kunci biar menang terus.

Skin limited edisi spesial udah nongol dan animasinya gokil parah, list skinnya cek Toto Togel. Kalau kamu sering kalah, coba cek ulang build dan item yang kamu pakai. Kadang masalahnya cuma salah urutan beli.

Pendekatan Realistis dari Berbagai Forum Pengalaman

Banyak forum berbagi pengalaman menyarankan pendekatan realistis, karena meskipun Togel menawarkan sensasi menebak angka, pemahaman probabilitas dan batasan pribadi tetap menjadi fondasi penting dalam setiap keputusan.

Related Links:

Togel178

Pedetogel

Sabatoto

Togel279

Togel158

Colok178

Novaslot88

Lain-Lain

Partner Links