Understanding green buildings

Lifting up a field as if it was a rug and constructing a new living space in the pocket, protected and out-of-sight as if was part of the natural environment itself. This was the green building vision adopted by famous Italian architect Renzo Piano when designing the new site of the California Academy of Sciences located in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. The roof therefore became a park rich in plants, little animals and insects. The rooms, as transparent as possible, are illuminated by sunlight. Small skylights on the surface open and close like little pores to enable them to “breathe”, also helping to regulate the temperature within. The complex absorbs energy but provides support for many forms of life at the same time; rather than invading their habitat it becomes part of it. Almost as if it was a living being which, respectful of the surrounding natural environment, moves around on tiptoes.

This is the spirit of the green building, a new form of construction which seeks not only to preserve the surrounding area but the environment in general. Revolving around the concept of energy savings, i.e. efficiency, low consumption and renewable energy sources, it can form the basis for the construction of homes, workplaces, tourist accommodation and industrial spaces. And its goal is to impact as little as possible on the planet, limiting the pollution that poisons plants, human beings and animals and all other factors that contribute to climate change.

What is green building?

First of all: where to build? Certainly not in places where a delicate habitat can be endangered. Ideally, where the environmental conditions favour forms of sustainable energy: places that, for example, allow savings to be made on heating and cooling, or which can exploit natural light. In other words the location and the orientation of the construction are of primary importance. Secondly, the new building must be as hermetic as possible, i.e. “sealed off” from the outside, so maximum control can be exerted over its internal conditions. Not just in terms of temperature but also as regards humidity and air ventilation, for example.

Consideration must also be given to the systems, which must consume as little as possible and be fuelled by renewable energies, or which are even able to produce as much clean energy as the structure requires: photovoltaic systems, to exploit solar energy, networks that do not disperse heat, apparatus that can purify water (also rainwater) so it can be reused and not wasted. In both the construction and usage phases the structure must be managed in such a way as to minimise the amount of outgoing waste, necessitating ad hoc solutions for its reuse or disposal.

The choice of materials is an issue that deserves its own separate discussion, a factor of primary importance in the development of the entire ecosystem of the building.

What are green buildings made of?

Environmentally-friendly, recycled – and recyclable – but also produced locally according to ethical principles and not at odds with the surrounding environment, even in terms of their visual impact: choosing the materials with which to assemble a green building is a highly-complex synergy of chemistry, engineering, architecture and design. The most popular choices include wood, reduced into sheets for the creation of highly-resistant panels, lighter than concrete and steel and highly versatile at the same time. Emerging options include bamboo, for the speed at which it grows, for its durability and the possibility of reusing it multiple times and, just as important, its aesthetic appearance and reduced cost.

Then there is paper, cardboard, plastic bottles, scrap metal and fabric: once recycled they can be used, also in combination, as construction materials, for example as substitutes for classic glass wool insulation.

The future is 100% smart

Despite the continuous search for alternative materials, it isn’t possible to imagine a future in which the concepts of green and smart aren’t combined with each other. The construction industry of tomorrow is a landscape of buildings that are able to repair themselves or spontaneously regenerate in the event of cracks or sinking. Or smart bricks that are able to programme themselves to absorb resources from the light, water and air and purify them or transform them into electricity.

And that’s not all. One of the most effective ways of limiting consumption is equipping buildings with networks of sensors that make it possible to automatically deactivate (and vice versa) all unnecessary functions. In other words, we are heading towards constructions that are autonomous both in terms of energy and their functions: the most sustainable homes will also be the smartest homes.

We also need to understand that all of this impacts not only the buildings but also the people that live in them and spend time in them, who will have to learn how to use the new structures in the best possible way. The human factor cannot be ignored when managing such ambitious projects: to be successful they must be supported with culture, education and information.