Sustainability is really about ensuring that our actions today don’t have an adverse effect on the ability of present and future generations to live comfortably on this earth. It is very much a design challenge because it also involves making sure we are able to meet our requirements in ways that are socially just, environmentally friendly, and economically feasible.

Sustainability And Sustainable Design

Sustainable design is a design concept that aims to improve the health and comfort of building inhabitants while adhering to the sustainability principles of the environment. Building performance is improved by sustainable design, which also aims to minimize harmful effects on the environment, the health, and well-being of building occupants. Reduced use of non-renewable resources, reduced waste, and the creation of healthy, productive environments are the main goals of sustainability.

The goal of sustainability, or ecological design, is to make sure that how we use the resources that are currently available does not have long-term negative impacts on our collective well-being, or make it impossible to obtain resources for alternative uses.

Sustainable Technology

Sustainable technologies are those that consume less energy, less finite resources, don’t deplete natural resources, don’t directly or indirectly contaminate the environment, and can be recycled or reused once they’ve served their purpose. They could also be technology that provides feedback in the form of data or warnings that can be examined to reduce environmental footprints, assisting in the identification of potential growth areas.

Applications of Sustainable Design

Sustainable design has numerous applications, spanning from macrocosm (buildings, cities, and the physical surface of the Earth) to microcosm (little objects for daily use). It also has applications in sustainable architectural design, green design, engineering design, interior design, and urban planning, among other things.

Sustainable Architectural Design

Sustainable architectural design is the process of developing structures with the least possible negative influence on the environment. It lessens the detrimental effects of construction on the environment, while also promoting the health of the building’s residents.

Sustainable architectural design aims to reduce the negative environmental effects of buildings by improving efficiency and moderation in the use of resources, including materials, energy, development space, and the wider ecosystem. While designing the built environment, sustainable architecture takes a deliberate approach to energy and ecological conservation.

The emphasis of this design strategy is on the effectiveness of heating and cooling systems, alternative energy sources like solar hot water, appropriate building siting, recycled building materials, on-site power generation via solar technology, ground source heat pumps, and wind power, rainwater harvesting for washing, gardening, and aquifer recharge, and on-site waste management via green roofs that filter and regulate stormwater runoff. At every stage of the project, from site selection to project implementation, the design team, architects, engineers, and the client must work closely together.

Green Design

The terms “green design” and “environmentally sustainable design” are frequently used interchangeably. It is the act of building things utilizing environmentally friendly methods. There is a heated discussion regarding this, with some contending that sustainable design, which considers a bigger system, is really more expansive than green design. Sustainable design has the potential to have a greater impact than green design, which concentrates on short-term objectives, yet it is still a noble goal. It is a step in the creation of a sustainable design.

Sustainable Engineering Design

Sustainable engineering is the process of creating or operating systems so that they use energy and resources in a way that does not jeopardize the environment or the capacity of future generations to meet their own needs. Common engineering areas of interest include water supply, production, sanitation, cleaning up pollution and waste sites, restoring natural habitats, etc.

Indoor Design

One of the fundamental principles in the practice of interior design is to create a beautiful and healthy atmosphere for the people who use a place. Interior design can include the research and engagement of utility, accessibility, and aesthetics to eco – friendly materials while placing emphasis on the sustainable parts of the art. The indoor environment must be included into the overall structure’s integrated design because it is also important.

Sustainable Urban Planning

The task of creating and planning a city’s layout so that it has a low carbon footprint, higher air quality, relies on more sustainable sources of energy, and has a positive interaction with the environment is known as sustainable urban design. Innovative and useful methods to land use and its effects on natural resources are also developed through this type of planning. The welfare of people and their communities is improved by effective sustainable land use planning, which transforms urban areas and neighborhoods into healthier, more functional places.

Sustainable Building Materials

Environmentally friendly materials, usually referred to as green building materials, are those that have been produced, installed, and maintained using methods that have a minimal negative impact on the environment. They should come from resources in the region where the building activity will take place; in other words, they must be local materials. They must also be strong, reusable, or recyclable.

Recycled Materials

Reclaimed wood and recycled copper are two examples of materials that are frequently used in sustainable design. The amount of embodied energy decreases in direct proportion to the decrease in the use of new materials (energy used in the production of materials). In an effort to prevent pointless construction, sustainable architects frequently make an effort to adapt older buildings to meet modern needs. When appropriate, repurposed and salvaged architectural materials are utilized. Any good wood that is left behind after the demolition of ancient structures is typically salvaged, restored, and sold as flooring. Any decent dimension stone is recycled in a similar way. Numerous additional components, including doors, windows, mantels, and hardware, are also reused to cut down on the consumption of new goods.

Lower Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)

The use of low-impact building materials should be employed across all parts of the building. For instance, insulation can be made from low-VOC (volatile organic compound) emitting materials like recycled denim or cellulose insulation rather than building insulation materials that might contain toxic or carcinogenic materials like formaldehyde. These alternative insulation materials could be boric acid-treated to deter insect damage. You might use organic or milk-based paints. The idea that “green” materials are always better for the environment or the health of tenants is a prevalent misconception. Many dangerous compounds, such as formaldehyde, arsenic, and asbestos, are found in nature and have a long history of use, often with the best of intentions.

Any interior environment can contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which come from a range of different sources. VOCs are thought to contribute to symptoms of sick building syndrome because of their high vapor pressure and low water solubility. This is because indoor VOC concentrations are higher than those in the external atmosphere, numerous VOCs can have additive and multiplicative effects when present, and numerous VOCs have been linked to sensory irritation and symptoms of sick building syndrome.

A study revealed that while some more “conventional” materials were actually lower emitters, several green materials had significant emissions. As a result, before drawing the conclusion that natural materials are always the healthiest options for inhabitants and the Earth, the topic of emissions needs to be carefully examined.

Artificially Synthesized Organic Materials

Popular building materials like wood need deforestation, which is unsustainable and environmentally hazardous. Scientists have made progress in understanding how to control the conditions under which lab-grown wooden building materials can be conditioned into attaining various desired strength characteristics. The shape, thickness, stiffness as well as mechanical qualities that can resemble wood, are among these features. This alternative would be more effective than conventional wood collecting, with possible energy savings for transportation and forest preservation in the future. This discovery would also alter paradigms and present new economic and environmental issues, such as the employment of populations depending on the timber industry or the effects of conservation on wildfires.

Sustainable Design And Plan

Building Information Modeling (BIM)

Building information modeling (BIM) contributes to the development of sustainable design by enabling architects and engineers to incorporate and evaluate building performance. With continuous and quick access to internally consistent, reliable project information, BIM services—including conceptual and topographic modeling—offer a new route to green construction. In order to support the choices required to create sustainable buildings, BIM enables designers to quantify the environmental implications of systems and materials.

Consulting

Early in the design process, a sustainable building consultant may be hired to estimate the sustainability implications of building materials, orientation, glass, and other physical elements in order to find a sustainable strategy that satisfies the project’s unique needs. They specify the benchmarks that must be reached and offer the metrics and tests necessary to do so.

The best method to satisfy such requirements must be decided by the parties participating in the project. By using performance-based rating systems, such as LEED and Energy Star for homes, norms and standards are formally established.

Building Placement

Building placement is a crucial but frequently disregarded feature of sustainable architecture. Although a remote location is frequently thought of as the ideal for a home or business building, this kind of setting is typically harmful to the environment. First off, these buildings frequently act as the unseen frontlines of suburban sprawl. Secondly, they typically result in excessive auto emissions and raise the energy needed for transportation. In an ideal world, most construction would steer clear of suburban sprawl and instead focus on the kind of light urban growth that the New Urbanist movement advocated.

Water Usage

Sustainable structures explore for methods to save water. Green roofs are one clever water-saving solution that green buildings use. Rooftop plants on green roofs collects stormwater runoff. Its function helps to reduce the urban heat island effect by acting as an effective insulator in addition to collecting water for later usage. Reusing wastewater after treatment is another clever water-saving method.

Effective Waste Management

Waste includes used or useless materials produced by homes, businesses, construction and demolition projects, as well as the manufacturing and agricultural sectors. Municipal solid trash, construction and demolition (C&D) debris, and industrial or agricultural byproducts are some broad categories for these commodities. Including features like grey water systems for use on garden beds and composting toilets to decrease sewage is a key component of sustainable building. These techniques can decrease a home’s trash to a tiny quantity of packaging waste when used in conjunction with on-site composting of food waste and off-site recycling.

Got a project you need professionals for? Let's help you get started on it! You can speak with our professionals at JPC Design Consortium to get you started on your project today. We also give consultation services just in case you need some more information for your project. Contact us right away.