263
Designing for
Sustainability
Objectives
After completing this chapter, you will be able to:
Explain the difference between
sustainability and green building.
List six major sustainable design concepts
and explain how they apply to residential
design.
Explain the concept of building
information modeling.
Describe two national certifi cation
programs for sustainable housing.
Key Terms
building information
modeling (BIM)
daylighting
dioxins
ecosystem
fl y ash
geothermal energy
gray water
green building
greenwashing
net zero energy
building
nonrenewable energy
source
persistent
bioaccumulative
toxicants (PBTs)
reclaiming
recycling
renewable energy
source
semi-volatile organic
compounds
(SVOCs)
solar energy
solar harvesting
sustainability
sustainable building
volatile organic
compounds (VOCs)
weatherization
xeriscaping
CHAPTER
11 11
Sustainability, green building, going green—
you have almost certainly heard these terms used
frequently. Surprisingly, many people do not
have a clear understanding of their meanings.
Most of us are aware that our current lifestyles
have had unintended negative consequences on
the environment. We are beginning to realize that
practices that harm the environment, along with
the depletion of natural resources, will have a
long-term effect on our ability to survive on this
planet. Sustainability is a positive response to this
problem. It involves people who are looking for
ways to reduce our “footprint,” or impact on the
environment, and help preserve the Earth and its
resources for future generations. See Figure 11-1.
This chapter explains the concepts of sustainabil-
ity and green building as they apply to residential
architecture and construction.
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