INTRODUCTION:

Sustainable or high performance building or green building is the practice which expands and complements the classical building design concerns of economy, comfort, durability and utility. Green building are designed to reduce the overall impact of the built environment on human health and natural environment by reducing waste, pollution and environmental degradation and also efficiently using energy, water and other resources. Also Green Building may incorporate sustainable materials in their construction for e.g. Reused, recycled-content or made from renewable resources and also feature landscaping that reduces water usage by using native plants that survive without extra watering. India ranks third on the US Green Building Council’s annual ranking of the top 10 countries for leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified Buildings. IGBC is the country’s premier body for green building certification and allied services. There are many Green Building projects in India and one of the top Green Building is Suzlon One Earth located in Pune. The building received its LEED Platinum rating in 2010. The principal architect designed the building in such a way that 90% of the building receives natural daylight.

Conventional buildings have a substantial impact on the health and wellbeing of people and the planet. They use resources, generate waste, and emit greenhouse gases throughout their life cycle which can be 50, 75, or more years. Green building is not new. Humans been building with local materials such as mud, straw, wood, and stone, and using renewable energy from the sun, the wind, and water for thousands of years. Today, green building is the practice of designing, constructing, and operating buildings to:Minimize resource use
Reduce waste and negative environmental impacts
Maximize occupant health and productivity
Decrease life cycle costs

A green building :Makes efficient use of land, materials, energy, and water
Generates minimal or no waste
Provides a healthy indoor environment for its occupants
Restores, improves, or enhances the natural environment

Green buildings can not only reduce or eliminate negative impacts on the environment, by using less water, energy or natural resources, but green buildings can in many cases – have good impact on environment by generating their own energy or boosting biodiversity. Therefore, this environmentally responsible and resource efficient should be used in more enhanced way in India so that this practice could reduce waste and negative environmental impacts.

written by -Dr. Shweta Mishra