Tips on Sustainable Green Home Building Design Materials

By David Leonhardt and Corey Rozon

The environment is in the media daily, from the Kyoto Protocol, Global Warming to the icecaps melting. If things don’t change soon, the future looks bleak, if you listen to the experts.

What no one seems to be discussing is the advancements in the construction and industrial sectors, namely the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system.

“LEED certification will provide challenges to the industry including the need to ensure an understanding of a new generation of materials properties and developing the practices and processes needed to ensure specifications and finished products meet the standards of green building. I am especially exited to be part of this process and in making a contribution towards shaping new building technologies.” Ken Moscrip, President of Paramount Roll and Forming - one of Southern California’s most prominent metal rolling companies.

Consisting of a clear set of environmental performance criteria organized into six categories, the Canadian version of LEED, which is very similar to the USGBC version, is listed below:

Sustainable Sites
Water Efficiency
Energy and Atmosphere
Materials & Resources
Indoor Environmental Quality
Innovation in Design

“Building Green is not a new thing it is the right thing, and we always strive to use the most environmentally neutral building practices and materials. However, construction debris is always an issue, by ordering what we need and using it when we need it, it has helped us to divert as much as possible from the local landfill. There are tradeoffs which we all must take, however protection of our future and wise stewardship of our planet must be one of our utmost priorities.” Justin Linden, President of ServiceBlocks Inc - a home renovations company in Ottawa, Canada.

Benefits of Building Green

Sustainable buildings considerably lower operating and maintenance costs, and these financial benefits are realized over the life of the building:

Reduced energy costs
Reduced water usage
Reduction in resource consumption
Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions

For the construction industry, building green will continue to grow in importance, whether it is because of consumer demand, regulatory requirements, or the cost of energy.

“The LEED process guides designers and builders to make technically superior decisions in a manner that is environmentally responsible. By embracing this process, they are showing commitment to their clients, their profession and the world community at large. It allows them to provide the best design solution for both the owner and the environment.” Vipul Acharya, Durisol Building Systems Inc., a leader in ICF green building materials.

For further information on LEED certification contact:

In Canada - Canada Green Building Council www.cagbc.org
In United States - U.S. Green Building Council www.usgbc.org

The best way to demonstrate that a building is “green” is by achieving LEED certification.

Given the new emphasis placed on environmental issues, sustainable design is becoming increasingly important. LEED is at the forefront of the environmental industry, and can also be used as an excellent marketing tool. LEED can easily be incorporated into the environmental design of buildings themselves, from residential and commercial industry right down to industrial practices.