Top 5 Benefits of Sustainability in Architecture
by M L Manogna
With crises like global warming, depletion of natural resources, and climate changes on the rise, adapting to sustainable living is the need of the hour. Industries like agriculture, retail, transportation, energy, and life sciences are rapidly making the shift to sustainable alternatives. The architecture design industry, too, has made significant contributions to adapt to sustainable lifestyles by implementing green alternatives to conventional building practices.
What is sustainability in architecture?
The architectural style that minimizes a negative impact on the environment through minimal use of resources and strategic design to make the most of natural elements in areas like ventilation, rainwater harvesting, and providing natural lighting to the buildings can be termed as modern sustainable architecture. In simpler terms, it refers to an eco-friendly approach to the process of planning and construction.
Green construction involves following building practices that adhere to the principles of environmental conservation and efficient architecture. There are many ways to implement different types of sustainable architecture, a few of which are listed below:
- Using renewable energy resources like solar panels, natural ventilation, heating, and cooling systems
- Conserving water through rainwater harvesting and the recycling of greywater for gardening
- Including plants, trees and other flora in sustainable architecture features like living walls and green roofs
- Using green building materials like bamboo, terracotta, and hemp or choosing recycled/upcycled materials or sustainable alternatives like bioplastic, and hempcrete
- Designing smaller or adaptive modular spaces with repurposed and recycled elements that can be easily broken down without causing much harm to the environment
Benefits of green building
Switching to green building practices in construction management has benefits galore that can vastly improve the health of the planet while being effective too.
1. Positive impact on the environment
One of the most significant and evident benefits of sustainable design architecture is its impact on the environment. With sustainable architecture ideas in place, you can achieve improved air quality as the design ensures better ventilation and the inclusion of flora in the building. Switching to renewable, recycled, or upcycled materials ensures less waste and in turn, reduces pollution. Reusing resources reduces the negative impact on the environment and help in decreasing the effects of global warming, toxicity, and resource depletion.
2. Reduced costs
The maintenance costs of a green building in India is comparably less as green building practices include designs that help reduce the electricity and water bills. While the initial investments may seem slightly higher, these buildings are fairly easy and economical when it comes to maintenance. Additionally, as waste disposal is minimal when it comes to sustainable architecture, the expenses on waste management, too, are drastically reduced.
As the awareness of the significance of sustainability is rising, more and more people are looking to switch to implementing sustainable architecture into their designs. Eventually, green architecture is likely to bring a better ROI (Return On Investment) too.
3. Balance in demand
The increase in urbanization has caused a disturbance in the balance of available replenishable resources. Sustainable architecture makes use of modular designs that are built off-site, which require fewer materials and can make use of eco-friendly alternatives. This leads to enhanced efficiency and reduces the strain on supplies of resources.
4. Improved quality of life
The use of eco-friendly materials reduces waste and toxins that have a myriad of health benefits. With sustainable alternatives and the reduction of the use of plastic and other harmful materials like VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), there is a reduction in the release of carcinogens and other harmful fumes, which directly increase the risk of several disorders ranging from acute allergies to respiratory damage and cancer.
5. Key to innovation
With the rising need to switch to sustainable architecture and green living, more and more design and architectural firms are coming up with creative solutions and alternatives to conventional architectural techniques. Whether it is the choice of the basic construction material or the inclusion of a modern interior design, an architect, a designer, a construction-company, and a structural engineer have been providing innovative designs that ensure the best for the environment. It also sheds light on the organizations’ contributions to social responsibility.
With the increasing need in switching to an energy-efficient and sustainable lifestyle, green building has become a trend and is being adopted rapidly by the architectural industry. Sustainability in architecture is an essential part of the green revolution in helping improve environmental health as well as the general quality of life.