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Complete Building Drawings Green Building Guide
Going green is good for all involved and easier than ever to do. Complete Building Drawings would like to encourage you to “go green” on your upcoming project. Below is some information to help take your first steps.
The Need for Green
The big picture green is good for the environment, good for business.
You've heard the buzzwords: green, sustainable, high performance, environmentally-friendly,
eco-conscious. When it comes to home building or renovation, all these words
describe the same thing: making well informed decisions.
By making smarter
choices about how you build and the products you recommend and use, you can
significantly contribute to the health, wealth and well-being of yourself, the
families for whom you build, your community, and the world.
Our e Green Initiative
Complete
Building Drawings plans are great starting points as they are practically sized
and easy to apply green building practices to. Remember any shade of green is
a start, so start where you are and do what your budget and conscience will
allow.
Get started
Complete Building
Drawings strongly recommends finding a local green builder to help you achieve
you green goals and share the process with early on. These building professionals
will have a wealth of experience, information and contacts that are invaluable
if you are an “eco-newbie”. Here are some links to help you track down a builder
and other green professionals.
US Green Building Council
U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency
Best Green Blogs
buildinggreen.com
www.greenhomeguide.com
Oikos
Get the concept
Knowledge will
help you take ownership of the choices and commitments you make along the way.
Here are three broad concepts to guide you in the building process. Enjoy and
good luck!
1. Pay Attention to Materials
Look at the material's life cycle:
pay attention to how materials are made, how materials get to your site, how
they will leave your job and what happens to them after the lifecycle of your
building.
Look for Material Opportunities: All things come from the earth
(the cradle) and if they go back to the earth responsibly, that’s a good thing
(Cradle to Cradle).
Choose finishes and construction materials wisely: Look
for healthy finishes and materials that will benefit your indoor air quality
of your home. Toxic air quality is a big problem with traditional construction.
2. Pay Attention Green Building Methods
Sustainable framing:. Sustainable
harvested woods or ecologically engineered framing materials are a step in the
right direction.
Use natural building methods: Mother Nature knows best,
so use natural methods whenever possible.
Manufactured Building Methods
can be greene: Many building methods are more efficiently managed off site.
3. Pay Attention Green Building Systems and Site Planning.
Energy
systems:. Many alternative and high efficiency choices exist on the market today.
Good choices here have long term benefits to you pocket book and the environment.
Heating and Cooling Systems:. Energy efficiency and a low carbon footprint
can be biggest impact in going green.
Water and Waste Systems:. Smart water
usage will lighten your projects environmental impact dramatically
Landscaping
and Site Planning: Many green opportunities in the site development stage of
your project.
Get educated
Complete Building
Drawings wants to encourage you go deeper in your knowledge of Green so below
are great links and resources to help you navigate through it all.
Green building 101
Green building from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
What is Green Building?
http://www.builditgreen.org/
What Makes a Product Green?
http://www.builditgreen.org/
Green glossary
http://www.servicemagic.com/
Glossary.13478.html?oids=
Does it cost more? Because this approach requires more time be spent up front for design people often assume that it costs more. In fact, some architecture and engineering firms have found that sustainable design projects were, between 15-25% more profitable than conventional project.
Some Green products ( See below for more)
http://www.ecoact.org/
http://oikos.com/green_
http://www.builditgreen.org/
http://www.thegreenguide.com/
Get Green services
http://www.
http://www.servicemagic.com/
http://www.lowimpactliving.
www.buildingconcerns.com
www.greenpages.org
www.ecodirectory.com
www.greenhomeguide.com
www.sustainlane.com
