How Sustainable Buildings Can Contribute to a Better Environment?

We are living in an age where the earth is going through an environmental crisis. From global warming to ocean pollution, natural catastrophic events are increasing greatly. We must shift towards sustainable solutions that helps us to address the issue at hand. Eco-friendly and bio-degradable is the way to go. LEED is a voluntary certification that helps architects, designers and engineers to develop sustainable residential and commercial buildings. The focus is to increase the use of recycled, biodegradable and eco-friendly materials for construction. The chief source of energy comes from renewable sources like solar power, wind, and water. Rainwater harvesting is done to conserve water. Terrace gardens and green roof systems are excellent ways to reduce pollution, keep the building cooler and protect the roof from harmful UV rays. Architects design buildings that have access to natural sunlight, thereby reducing the use of artificial lighting and reducing consumption of energy. Choose best cement for concrete and eco-friendly materials for construction. Plant more trees in the campus to fight pollution. Consider these eco buildings that are making a mark in sustainability:

One Byrant Park, New York City is one of the greenest skyscrapers in the world, with a LEED platinum certification. It has CO2 monitors, waterless urinals and LED lighting. The building has its own power plant that produces 4.6 megawatts of clean, sustainable energy. Shanghai Tower is the tallest building in China, Shanghai Tower, has a LEED platinum certification. The wind turbines installed on the top floor of the building produce energy that is used for exterior lighting and parking areas. Today, most of the global construction projects are using eco-friendly materials and energy efficient techniques to restore and preserve our environment. The cement used for the construction of eco-friendly buildings are OPC and PSC. Portland Slag Cement is a blended cement rich in reactive silica. Portland cement is the best cement for house construction of foundations, the structure of roofs.

The building also facilitates rainwater harvesting. Cor Building in Miami is a uniquely designed building uses innovative measures to promote sustainability. The exoskeletal structure of the building is used for thermal mass insulation, wind turbines, solar hot water generation, natural shading, and cooling. It also has an efficient waste recycling and management system. Council House 2 in Melbourne, Australia has six green star ratings. It has a wind turbine system, sewage recycling, photovoltaic powered sheets among with many other sustainable features. The power consumption of this building is 85 percent lesser than any other building. It has 65 percent less CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions. World Trade Center, Bahrain is a high-rise skyscraper has wind-turbine installed in its design for generation of electricity. Along with being energy efficient, it enables waste management and recycling. This building has been awarded multiple ratings for its sustainable ways.