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Green Building Fundamentals

In this passage we are going to run you through all the necessary building fundamentals and offer you the alternative green building methods and products needed to make your home a green home. The diagram below will once again illustrate the comparison between the human body and basic building fundamentals. The main reason for this comparison is to illustrate the importance of building a home that will sustain not only human life but its own as well.

Structure

This is probably the most important aspect of any building. The foundations act as the support system of the entire construction. The load of the construction should be supported fully; there are four types of loads;

  • Dead Loads; the weight of the building and all loads that are static, permanent and produce a downward force.
  • Live Loads; these are cause by transit forces like wind, snow and the constant flow of human traffic within the structure.
  • Lateral Loads; these are the same as live loads but are produces from the side like wind.
  • Uplift; this is the load of the wind pushing up on a roof.

Some might say that the real foundation of a home is the earth it’s built on. The constructed foundation however has two main functions. The first function is to securely connect the entire structure to the earth and the second is to successfully carry and sustain all the above mentioned loads. There are two types of foundations namely the pier (skeletal) and the continuous (monolithic). Both are incredibly effective but deciding which one depends solely on the influencing factors of the various loads. With green building both also have their advantages and disadvantages.

What would a home be without walls, windows, doors and a roof?

  • Walls are not only there to keep the outside elements outside but also to distribute the loads to the foundation. The type of wall obviously depends on the type of foundation. Skeletal walls are made up of columns and beams. Monolithic walls can be described as being a single vertical column that stretches sideways to ultimately fill the entire space of the walls. Green building encourages less waste so depending on your foundation it’s time to sit and determine which would produce less waste. A solid steel wall would for example be much less green than a solid integrated mass consisting of either concrete or molded cob.
  • Windows and doors are incorporated as access points for inhabitants, fresh air and light. A green home takes advantage of natural light and encourages the idea of large windows for two reasons; one is to allow loads of sunlight to pour into your home and the other is to ensure sufficient ventilation with a constant flow of fresh air entering your home.
  • On the whole a roof defines a building. It doesn’t have to carry a heavy load due to the fact that it only carries itself and then the direct loads of the exterior elements like wind and precipitation. Certain green homes have solar panels places on the roof. In such cases the roof structure needs to have a few extra reinforcements to be able to carry the load. Skeletal roofs are the most common due to the fact that they are more durable and much cheaper.

We have basically briefly examined all the elements involved in the structure of a building. Now what can you do differently with green building? Here are a couple of alternative methods to utilize to make your home a green home.

It’s difficult to find a solution more efficient than truss roofs. The strength of the triangle and its durability has made it a global success. The wood members are of small dimensions, and wood is renewable so they are able to produce these roofs from small young trees. The only problem with this is the fact that due to global building guidelines this approach has become the norm for any structure. A roof should be designed for each building individually; otherwise you produce waste and inefficiency from missed opportunities.

If you take each building and specifically design a roof for it by only following general guidelines you eliminate problems like;

  • Overusing concrete (in the foundation)
  • Overusing wood (in frames and roof)
  • Pollution from manufacturing excess products
  • Carbon emission from transporting unnecessary products and materials.

You have to minimize your impact in as many ways as physically possible. Yes, using modern products are harmful to the environment but how can you build a home without them. By completely swearing those off you’re bound to build a mud hut in the middle of the suburbs. The basic principle of green building is to use only what you need and nothing more, efficiency is key.

Modern buildings mostly use skeletal structures to create their walls and roof. Those breathtaking skyscrapers commonly associated with large glass panels and concrete columns are constructed by using a sturdy steel skeletal structure. Green building however offers a range of solutions to build monolithic structures with large solid walls constructed from alternative materials like cob, straw, bale and cordwood.

The structure of a building is of utmost important. When you start wrong you’re destined to end up wrong. Other building fundamentals of importance are:

  • Temperature
  • Separation
  • Connection

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions regarding green building or green architecture. Join us in our aim to make the world a healthier place to live in.