December 29, 2023
Green buildings are eco-friendly buildings that maximize energy efficiency while minimizing environmental damage throughout their life cycle. Since building's energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, like automobile exhaust, are not directly visible, the need for ecological measures for buildings has often been underestimated. However, buildings account for 40% of the world's carbon emissions and 75% of the electricity use rate. Now that resources are depleted and responses to environmental pollution are being pleaded, the architectural industry has begun to join the movement toward green buildings.
Green buildings set the standard for future architecture by adding sustainable values to traditional buildings. Transitioning to green buildings are essential for environmental sustainability and helping building users save energy and lead sustainable lives, as the value of 'sustainability' is applied to architecture. According to Market Research Future (MDFR), the green building market will grow 9.5% more than in 2022 and grow to a size of 1.312 trillion won in 2030.
A green building is a building that is designed to minimize energy use and utilize resources such as natural light as an energy source as much as possible. For example, it is possible to reduce the use of lighting and heating in the winter by allowing natural light to enter the room as much as possible during the day when the sun is up. There is also a way to reduce the use of cooling by using the shading system in the summer. Another way is to use renewable energy systems like building-integrated solar panels. Eco-friendly materials such as bamboo, recycled wood, and steel can also be used as building materials. In addition, maintenance costs, including the amount of water required for landscaping, can be reduced by using local plants from the surrounding environment as landscaping for the building. As such, comprehensive design plans through close cooperation between the architects and constructors are required to consider the characteristics of the building in many ways since the applicable methods vary widely in design and construction.
High energy efficiency and low energy use costs are key features and benefits of green architecture. Since the green building is designed to minimize energy use, it helps reduce the overall energy use rate and usage cost through effective insulation, efficient heating and cooling, ventilation systems, and methods that make the most of natural lighting as a light source. In addition, green buildings use renewable energy, such as solar, hydro, and wind power, instead of fossil fuels. Hence, the cost of energy use in the long run is lower than that of traditional buildings. This low energy use is significant in that it contributes to reducing carbon emissions.
Green buildings use a lot of natural elements for landscaping and interior design. Natural elements such as sunlight, green plants, and trees lower people's stress levels and anxiety. It helps to maintain a stable heart rate. In the case of office buildings, a working environment with natural elements improves employees' productivity. In addition, residents and users of green buildings can indirectly feel a sense of stability and reward in their minds by knowing that their living spaces contribute to the environment.
Green buildings have a higher resale price and rate than traditional buildings when reselling due to their high energy efficiency and modern building amenities. Green buildings also have clear economic advantages considering the economic effects of building value increase and architectural symbolism in local communities in the long run, even though a green building has a higher initial investment cost than a regular building.
Green buildings can reduce water use by using an efficient irrigation system that minimizes waste of water that collects and recycles rainwaters. Reducing water use also has the economic advantage of reducing water costs for building users.
Since the green building considers the entire life cycle of the building, it uses eco-friendly building materials. The options and scope of application of ecological materials may depend on the budget, but a method of minimizing waste from the building is taken. In addition, considering the impact on the environment after the end of the building's life, eco-friendly building materials and construction methods are chosen so that the decomposed building materials can be reused and recycled without going through the chemical process as much as possible.
The green building certification system is operated according to the circumstances of each country. The most famous eco-friendly building certification is LEED of the United States. LEED is graded according to the score of nine evaluation criteria, such as energy and sustainability. There are four grades of LEED: platinum, gold, silver, and certification. Korea also has a green building certification system, G-SEED. G-SEED gives the first, second, third, and fourth grades by dividing the building according to whether it is a new, existing, or green remodeling. Green building certification is essential to increase the value of the building effectively and attract the attention of real estate investors. Currently, countries are implementing environmental policies in accordance with the global urgency for carbon reduction, and environmental regulations on buildings are also actively being implemented. Accordingly, real estate investors tend to invest in green buildings, seeing investment in general buildings as risky. In addition, green buildings have higher rent and sale prices than traditional buildings due to a green premium. Therefore, green buildings have a solid investment value and environmental advantages.
n.d. Green Buildings. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
n.d. 녹색건축의 개요. 한국에너지기술연구원.
윤혜경. 10.13.2011. 지속가능한 그린 빌딩 트렌드. 디자인정글.
성유진. 03.30.2023. ‘탄소 제로 빌딩’이면 35% 더 비싸게 팔리네… 건물에도 ‘녹색 프리미엄’. 조선경제.
Patricia Costinhas. 07.12.2023. Sustainable Buildings: Pioneering a Green Revolution in Urban Design. Impakter.
Rose Morrison. 08.23.2023. Exploring the Economic and Social Benefits of Sustainable Buildings. Earth Org.
05.23.2023. Green Buildings Market Projected to Grow at a CAGR of 9.50%, Reaching USD 1312.12 Billion During Forecast Period 2023 and 2030 – Report by Market Research Future (MRFR). GlobeNewswire.
ArchitectureNow Editorial Desk. 09.11.2023. World Green Building Week 2023. Architecture Now.
Bart Crowther. 07.11.2023. Three green building trends that are propelling the construction industry into the future. The Fifth Estate.
주영재. 08.08.2021. 친환경건축·제로에너지빌딩·그린건축···탄소중립시대, ‘생태건축’에 주목하다. 경향신문.
조수빈. 01.17.2022. 부동산시장의 화두로 떠오른 ‘그린빌딩’. 한국경제.
김남국. 08.2011. 그린빌딩:라이프 사이클 관점에서 접근하라. 동아비즈니스리뷰.