Are green buildings truly green and for how long?

As per the definition interpreted by the What is a Green Building (2018), the projects that would allow us to preserve most of natural environment around the project site, while still being able to produce a building that is going to serve a purpose is categorized as green building. Further to author, such buildings would be able to promote healthy environment for all involved, and it will not disrupt the land, water, resources and energy in and around the building. Meanwhile sustainable construction strategies are too supporting to strengthen the concept of green buildings.

“ Sustainable development is the masterful balance of meeting our own needs without jeopardizing future generations’ ability to do the same”.

The term Sustainability and green building application are key words which opened dramatic discussions and applications within the world during past few decades. Simply, it is mean the quality of not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural resources, and thereby supporting long-term ecological balance of the world.

Although the concepts of sustainability and green building are applicable to human lives and living patterns, the world identified that commencement of the application of those concepts should be started from basic human needs. Later, it is expanded to construction industry also because it can increase the application of suitability and green building concepts from designing and methods of construction of any building or such structure.

The green building concepts is perfect concept which has introduced to the world which is long lasting if we applied it in correct manner.

If we look from the days our antediluvian builds their first concrete structure, today is the day they never expected as future. It is sure that they never wanted to see concrete cities which filled with dust, polluted air and polluted landscapes. But at present, majority of cities which are in developing and not develop countries are almost closed to zero level although they made green gardens on roof tops, although they utilities solar energy, wind power and day light compared to green building concept laid by United State Green Building Council. By understanding that and by living in today, what we are going to expect as future if we continue our present traditional and hybrid construction patterns to another three to four decades.

Day by day, constructions are coming out though out the world just like they are trying to catch-up the moon while in a building. But it is need to understand that, more we go upward more we create black or brown than green because comparing to energy saving and energy generation from building we have utilized huge volume of nonrenewable energy and natural materials for the construction process. If we calculate the payback period of energy that we used for the construction process, if we calculate the payback period of natural resources we utilized for the building construction, the day we could be able to repay them through any green concept, that day onward we would be able to calculate the benefit of green building. Sometime the building may reach to its dilapidated stage or some time they may never reached to that completely pay back day of the building. At last we are adding something to our nature which we could not stop forever. Accordingly, our green building never becomes true greens, because than we giving to the nature from the building we have used lot from the nature to create such a building. Than we saving something to our future generation, we have got benefits from nature extra ordinary.

Green concept vs. application

Green wall, green roof top gardens, green balconies and number of planting options made “ beautiful garden” looking buildings in our mindset. But actually, what is the purpose? Of cause we are supporting to rebuild the plantation cover which contributes to purify more than 0. 000001% of polluted air after the world industrial revolution. That contribution is highly appreciated. Meanwhile we want to rethink, is this green actually become green. Could we be able to cater the purifying process of air through these green gardens comparing to the ratio of releasing polluted air from industrial workshops spread throughout the world, comparing to various air pollution sources. Although we have nicely laid concepts, application is insufficient to fulfill the actual requirement of applying green building concept. How long we need to wait to see that rapid application of green concepts all over the world.

Vertical green over glass walls? We get better protection from insects. We get lower natural lighting and zero fresh air intake. Even such applications are adding additional maintenance cost to the building. Accordingly, what we are expecting to save for future generation from this type of green applications? We have built multi storied building while utilizing huge amount of nonrenewable materials. We used natural floor areas to develop our own needs like huge concrete structures, infrastructures which the land extend could use by our future generation for any other value addition and environment friendly developments. The day is very closer which we will happen to go to miles and miles distance to see conserved forest, birds and plants which were in common in days back. Therefore, it is need to have a demarcation of utilizing lands and removing of existing plantation covers to make green walls and green roof tops.

Application of solar power system is one of another better application to green building which helps to convert solar energy to electricity. But comparing to present day solar panel application ratio with the coal power electricity generation, were we able to reduce the electricity generation from coal power plants due to application of solar power generation systems? Accordingly, what we did up to now is, we are finding solutions to cater present electricity demand using various options. But up to now we never put any single step to reduce the coal usage by enhancing the solar power application.

Natural ventilation systems in buildings? At the inception stage, that concept seems like very efficient. But continually polluted air and dust entering to the ground level floors. Due to maintenance difficulty, present day employers wish to have closed air conditions floors than applying natural ventilation systems. Therefore, prior to punching people to apply natural ventilation systems, we have to ensure that air entering to the building is pure fresh air which not mixed with polluted air.

The sustainable concept is requesting from the society to not to jeopardize the future generation livings. But this is the time to rethink, what is extend of duration that our industrial revaluation going to be end. Meanwhile it is highly necessary to identify the demarcation that we marked as future. Unless otherwise we are never going to save any single area of land to the children who not yet come to the world, never give them opportunity to breathe fresh air and never going to give them the feeling of beautiful nature. That is something different than feeling coming from present so-called green buildings.