Green Architecture
by Patali CHAMPIKA RANAWAKA
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Green Architecture
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After assuming duties as the Minister of Environment and Natural
Resources, more often than not, I was compelled to be confined to a
traditional office of the Ministry at Battaramulla. It is a fully air
conditioned office with hanging curtains from ceiling to carpet and in
the absence of natural lighting it is illuminated by fluorescent lights.
Also, for reasons of security and to keep the air conditioning effective
its windows are eternally kept closed. However, when I visited India
recently, I saw my counterpart occupying an office with glazed
partitions and see through doors, symbolizing his transparency.
As the Minister of Environment, I have been attending a wide variety
of meetings and seminars held in 4 and 5 star hotels which are well
illuminated and air conditioned by external power sources. As these
buildings are designed to suit fossil fuels based comforts, they are
devoid of natural lighting and cross ventilation. Having seen these
buildings and also being the Minister of Environment, I myself had to
ask a very pertinent question. Why shouldn't we go for environment
friendly buildings? After all, we should practise what we preach! I was
determined to initiate the process of constructing a green building for
the Ministry of Environment.
The subsequent consultation we have had with the faculty of
Architecture of the University of Moratuwa - my alumni, convinced me
that it was possible to put up an environment friendly building complex.
As our Ministry had reached the required financial self sustenance, we
decided to build a much needed Ministry office complex and it has to be
nothing but a green building complex.
Our Ministry website carries the following description pertaining to
the proposed building. "The design team worked towards a green building
- a green building is one that is highly responsive to its surrounding
environment, provides the inhabitants with a comfortable atmosphere
inside to live and work, facilitates environmentally sustainable
practices, optimizes the use of energy sources, built of eco friendly
material and devices with environmentally sustainable construction
methods."
When
in use the building can be mostly lit by natural day light.
Natural air circulation is encouraged through the building to reduce
the need for artificial ventilation. Low heat gaining, material planted
terraces located at different floor levels and extensive tree planting
will reduce the heat load inside the building. The rain water that fall
on to the building will be diverted for different purposes, while waste
water will be purified and reused. A considerable share of energy
required will be obtained from solar panels built in to the building
shading devices cladding material finishers and many other components
will be out of recycled building material."
Internal deco, furniture and other equipment and accessories will be
eco friendly and used as carbon storages. The environmental charter and
ethics will be practised when this building is in operation. It would be
a polythene and plastic free building and a strict code of ethics which
is relevant to building maintenance will be imposed.
I am hoping for the best that my dream will come true by next August,
when Sri Lanka could experience the first post modern bench mark green
building based on green architecture.
Buildings and built environment cause impacts on the environment.
Buildings account for land use, energy and water consumption,
changing air quality, an impact on bio diversity.
Filling of wetlands and clearing of wildlife habitats would cause
serious adverse effects on other species. If we consider the so-called
developed world, people are concentrated in cities and buildings
consuming over 40% of the total energy. Exploring sustainable or green
design practices, sustainable or green architecture, sustainable or
green landscaping providing sustainable or green domestic - office,
machinery and furniture are of paramount importance. Scarcity of
building materials and fossil fuels, environmental pollution - specially
global warming have forced us to practice the above mentioned
sustainable practices.
The sustainable design is generally defined as a philosophy of
designing buildings and build environment to comply with the principles
of economic, social and ecological sustainability. In order to achieve
this sustainability there are a few common principles that are being
adopted.
Using of low impact material - non toxic, sustainably produced or
recycled material which requires little energy to process.
Emphasizing the less energy usage and comply with the renewable
energy sources.
Enhancing
the quality and durability
Harmonizing the ecological stability so that eco boundaries could be
used as building parameters enabling constant reuse of material.
Enhancing the renewability so that materials should come from nearby
environment and could be simply reused or recycled when its usefulness
is exhausted.
Improving the healthiness of the building emphasizing the air
quality, noise and other health problems.
Eliminating the concept of waste
Respecting the relationship between spirit and matter.
Based on these principles sustainable or green architecture is being
evolved. The aim of the green architecture is to design sustainable
buildings. It tries to reduce the collective environmental impact,
during the design stage, sighting of the building, production of the
building material, construction process, and maintenance of the building
and finally the demolishing stage after the life cycle of the building.
Nowadays we could see zero emission buildings which generate their
own energy.
On site power generation using solar technology, wind power, ground
source, and heat pumps are now commonly available. The rain water
harvesting for washing, gardening and even recharging and making green
roof that simply filter and purify water and control the storm water
run-off are now developed.
Planning of outdoor space in a sustainable manner could be termed as
sustainable landscape architecture. Another important field is natural
architecture which constructs structures using organic material which
are finally decomposable and create living landscape. Natural
architecture is a very skilful art which harmonizers our soul and
ecological phenomenon in an aesthetic manner.
Sustainable
production of domestic machinery and furniture could be another
important aspect when we are talking about green buildings.
Furniture, home appliances even automobiles should be designed to
recycle and reuse.
The manufacturing of such machinery and equipment should focus on
energy efficiency, their carbon foot print and reusability of material
used. Various other things like newspapers, detergents and other things
should also be designed in a way that they could be simply disposed and
decomposed.
If we are to integrate the build environment with other eco systems
we should be inspired by nature. These buildings should be healthy
conserving and diverse and also it should have the ability to unfold
like an organism from the seed within. It is a continuously evolving
phenomena and not a static object.
So there is no doubt that green architecture could make sustainable
lifestyle possible without sacrificing the modern day comforts and a
stylish home.
(The writer is the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources.)
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