Defining Green Building

Determining what we mean by "Green" is difficult because there are no commonly agreed to set of criteria to base a definition on.

This section looks at the roots of green building, the various approaches to it, and from that creates a general overview of what it is.

Here we see that Green Building is in some way a fundamental departure from previous building techniques, but in others just an accumulation of additional concerns.  The idea that a building is an ecosystem that is situated in a larger ecosystem (its micro-climate) is so fundamental, that ignoring it can lead to bad results, no matter how many green checklist items a building might brag about.

A Brief History of Building - looks at how we have built in the past and the root of green building

Green Building: What is it? - attempts to define green building in a way that distinguishes it from "conventional building.

Codes and Green Rating Systems - looks at how building codes and green rating systems establish a level of performance for a house

Systems Thinking - a key concept in green building, systems thinking is a significant departure from conventional building

Life Cycle Analysis - a key concept in green building, life cycle analysis is about looking at the impact of a building for its entire life.