INTRODUCTION TO GREEN

BUILDING DESIGN CONCEPTS

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Describe sustainable design concepts that
are addressed within Green Globes for
New Construction 2021
• Identify practices and techniques for designing
a building that reduces energy and water
consumption and carbon emissions

INTRODUCTION TO GREEN BUILDING DESIGN CONCEPTS 1

LANDSCAPING
One of the overarching themes of green
building is to work with the environment rather Use of roof plantings to
reduce the overall storm
than against it. The geographic location of a water volumes associated
site and the localized microclimate are very with the site.
important determining factors for many decisions
throughout design and construction.

Depending on location, the most sustainable

landscaping practice can be xeriscaping, which
Use of non-invasive
requires little to no irrigation. Alternatively, native,
and drought-tolerant
non-invasive, and drought tolerant vegetation can plants
provide a sustainable and beautiful landscape.
Local vegetation is both low maintenance and
requires less irrigation.

A roof can either serve as a place to simply locate

HVAC equipment and systems, or it can work
for the building by improving energy efficiency,
providing an attractive outdoor space for Use of new and
salvaged native
occupants, reducing storm water quantities, and plants
improving aesthetics from adjacent buildings.
Green roofs can act similar to a sponge that soaks cooler in the summer. In the winter, the green roof
up rainwater. Vegetation absorbs/stores rainwater layer functions as additional roof insulation. They
which can facilitate the evaporation process after can also provide gardening or recreation space
rain events. This can result in reducing the storm for occupants. Green roofs require evaluation and
water load for the site. Green roofs can also mitigate consideration of the added structural loading (from
against heat island effect by keeping the building plants, soil, and captured precipitation).

MITIGATING HEAT ISLAND EFFECT

Design the roof with
Heat island effect is the phenomenon where a membrane with a
horizontal site surfaces store solar radiation, such high Solar Reflectance
Index (SRI)
as at parking lots and at the roof. This can create
a significant additional cooling load to a building.

In the absence of green roofs, a roof membrane

with a high solar reflectance index (SRI) should be
considered. White or light gray roofs do not store
nearly as much solar radiation as black/dark roofs
and help reduce the building cooling load.

Other techniques to reduce the effects of heat

island are to divert sun off building surfaces
through shading and planting deciduous trees
that provide shading in the summer and allow Use trees to
sunlight to reach the building in the winter. provide significant
shading of heat-
storing surfaces in
summer months

INTRODUCTION TO GREEN BUILDING DESIGN CONCEPTS 2

NATURAL VENTILATION
Buildings with natural ventilation provide The combination of operable
occupants with a measure of individualized windows and building
exhaust devices/systems
controllability while contributing to improved provides fresh air changes
indoor environmental quality. Like humans, within the building

buildings need to breathe (taking in fresh air

and expelling it). Natural building ventilation is Overall ventilation
provided by operable windows (intake) coupled system will require
sensors and controls
with an exhaust system through the roof. for varying use of
operable windows
The intent behind natural ventilation is to create
fresh air flow that results in whole-building air
changes. The most efficient natural ventilation
systems use “smart sensors” and controls tied Operable windows
that are part of
to the building’s HVAC system that detect open the overall natural
windows. When windows are open, the system ventilation system
provide user control
will adjust to work with the natural ventilation
rather than against it.

DAYLIGHTING
Windows are important for natural ventilation
and for providing views and daylighting. View
glazing is normally considered from a height of
6 feet above finished floor and lower.
Daylight glazing normally occurs from
6 feet above the finished floor and
Provide shading
higher. The taller the windows (above devices to reduce
the 6 foot line) and the higher the ceiling, glare

the deeper the daylight can penetrate into

the interior space providing a more effective
distribution of natural daylight. White or reflective
Use of photo
light shelves can be installed in window wall sensors to maintain
systems to reflect light upward and direct it to the consistent lighting
levels throughout
ceiling to facilitate deeper light distribution. the day using both
daylighting and
To reduce or prevent glare, sun shades can electric lighting

be used (typically a louvered screen on the Provide light shelves

at interior of daylight
outside of the window wall system). Smart windows to direct
controls for lighting should also be provided daylight deeper into the
interior of the building
to dim or increase artificial lighting based
on daylight levels. Smart controls can have a
substantial impact on energy usage, particularly
for frequently occupied building types such as
offices, schools, and multifamily residences.

INTRODUCTION TO GREEN BUILDING DESIGN CONCEPTS 3

ENERGY PERFORMANCE - CONSERVATION
The first place to start to achieve higher energy Design building
performance of a building is with energy envelope using an
effective air barrier and
conservation strategies. detailing to minimize
leaks of conditioned
The design of a building’s envelope is incredibly (heated or cooled) air

important for achieving higher levels of energy

efficiency. Heating and cooling loss can be
Use high-performance
reduced with a well-designed building envelope. roof and wall insulation
systems
Building owners and operators can effectively
reduce energy consumption (perhaps up to as
Use high-performance
much as 20%) by widening the building target insulated window frame
temperature comfort range, increasing building and glazing systems

insulation, and installing high performance

windows.

ENERGY PERFORMANCE - PASSIVE SYSTEM

Many passive energy systems strategies exist and As the air moves through
selection of these strategies can be dependent and to the top of the double
interactive wall, it is tempered
on geographic location, building orientation, (warmed) by the greenhouse
building type, and budget. effect of the system

One such strategy is the double interactive wall

(normally south facing orientation). Think of the
double interactive wall as a “surface-applied
green house”. A well-designed double interactive
wall system can temper (pre-heat) cold outside air
The double interactive
before it enters into the HVAC by as much as 12 wall pre-heats outside
degrees in the heating seasons. Coupled with the air in the heating
season before it’s
use of smart controls to adjust the HVAC system delivered to the HVAC
effort, significant energy savings can result with to bring it to design
temperature, thereby
the use of a double interactive wall system. saving energy.
In the heating season,
cool morning air
is drawn into the
Double Interactive
Wall to circulate

INTRODUCTION TO GREEN BUILDING DESIGN CONCEPTS 4

ENERGY PERFORMANCE - ACTIVE SYSTEM
The use of photovoltaic sun shades and roof
Provide roof structure to
arrays angled toward the sun allows the building support the addition of
to capture energy to offset its usage. While this solar voltaic panels

infrastructure requires a structurally sound roof

and periodic maintenance, solar panel systems
(including battery farm for energy storage) can Solar array is metered
and coordinated/
allow a building to send energy back to the grid calibrated with the
in cases where occupants are using less energy building electrical
systems to recuce the
than the solar panels are generating. use of utility-provided
energy, and, at times,
deliver energy back to
the electrical utility for
future use

ENERGY PERFORMANCE - RADIANT SYSTEMS

Heating and cooling occupants directly is
much more efficient than heating the air
Use radiant heating and
surrounding occupants. Think of using a radiant cooling coils in the floor
or overhead to provide
system as “removing the middle man” in the
direct thermal comfort
thermal comfort process. Instead of heating or to occupants
cooling air first then transferring that energy
to occupants, radiant systems can transfer
that energy directly. Radiant systems can be
accomplished in both the floor plane and Radiant systems are highly
efficient at delivering
overhead. thermal comfort vs.
treated air systems

INTRODUCTION TO GREEN BUILDING DESIGN CONCEPTS 5

REUSE OF EXISTING STRUCTURES AND MATERIALS Incorporate reused and/
or off-site salvaged
One of the most effective methods for reducing
materials in place of new
a building’s carbon footprint is, rather than materials
new materials, utilizing salvaged materials Where possible, expose
from another building. Materials can be reused reused/salvaged
structural systems and
from an old off-site building or from the former materials to minimize
building on the project site. Leaving ceilings covering with other
materials. This approach
open to systems by not including drop ceilings reduces material use
is a popular technique used by architects in an while adding character
to the space.
effort to use less material. This technique is not
only the more sustainable option, but it also
serves a design function by creating an
industrial and trendy feel.

EXTERIOR LIGHT POLLUTION

New infrastructure can produce quite a bit of
additional artificial light to the surrounding
area. Lighting is imperative for ensuring a safe
environment for occupants. When light poles are
too tall and too bright, their light can extend off-
Provide exterior lighing
site into other buildings and properties creating to avoid light trespass
“light trespass”. exceeding the prescribed
Backlight, Uplight, and
Glare (BUG) ratings.
The three main contributors to light trespass
from a site are: excessively tall light sources,
lights without proper directional housings/lenses, Light pedestrian pathways
and lamps that are excessively bright. The goal for egress and safety.

behind reduced light pollution is to prevent light

from escaping the property line, so lights should
be lower to the ground and directed downwards
toward targeted walkways and entrances.

INTRODUCTION TO GREEN BUILDING DESIGN CONCEPTS 6