IX Международная студенческая научная конференция Студенческий научный форум - 2017

Every day more and more people begin to think about preserving natural resources. They change their way of life to become friendlier to nature and, as consequence, these changes affect architecture as well. So this idea about environmental responsibility in architecture has arisen. And such architecture has come to be called green or sustainable. Architectural activities are responsible for 50% of energy consumption or even 60% including activities directly related to construction, advertising, marketing and property development, not to mention approximately 50% of the world’s waste disposal and emissions. To match the concepts of environmental friendliness, green or sustainable building must be energy-efficient throughout life-cycle from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition.

Green building unites a wide range of practices, methods, and skills for reducing and ultimately eliminating the impact of buildings on the environment and human health. It often emphasizes taking advantage of renewable resources, for example, using sunlight through passive solar, active solar, and photovoltaic equipment, and using plants and trees through green roofs, rain gardens, and reduction in rainwater run-off. Many other methods are used, such as using low- waste building materials or using packed gravel or permeable concrete instead of conventional or asphalt to improve groundwater recharge.

Although the practices or technologies used in green building are constantly changing and may differ from region to region, the main principles of persistence are the following: siting and structure design efficiency, energy efficiency, water efficiency, materials efficiency, indoor environmental quality enhancement, reduction operation. The essence of the green building is to optimize one or more of these principles. In addition, with the proper synergistic design, individual green building technologies may work together to produce a higher cumulative effect.

Car emissions from people going to and from a building impose a significant environmental cost, and choosing an effective location can reduce this impact. Urban planners with an awareness of environmental problems must decide the most environmentally efficient sites for new buildings. Locating construction near existing infrastructure reduces the need to build new roads. The location of a new building can make a difference in other ways. The greenest construction sites make use of preexisting structures and onsite materials. Instead of destroying a previously vacated building and erecting a new one, the original might be efficiently renovated to serve a fresh purpose.

The energy consumption level of a building is often a good indicator of how green the building is. Buildings use a huge amount of energy for everything from keeping the lights on during late work hours to keeping the heat on during cold winter months. Architects and engineers who design green buildings use different methods to maximize energy efficiency. One popular practice is daylighting, which uses natural light to illuminate a building. Sunlight is easily accessible during daytime hours, when many buildings are at their highest occupancy. Architects can use their knowledge of structural design and the building's orientation to maximize the amount of natural light within the building. During times with sufficient daylight, traditional indoor lighting can be reduced to conserve energy. Designers of green buildings also can use the sun as a source of heat. Depending on the orientation of the building, the sun can be an effective addition to internal heating systems. However, in warmer climatic and seasonal periods, the goal may be to lower the temperature of the building. In these cases, planners use shade, from either trees or surrounding buildings, to keep the building cool.

To be truly energy efficient, green buildings need to be equipped with green appliances. Some models of every type of appliance—from washing machines to water heaters—are more energy efficient than others.

Some green buildings not only save energy, but also produce it. By installing alternative energy infrastructure onsite, some property owners can commit themselves to improve energy efficiency a step further. For example, photovoltaic solar panels on the roof can be installed in a green building. Another could have a small wind turbine located on its property. These local energy sources can also be combined to help make a building self-sustaining or a net producer of energy.

Even if they do not produce their own energy onsite, many green buildings can receive their energy from renewable sources. Solar and wind energy on a municipal scale are becoming more commonplace and more cost-competitive with traditional energy options, such as coal and natural gas. Depending on where the building is located and the energy portfolio of its local utility company, facilities managers may have the option to obtain some of their building's power from renewable sources.

Nowadays we, as architects and engineers, have many opportunities to increase the energy efficiency of architecture and make it environmentally friendly.

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