Green Building Basics Guide
This introduction to green building offers the basics behind what green building is all about. From the very first questions like, “Why Build Green?” it goes on to explore various concepts related to sustainable materials, construction techniques and more. Geared towards those new to the world of green building, whether you’re a DIYer or professional builder new to sustainable construction, this guide is for you.
Start here! This introduction answers beginner questions about green building – what it is, what makes a building green and how it’s done.
Learn about the benefits of green building, from reducing your environmental footprint to increasing the return on your investment.
What makes a building material green? This section will show you what criteria builders use to decide whether a material is environmentally friendly.
4. Natural Building Techniques
Discover how natural buildings are made. This section introduces you to the many natural building techniques green builders use today.
5. Green Building Certifications / Rating Systems
There are many certifications and rating systems for green buildings. Learn what systems are out there, what they assess and how they work.
A life cycle assessment is a critical tool in green building. This section explores the methods and benefits behind this holistic approach to building green.
In these pages you’ll learn some green building basics, including what it is and why we should all build green. We’ll walk you through the many terms people use for environmentally friendly building, showing you what makes a building project green. Then we’ll explore all the benefits of green building, both environmental and financial, to show you how building green on your next construction project can help you.
We’ll also get deeper into materials and techniques, showing you what criteria builders use when they evaluate the sustainability of a material. In addition, you’ll learn about natural building techniques and high performance construction techniques that can be used to build green buildings. Finally, we’ll show you some of the most important tools builders use to evaluate exactly how green a project is: certifications and ratings and life cycle assessments.
Read these pages to quickly get an idea of what green building is about. Then proceed through the rest of the site for more detailed information on anything related to going green. We hope these pages inspire you to explore the wide world of green building!