1. Jan-Feb 2011

SOLUTIONS
Hand pump
Gutter
Down Pipe
Foul fl ush
reservoir with
screen
Sustainable building materials which are low-technology materials
like stone, brick, tile and aggregate, are inert & non-toxic and
preferred over synthetic materials like plastic, acrylic, fibreglass,
etc. Use of recycled materials, lower volatile organic compounds and
Low-emissivity (Low-E) glazing are recomemded.
Overfl ow
Below-ground
reservoir
Screen
Drain tap
A schematic
diagram of
a rooftop
rainwater
harvesting
system
been the major source of fresh water and has supported many
civilizations. Today, it is also being tapped artificially for household as
well as industrial usages through well, hand pumps, bore pumps and
jet pumps. The excessive extraction of ground water has resulted
in receding water table, drying wells and springs. Increased paved
surfaces in the urban areas and high surface run-off have greatly
reduced the opportunity to refill the subsurface aquifer. Increased
garden areas over paved surfaces and surface/ waste water let
onto the gardens rather than connected to municipal drains, not
only saves on water for gardening but also assists in ground water
recharge. Moreover, strategic placement of recharge pits can help
excel the process further.
Adopting new technology, installing low-flow plumbing system/ half
flushing system, front loading washing machine & waterless urinal
and sun-drying laundries are some other examples of water saving
practices. Xeriscaping, which is a landscaping method of using
drought resistant plants, is another excellent way to maintaining a
low water utility garden. It uses techniques to minimize loss of water
through evaporation and run off. Rock garden, for example, which has
low consumption of water, is fast becoming popular.
5. Waste Management
There is a range of solid wastes that come out of a house. They
are usually garbage, paper, plastic and glass. A simple practice of
seggregating those into separate bins can help to manage wastes
effectively. It means lesser time & effort spent for seggregation
at the treatment plants. The garbage goes to the treatment yard
and the rest are taken to respective recycle plants and processed
for direct or indirect reuse. Garbage along with sewage can also be
subjected to domestic waste treatment procedures producing solid
wastes which are inturn recovered as farm fertilizers. The treated
effluent is let into a soakpit. A practice of Septic system which is stll
prevalent in many parts of our country, mainly in the rural areas, is
an effective way to assure that no sewage leaves the site.
6. Material Management
Green building materials are evaluated for life-cycle impact;
energy consumed & GHG emmitted during extraction, fabrication/
manufacturing, transportation, installation and the effects of the
by-products. The idea is to use products/ material fabricated/
manufactured through green processes. The selection is mainly
based on the principle of closed-loop material cycle (CLMC), which is
a construction constituting of materials and building elements that
can be recovered and infinitely recycled through natural or industrial
processes.
It is also a good practice to meet the material needs of a building
from the resources at and around the site. Use of locally available
products including construction materials means less energy
& cost spent on transport and saved time. Aparently, these are
natually occuring materials as well. Bamboo for example is a popular
scafolding material.
Use of natural materials that come from plants/ animals and
minerals/ metals extracted from the ground for construction
is common. It is adivisable that they be grown purposefully or
extraxted in controlled amounts without costing the environment.
Biotic materials include soil, wood, bamboo, porcelain and
natural metalic fibers (copper, bronze, iron, gold, silver, steel).
Use of plantation timber or Composite wood (Engineered wood),
manufactured by binding the strands/ fibers/ veneers of wood/
sawmill scraps together with adhesives, is the way ahead. Other
similar engineered cellulosic products/ vegetable fibers composed
of straw of rye, wheat & rice and sugar cane residue are equally
preferred. It is critical that we avoid rainforest timber. Deforestration
has brought about a major setback to our natural environment.
7. Building Management
An efficiently managed building follows a set of building regulations
throughout its entire life, including the period of its construction.
Managing construction site efficiently deals with:
• Avoiding material wastage through proper storage, handling and
calculations,
• Avoiding wastage of energy for lighting, heating, fabricating and
transporting and
• Using natural & recyclable materials for temorary constructions
(underpinning, scafolds, formworks, shuttering/ centering)
Running a building efficiently means:
• Avoiding wastage of energy; lighting, heating and air
conditioning
• Maintaining services; plumbing, wiring and ducting
• Maintaining machineries and fixtures
• Adopting sustainable technologies
WEBSITES WORTH VISITING:
www.greehomebuilding.com
www.inhabitat.com
www.greenbuilder.com
www.sustdev.org
www.wbdg.org
www.treehugger.com
January-February 2011
www.sustainableabc.com
www.sustainablebuild.co.uk
www.naturalspace.com
www.sustainablebuilding.com
www.sustainablesources.com
www.greenchoices.org
REFERENCE BOOKS
Sustainable architecture: principles, paradigms, and case studies - James Steele – 1997
Big & green: toward sustainable architecture in the 21st century - David Gissen, National
Building Museum (U.S.) - 2002
Understanding Sustainable Architecture – Terry J. Williamson, Antony Radford, Helen
Bennetts - 2003 Sustainable Building Design Manual: Sustainable building design
practices, Vol 02- Energy and Resources Institute, Institut Catalá d'Energia, Asia Urbs
Programme – 2004
The green house: new directions in sustainable architecture: Part 3 - Alanna Stang,
Christopher Hawthorne – 2005
Strategies for Sustainable Architecture – Paolo Sassi - 2006
The Green house: new direction in Sustainable Architecture – Alanna Stang, Chistopher
Hawthrone
Sustainable Construction - Charles J. Kibert, 2008
Living Homes: Sustainable Architecture and Design - Suzi Moore McGregor, Nora Burba,
Trulsson, Terrence Moore – 2008
Green Building: Guidebook for Sustainable Architecture - Michael Bauer, Peter Mösle,
Michael Schwarz - 2009
31
www.spacesnepal.com