Green School Architects

Green design, also known as environmentally-friendly design, has gained a lot of popularity since its conception. Now that the U.S. Green Building Council is starting to recognize and reward builders, green school architects and other professionals for their efforts on residential projects too, the trend will grow quicker than ever.

Obviously green design is not about choices like forest green, celery green, or lime green colours. And going green doesn't mean that your choices are limited to bales of hay and recycled materials that resemble soggy cardboard and cannot withstand normal wear-and-tear. Green design and green school architects is about the environment - minimizing pollution to the air, water, soil, and more, and about preserving natural resources that are not easily renewable.

To reduce air pollution, green school architects will let you opt for paints and finishes that are water-based instead of oil-based, and when possible, avoid materials containing more adhesives and glues than anything else, like some particle board. The worst cause of air pollution comes from trucks, cars, and other vehicles, so choosing locally-made items is an easy, and often money-saving way to help the environment.

Unfortunately, many of the materials that we are most familiar and comfortable with are all non-renewable resources. Wood and stone are two of the most commonly used materials that fall into this category, and we are now witnessing some effects of depleting supplies. Many wood species now have very unusual grain patterns because the trees are being cut down when they are smaller and smaller in order to keep up with demands. Many species of granite and marble have become quite difficult to obtain, or their colours have changed drastically because the quarries are being exhausted. Green school architects will make you aware that prices on these materials increase steadily even though the appearance, and quality in some cases, is going down.

Renewable materials are those which can be harvested for use and still continue to grow at a reasonable speed. Bamboo (which happens to be 25% harder than oak), unlike trees like oak or maple, continues to grow after being cut - and the same for cork. Green school architects will also advise you that wool, cotton, and silk are all renewable too.

New faucets have water-economizing features built in to them - they allow the same water pressure we've grown accustomed to while using significantly less water to achieve it. Most toilets are now 6-litre instead of the old 13-litre but quality is very important when purchasing a toilet. You would probably like to know how much water are you saving if you buy a 6-litre toilet that routinely has to be flushed two or even three times. New light bulbs last longer and contribute less to what is known as urban glow - a type of visible air pollution often seen over cities at night, like a glowing halo. Your green school architects should also advise you that new appliances are a lot quieter now than their predecessors were; this is an effort to minimize noise pollution as well as improve our comfort levels. If we were each to make a few conscious choices on our next renovation projects, we will have made a positive impact on the environment without sacrificing anything at all.