Difference Between Green Building and Sustainable Building

A lot of focus has now been put on generating cleaner energy for a sustainable future, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. People are now focusing more on the environment by dramatically reducing their energy consumption and changing the way they build their office buildings, residential building, skyscrapers, etc. There has been a lot of discussion going on around the topics green buildings and sustainable buildings. What exactly is a green buildings and what is a sustainable building? Well, both are environment friendly design and construction practices that prioritize environment sustainability. We break down the differences between green building and sustainable building.

Green Building

Buildings that are built with thousands of pounds of concrete, steel and other materials are a major contributor to the pollution and energy use. Now, green buildings, as the name suggest, focus solely on best construction practices keeping environment in mind. Green buildings are buildings that are built using earth-friendly products and energy-efficient materials. It is a set of design, construction and maintenance practices that focus on creating positive impacts on the environment and climate. The materials used for the construction or remodeling of homes have some impact on the environment. Now, green building strives to reduce such negative impacts by implementing earth friendly design practices, such as use of renewable energy sources, reducing energy consumption through recycled materials, and minimizing pollution and construction waste.

Sustainable Building

The idea is to improve the quality of life for the people that live or work in these buildings. Sustainable building takes a much broader approach, maintaining or improving the quality of life while minimizing the negative impact of the environment in which it is located. Like green buildings, they incorporate environment friendly and resource efficient practices but also support social and economic sustainability. The idea is to create a healthy, productive environment for the inhabitants of the building. Sustainability is a more holistic approach toward construction that takes into consideration all the elements within the building, such as the materials, the way it responds to climate, insulation, heating and cooling systems, water conservation, waste management, air quality, and more. These elements can be incorporated into the design and construction of a building to make it sustainable.

Difference between Green Building and Sustainable Building

Definition

– Green building refers to a set of design and construction practices that aims to minimize the negative impact on the environment and climate. The idea is to maintain both ecological and aesthetic harmony between a structure and its surrounding environment. Sustainable building, on the other hand, is a building that not only minimizes the negative impact of the environment but also improves the quality of life of the occupants and supports social and economic sustainability.

Approach

– Green building focuses on energy efficiency, using renewable energy sources and reducing energy consumption through better insulation, using materials that are sustainably sourced or recycled. Sustainable building takes a more holistic approach toward construction that takes into consideration all the elements within the building that could impact the social, environmental, and economical factors. The objective of both the design practices is to achieve both ecological and aesthetic harmony between a structure and its surrounding environment.

Sustainability

– Green building means using only environment friendly products and services that should not have any negative impact on the environment. Green design or construction focuses solely on the environmental aspects whereas sustainable building focuses on all three sustainability pillars: people, planet and profit. Sustainability refers to best design and construction practices which make as little impact on the ecosystem and the communities by minimizing the human use of resources. 

Green Building vs. Sustainable Building: Comparison Chart

Summary

Well, both green building and sustainable building are environment friendly design and construction practices that prioritize environment sustainability. While green design or construction focuses solely on the environmental aspects, sustainable building focuses on all three pillars of sustainability: people, planet and profit. Sustainable construction aims to improve the quality of life of the occupants and supports social and economic sustainability. While they share some similarities, sustainable building takes a more holistic approach that goes beyond environmental aspects.

What is the difference between sustainability and green?

Green refers to the environment friendly aspects whereas sustainability means using environment friendly products in a way that does not impact the resources of the future generations.

What is the difference between green and sustainable materials?

Green products are environment friendly products that are made from renewable resources, but green does not necessarily mean sustainable. Sustainable materials are those that provide environmental, social, and economic benefits.

Does sustainable building mean green building?

While sustainable building may refer to green building, but not all green buildings are necessarily sustainable.

What are the different types of green and sustainable buildings?

There are many different types of green and sustainable buildings, including Passive houses, LEED-certified buildings, zero waste buildings, net zero energy buildings, and so on.

Is sustainable and green energy the same?

Green energy is energy produced from existing resources that do not produce carbon emissions and replenish themselves over time. Sustainable energy is the energy that not only meets the needs of present generation but also meets the short and long term needs of the future generations.

What makes a building sustainable?

There are several elements that make a building sustainable, such as energy efficiency, air quality, water conservation, waste management, sustainable materials, etc.

What are the 4 elements of a sustainable building?

The four key elements of a sustainable building are environment quality, energy efficiency, sustainable materials, and water conservation.

What is a sustainable building also known as?

A sustainable building is also known as a “green building” or an “environmentally-friendly building”.

What are the 7 components of green building?

Often referred to as the “Seven Principles of Green Building,” the seven components of green building include land selection and planning, energy efficiency, selection of materials, water conservation, indoor air quality, operations and maintenance, and innovation.

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