1. ADAPTIVE REUSE

Instead of new construction, which creates an entirely new building life-cycle, determine if adaptive reuse is viable. How can building materials and systems be recycled and reused?

2. REDUCE BELOW GRADE CONSTRUCTION

Creating designs that go below grade increase the need to build large foundations of concrete. Concrete is a material that contributes to high levels of CO2, therefore, it is important that we reduce the amount of concrete we use in our designs.

3. REDUCE THE BUILDING FOOTPRINT OF NEW CONSTRUCTION

The larger the building footprint, the more site work that needs to be done. Instead of having a large footprint, try to create a condensed, efficient program according to your building type. As a last resort, try to increase the building height rather than building footprint; the larger the building footprint, the larger the foundation.

4. DESIGN EFFICIENT AND LIGHTWEIGHT STRUCTURES (CAN POTENTIALLY BE RE-USED)

Try moving away from using heavy metals since they contribute to large amounts of CO2. Using engineered wood, efficient structural sections, and lightweight slabs are ways to maximize the efficiency of your structure. Designing for easy disassembly can improve the carbon footprint since it could be reused in another project or renovation.

5. USE ALTERNATIVE BUILDING MATERIALS

AIA, LEED, and PHIUS provide standards and materials for sustainable design. Resources like Ansys Granta can help research and compare building materials. Reach out and become a member of a local organization that supports green solutions to learn and share with like-minded people.

OTHER ALTERNATIVES

  • Avoid the use of materials that cannot be recycled. Look instead at materials that use recycled or reclaimed ingredients, maximizing the life cycle of the material.
  • Use materials and design buildings that last. To do this, create room for changes to the building in the future, design ancillary spaces to support anything coming in the future and avoid burying critical infrastructure in a place where it would be too costly to change it.
  • Research and use local materials for your building. Sourcing to local materials reduces the distance of transportation, and in turn, the materials carbon footprint.

Stay tuned for next week’s topic: How to Reduce Operational Carbon.