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GREEN DESIGN BASICS Provided by the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) http://www.asid.org/ASID2/resource/sustainable.asp
Green design is design that goes beyond being just efficient, attractive, on time and on budget. It is a design that cares about how such goals are achieved, about its effect on people and on the environment. An environmentally responsible professional makes a commitment to constantly try to find ways to diminish design's impact on the world around us. It is also a smart way of doing business: sustainable design is the fastest growing segment of our industry. What are sustainable design's key issues and common misconceptions? It is more expensive than other types of design (not necessarily); there are not enough materials to work with (there are plenty, and new ones are launched every week); nobody is interested in green (from people concerned about the environment, to families with sick children, to business worried about lawsuits, more and more potential customers are inquiring about, and requesting, sustainable design). Vast amounts of Mfgr. have listings on their sites of sustainable, recyclable products and materials. Many are shown in their product information materials, or by environmental associations approved, designated Logos. What makes a project or a building green? A sustainable approach to design should create buildings and interiors that 1) are healthier for people and enhance productivity; 2) can be built at market rate and cost much less to operate; 3) use less fossil fuels thus conserving energy, generating less global pollution and saving on operational costs by requiring less maintenance; 4) use less water; 5) manage waste at the highest productive level; reduce impacts on both developed and undeveloped land; 7) minimize the use of materials and use materials with the lowest environmental impacts. Why become a green designer? The number of sustainable design projects continues its fast increase, due in part to the phenomenal growth of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC) a body comprised of architectural and engineering firms, design firms, contractors and developers; federal, state, and local government agencies; and professional associations like ASID, AIA, ASLA, IDC and IIDA. Today's designers find themselves with a significant professional opportunity: to specify and build healthy buildings and interiors using environmentally friendly products and materials that have a healthy impact on clients and the planet. What is LEED and why should I know about it? As with any design specialty, green design needed its own standards. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a voluntary, consensus-based collection of national standards for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings and interiors. It has become increasingly recognized by professional designers as a complete framework for assessing building performance and meeting sustainability goals. LEED Canada Now Guiding Green Building
The Canada Green Building Council has officially launched LEED Canada, which while based on the United States version of LEED-2, reflects the distinct nature of Canadian needs, federal policies and programs, and green building initiatives. Visit the Canada Green Building Council for more information at:
Environment / CGSB Liaison IDC Representative:
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