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Sustainable Design:The United States Subscribes to Europeʼs Green RevolutionA “green” movement is taking the U.S. by storm. Whether it is using public transportation, buying environmentally friendly products, or even constructing energy efficient and ecological sustainable buildings, Americans are zealously embracing sustainability like it was the next hip fashion trend. Indeed, only in the past few years has the “green” movement gone from being derided and denounced to being embraced by the public and glamorized by the media. This excitement is driving the development of “green” technologies at unprecedented rates, elevating “green” design from its previous status as a novel inconvenience to the realm of practicality.Unfortunately, sustainable design in the United States continues to lag behind European nations such as Germany and England. Europe has been leading the sustainability movement since the very beginning, dating back as far Greek and Roman architects who used passive design methods to maximize daylight and thermal retention. There are many speculations as to why Europe has been so dominant. Some say that it is because the EU has been so involved in developing sustainable design principles and European nations are feeling more pressure to innovate. Others site the material abundance that has characterized American life in contrast to the relative lack that existed in many European countries only a few decades ago as an explanation for Europeʼs more sustainable lifestyle. There is also a strong contingent that believe that profit driven corporate structure behind lobbying efforts in the U.S. has squashed green development as unprofitable and therefore undesirable. Nonetheless, the green movement has caught the U.S.ʼs attention, and companies and industries are finding themselves drawn into the more profitable green market.According to the World Commission and Environmental Development or Brundtland Report, Our Common Future, sustainable design is an effort to meet the requirements of the present without compromising the needs of future generations by encouraging the wise and prudent use of renewable resources, alternative strategies for energy production and conservation, environmentally friendly design, and intelligent building technology. Green or ecological design means building with minimal environmental impact, and where possible, building with positive, reparative and productive consequences for the natural environment, while at the same time integrating the built structure with all aspect of the ecological systems of the biosphere over its entire life cycle (Yeang, 1999). It adds that, “Sustainable development is not a fixed state of harmony, but rather a process of change in which the exploitation of resources, the Conaway, Fortune, Kairysdirection of investments, the orientation of technological development, and institutional change are made consistent with future as well as present needs” (Ali 3).Europe is a great model for green technology. They have been constructing green buildings for quite some time and with this they have acquired great examples of technologies and ideas that can be used all over the world. England and Germany are leaders in green technology with England having the “greenest” building in Europe and Germany have the leading manufacturer of prefabricated private environmentally friendly homes. Europe is advanced in comparison to the United States primarily because Europe has seen environmentally friendly houses as a lifestyle where as the US has been doing it for better standings in society until just recently. In the US, Chicago, Illinois and New York, New York are among the leading green cities and green movement regions that are striving towards more sustainable living.One of the leading green commercial buildings in Europe is The Green Building in Manchester, United Kingdom. Conveniently located for the city centre, the Green Building provides a mixed-used complex, created for comfortable, modern and sustainable use. In addition to 32 apartments, there is a 120-place pre-school nursery, a doctor's surgery and 1870 sq. ft., of commercial accommodation set over three floors. The Green Building is one of the most advanced ecological residential and educational developments in Britain. The design offers the smallest surface area related to the volume of the structure, providing optimum insulation and making measurable energy consumption savings possible year-round. Every aspect of the construction and maintenance of The Green Building has been examined to minimize energy waste through radical design. Day-to-day energy use is minimized 'passively' through the design of a highly energy efficient envelope wrapping the structure of the building and 'actively' through installing highly efficient equipment for heating, ventilation and light. The structure is cylindrical in shape, reducing surface-to-volume ratios and reducing fabric losses. Its truncated roof faces southwards, deriving maximum benefit from solar energy. The reinforced concrete structure acts as a temperature regulator. Energy is absorbed into the thermal mass of the structure during warm weather and released during cooler periods. The use of natural materials ensures low embodied energy and thermal performance. The atrium is at the heart of the building's natural ventilation system. Wind pressures and stack effects mean that during the cooler seasons air moves in from low-level intakes and out at high-level openings. The glazed top of the atrium ensures that all main circulation areas are naturally lit, reducing energy consumption. Heat build-up in the atrium is regulated by motorized dampers at roof level. Low flow technologies are used throughout in kitchen and bathroom fittings. Showers, rather than baths, are provided, cutting water consumption Waste separation is supplied and separated items are transported to recycling centers Appliances have been chosen to minimize water and energy consumption. Lighting to the apartments is from sockets at low-level and fixed-connection wall points. 50W low-voltage lights are provided in bathrooms and lobbies. Communal and external luminaries and apartment pendants incorporate low-energy, compact fluorescent lamps. Communal areas are controlled via PIR automatic switches. Heating to the apartments are by a system of embedded floor pipes. Each room, including bathrooms, has its own loop provided by


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CORNELL CRP 384 - Sustainable Design

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