Local Materials | The Green Economy Post: Green Careers, Green Business, Sustainability

Facility Management the Unsung Heroes of Sustainability

By Jesse Stallone on April 12, 2011 Comments Off on Facility Management the Unsung Heroes of Sustainability air emissions, Architectural Design, business sustainability, carbon footprint, corporate social responsibility, Electronic Recyclers International, energy efficiency, Facilities Management, FacilitiesNet, facility emergency management, green building, HVAC, indoor air quality, International Facility Management Association, Jesse Stallone, Joel Makeower, local materials, storm runoff, Strategies For The Green Economy, sustainability, sustainability initiatives, threat assessment, wastewater management, water quality, water use restrictions

This post highlights how facilities management is an important, if often unsung part of so many businesses… any businesses with facilities, in fact. Sustainable facilities management is an area that can have a profound and near term impact on overall business sustainability. Very large potential energy savings and hence carbon footprint reduction could be realized in facilities management areas such as HVAC or lighting for example; the embodied energy of facilities — their materials and recurring requirements; how runoff is handled and so forth all are areas in which sustainable facilities management can really impact the triple bottom line in a positive way.

The Green (or Sustainable) Building: Part III – The Importance of Location, Orientation and Landscaping

By Chris de Morsella on May 6, 2009 Comments Off on The Green (or Sustainable) Building: Part III – The Importance of Location, Orientation and Landscaping bicycle friendly, brownfield, construction waste reuse, electric grid, energy efficiency, environmental design, environmental impact, gas utility, green Buildings, green landscaping, greenfield, healthful building, inner city, inner environment, landfill, landscape, local labor, local materials, local regional economy, local sourcing, mass transit, material efficiency, natural lighting, natural materials, natural ventilation, non-toxic materials, pedestrian friendly, rain garden, rain water filtration, recycling, resource-efficient, runoff, sewage utility, storm water runoff, sustainable buildings, swale, transit system, urban environment, Water Efficiency, water pollution, water utility

For new projects where the building site is not already decided, an important green consideration is the selection of a location for the building that fits into the existing urban fabric, especially the existing mass transit network of the city. Prospective sites should also be selected based on how easily they can integrate into the existing electric, gas, water, and sewage utilities. Fitting into a city’s existing infrastructure so that a project has the smallest impact on the existing energy, water, sewage and road systems is the first point at which the green decision making process comes into play. In addition to siting a green building should be oriented and landscaped to make the most of its site ant to integrate into the urban fabric so that it organically fits into it and enhances its surroundings. Orientation and landscaping can have major impacts on a buildings water and energy efficiency as well as on its environmental impact.

The Green (or Sustainable) Building: Part II – Aesthetics, Ambience and Synergy

By Chris de Morsella on May 5, 2009 Comments Off on The Green (or Sustainable) Building: Part II – Aesthetics, Ambience and Synergy bicycle friendly, biodiversity, city landscape, construction waste reuse, ecological structures, endangered species, energy efficiency, environmental design, environmental impact, Germany, green building aesthetics, green Buildings, green roof, green roofs as urban ecosystems, healthful building, heat island effect, iconic structures, inner environment, Jeremy Lundholm, landfill, landscape, livable environment, local labor, local materials, local regional economy, local sourcing, mass transit, material efficiency, micro habitats, natural habitats, natural materials, non-toxic materials, pedestrian friendly, recycling, resource-efficient, storm-water retention, sustaina, sustainable buildings, Switzerland, urban environment, urban environments, urban habitat, Water Efficiency

Many green buildings also seek to promote a green aesthetic and ambiance in their design and in how they are sited within the urban fabric they will exist within. Often these other additional design considerations flow from and are achieved in a synergistic manner by the structure’s other central design goals of reducing energy impact, water impact and providing a healthy inner space for its occupants. Sustainable buildings often promote a more livable environment and ambiance within and around them; enriching both the inner and the outer spaces.