3. Sustainable building is the practice of increasing the efficiency of buildings and
their use of energy, water, and materials, and reducing building impacts on
human health and the environment, through better sitting, design, construction,
operation, maintenance, and removal — taking into account every aspect of the
complete building life cycle.
It seeks to minimize the negative environmental impact of buildings by efficiency
and moderation in the use of materials, energy, and development space and the
ecosystem at large.
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4. NEED FOR SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE:
• Adopting sustainable building practices is crucial for
several compelling reasons, encompassing
environmental, social, and economic considerations.
Here are some key reasons why we need to embrace
sustainable building:
1. Environmental Preservation
2. Climate Change Mitigation
3. Resource Conservation
4. Improved Indoor Environmental Quality:
5. Long-term Cost Savings
6. Resilience to Environmental Challenges
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5. METHODS FOR ACHIEVING
SUSTAINABLE DESIGN
1) Economy of Resources:
• Energy Conservation
• Water Conservation
• Materials Conservation
2) Life Cycle Design:
• Pre-Building Phase
• Building Phase
• Post-Building Phase
3) Humane Design:
• Preservation for Natural Conditions
• Urban Design and Site Planning
• Design for Human Comfort
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6. TRADITIONAL GREENVS GREY ARCHITECTURE:
TRADITIONAL GREEN
ARCHITECTURE
Nepali traditional green architecture is an
ancient architectural style that reflects the
country's cultural heritage, geographical
diversity, and sustainable building practices.
It has evolved over centuries to suit the
specific needs of the Nepali people and the
challenging environmental conditions of the
region.
Traditional Nepali architecture primarily
relies on locally available building materials,
such as stone, clay bricks, timber, bamboo,
and thatch. hatched roofs made from locally
sourced materials provide effective
insulation, keeping interiors cooler during
summers and warmer during winters
GREY ARCHITECTURE
Urban areas in Nepal with a high
concentration of concrete buildings may
experience the heat island effect, where the
temperature becomes elevated compared
to surrounding rural areas. Concrete's heat-
absorbing properties contribute to this
phenomenon, making urban environments
less comfortable and energy-consuming for
cooling purposes.
Concrete buildings without proper
insulation may have higher energy demands
for cooling and heating, especially in
extreme climates. Construction and
demolition waste from modern concrete
buildings contribute to landfill accumulation
and environmental pollution, as not all
waste materials are properly managed or
recycled.
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7. SUSTAINABLE DESIGN:
ECONOMY OF RESOURCES:
1) By economizing resources, the architect
reduces the use of Non-renewable resources
in the construction and operation of buildings.
2) There is a continuous flow of resources,
natural and manufactured, in and out of a
building.
3) This flow begins with the production of
building materials and continues throughout
the building’s life span to create an
environment for sustaining human well-being
and activities.
1) The second principle of sustainable
architecture is life cycle design (LCD).
2) This “cradle-to-grave” approach recognizes
environmental consequences of the entire life
cycle of architectural resources, from
procurement to return to nature.
3) LCD is based on the notion that a material
transmigrates from one form of useful life to
another, with no end to its usefulness.
4) While economy of resources and life cycle
design deal with efficiency and conservation,
humane design is concerned with the livability of
all constituents of the global ecosystem,
including plants and wildlife.
LIFE CYCLE DESIGN
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9. ELEMENTS OF SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE
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1. Green roof:
A green roof can lower the temperature in your house, improve
local air quality and help add green space in urban areas
where concrete is the major material.
Green roofs can be as simple as a couple of types of ground cover
or include a beautiful mix of moss, succulents, ground cover, and
even herbs and plants.
2. Solar shingles:
Solar panels are an excellent way to save energy and reduce energy bills.
Solar shingles are a bit pricier to install than traditional solar
panels, since they not only help power the building, but they're
actually roof shingles.
3. Cob houses:
Cob is an ancient building material that's basically wet earth and
straw mixed together and rolled into loaf-sized pieces or cobs. The
mixture is very similar to clay, and what makes cob houses unique
and beautiful is the organic shape
10. 10
4. RAINWATER HARVESTING:
The basic idea behind a rainwater harvesting system is to
capture water to irrigate your garden and sometimes to use
in the home.
To install any sort of rainwater harvesting system, it's
important to check local laws first. Some areas don't allow
any rainwater harvesting.
5) ORIENTATION
Orientation is the positioning of a building in relation to
seasonal variations in the sun’s path as well as prevailing
wind patterns. Good orientation can increase the energy
efficiency of your home, making it more comfortable to live in
and cheaper to run. In sustainable design features,
orientation is a major design consideration, mainly with
regard to:-
1) Solar Radiation
2) Daylight
3) Wind
12. ACHIEVEMENTS OF GREEN HOMES PROJECT
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✓ Incorporated some components of Green Building in Nepal
National Building Code
✓ Draft Green Building Guideline and submitted to DUDBC
for approval
✓ Incorporation of Green Buildings components in building
bye-laws
✓ Incentive mechanism in three municipality (Lalitpur,
Pokhara, Dharan)
✓ Draft Green Building Rating System
✓ Stimulated demand for Green Homes components by
strengthening supply chain.
✓ Developing a course for Master Degree on Energy Efficient
Buildings - PROMOTING GREEN IN EDUCATION
13. Solar water heating:
Solar water heaters, also called solar domestic hot
water systems, can be a cost-effective way to generate
hot water for a home.
They can be used in any climate, and the fuel they
use—sunshine—is free. Solar water heaters, also
called solar domestic hot water systems, can be a
cost-effective way to generate hot water for a home.
They can be used in any climate, and the fuel they
use—sunshine—is free. There are also two types of
circulation, direct circulation systems and indirect
circulation systems. Direct circulation systems loop the
domestic
water through the panels.
Indirect circulation loops glycol or some other fluid
through the solar panels and uses a heat exchanger to
heat up the
domestic water.
With the use of solar collectors, the energy use is cut
in half. 1
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14. HEAT PUMPS:
Air-source heat pumps are inexpensive
relative to other heat pump systems.
However, the efficiency of air-source heat
pumps decline when the outdoor
temperature is very cold or very hot;
therefore, they are only really applicable in
temperate climates.
Other types of heat pumps are water-source
and air-earth. If the building is located near a
body of water, the pond or lake could be used
as a heat source or sink. Air-earth heat
pumps circulate the building's air through
underground ducts. With higher fan power
requirements and inefficient heat transfer,
Air-earth heat pumps are generally not
practical for major construction.
15. EARTH AIRTUNNEL
An Earth Air Tunnel (EAT) is an environmentally
friendly and energy-efficient system used for
heating, cooling, and ventilating buildings by
harnessing the stable temperature of the earth. It
is also known as an Earth Tube, Ground Air Heat
Exchanger (GAHE), or Earth Cooling Pipe.
The basic principle behind the Earth Air Tunnel is
to utilize the relatively constant temperature of
the soil (usually a few meters below the ground
surface) to condition the air before it enters a
building. The temperature of the earth at this
depth remains more stable throughout the year,
unaffected by seasonal changes or daily
temperature fluctuations.
Earth Air Tunnels can significantly reduce the
energy consumption of traditional heating and
cooling systems, as they take advantage of the
earth's stable temperature, which requires less
additional energy to condition the air.
16. Examples of Sustainable
Building in Nepal:
1) Soaltee Sibkrim Hotel, Nepalgunj:
• Orientation of the building is such that maximum of
sunlight can be utilized, double glazed glass is used for
proper insulation to limit exposure to heat and cold.
• Rain water harvesting, dual flush toilets, faucets and
sensor operated taps helping conservation of water to the
fullest.
• Radiant technology, proper insulation of ducts, VFD motors
and solar PV panel for outdoor lights which are highly
efficient and energy saving.
• Hotel use Building Management System (BMS) which is
computer based control system installed in building that
controls and monitors the building’s mechanical and
electrical equipment such as Ventilation, Lighting, Power
systems, Fire systems, Physical access control, pumping
stations, Elevators and security system.
• Reference Link: LEED Link
