What is Green Building?

Green Building means different things to different people. At its core is the intent to plan, design, construct, maintain, and deconstruct buildings, neighborhoods, and cities to be healthier and more comfortable places to live and work for the people on the inside, and more environmentally friendly for everyone else on the outside.

If you're used to the old school environmentalism of sweater-wearing martyrdom, this juxtaposition might seem a paradox; but the two tenets go hand in hand. It turns our the buildings that are well built do things like waste less energy and water, allow inhabitants to control temperature and humidity, grow less mold, and contain fewer toxins. Green building starts off with the premise that the inhabitants well being, health, and comfort come first, and incorporates this idea into the design process. It then looks for ways to reduce the burden on the environment in terms of resource and land use and air and water quality.