The Future of Sustainable Buildings

Urban planning gives us the opportunity to literally build our future. Using the technologies and methods that exist today, we can construct more sustainable cities that will have a significant and long-standing positive impact on humanity’s carbon footprint. Many of these technologies and methods are outlined below.

The most common material in construction is concrete, accounting for 5% of annual anthropogenic carbon emissions (Grist et al., 2015). This is largely due to the process of creating Portland cement. The chemical reactions and kiln temperature required makes for an energy intensive process (Damtoft et al., 2008). There are alternatives emerging, such as lime-pozzolan cement, which requires less heat and can reduce carbon emissions by 64% compared to Portland cement (Grist et al., 2015). Many contractors, however, do not offer sustainable alternatives to clients, claiming that clients do not ask for it, while clients claim that contractors do not provide it (Mate, 2006). This circular blame shows a need for accountability. Governments must set guidelines to increase production of sustainable buildings.

Building codes are among the most cost-effective ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions (Energy Policy Solutions, 2021). A building code is a set of regulations applied to construction across a region to ensure things are built safely. States such as California have strict environmental policies in their codes, requiring new buildings to have rooftop solar panels and no gas-powered appliances (Myers, 2020). Voluntary certification programs on the other hand are a great opportunity for developers to prove their eagerness to protect the environment. Many programs exist globally, including the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. LEED recognizes applicants who attain a certified standard, gaining attention from potential investors and tenants (CaGBC, 2021). However, these programs are expensive and the certification process can be lengthy.

A key component of the creation of sustainable buildings is the use of renewable energy sources (Rezaie, Esmailzadeh and Dincer, 2011). Efficient heating systems such as infrared heating are more efficient than traditional convection systems, as demonstrated in Figure 1. This should be accompanied by effective insulation to limit heat loss and effective electrical systems (Aditya et al., 2017; US Department of Energy, 2021). Ideally, insulation materials would be produced from sustainable materials to limit environmental pollution (Aditya et al., 2017). Efficient water recycling systems should also be implemented to allow the reuse of water (Yoonus and Al-Ghamdi, 2020). For example, water used in showers can be repurposed and used in toilets or laundry machines to limit unnecessary water usage while also saving energy for water transportation (Ecohome, 2021).

Figure 1: A diagram outlining the differences between the heat transfer patterns of convection and infrared heating systems. Convection systems heat the air in the area causing hot air to migrate towards the upper regions. Infrared heating systems heat objects and individuals directly enhancing heating efficiency and negating heat loss (Surya Heating, 2018)

Green buildings must connect together to form a green city. Cities face unique problems: tightly clustered buildings create heat islands where temperatures soar in the summer, while the abundance of paved surfaces encourages flooding (Mirzaei and Haghighat, 2010; Henstra and Thistlethwaite, 2017). These dense environments are planned around cars instead of people, which increases emissions and makes cities hostile to pedestrians. This is where urban planning comes into play: improving transit, walkability, and green spaces will maximize the sustainability of cities (Cervero and Guerra, 2019). Studies on this strategy show a reduction in emissions and improvement in the health of residents (Mueller et al., 2020). At the same time, governments must ensure accessibility of urban greening to all to prevent healthy urban environments from becoming only accessible to the wealthy (Gould and Lewis, 2014).

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