Sustainable Design

Design of Exteriors for Water Efficiency | Principles of Green Architecture

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Water Efficiency Methods for the Exteriors

Exterior design is an integral part of sustainable Development. Our main objective is to keep the surroundings green and sustainable without putting much pressure on the non-renewable natural resources.

Classification for the study of Design areas for Water efficiency:

  1. Design of Interiors
  2. Design of Exteriors
  3. Stormwater reuse

The major water consuming areas in the exterior environment are the landscaping areas. In this article, we are going discuss how we can use water efficiently and still have a sustainable environment which is green and pleasing to eye.

Sustainable Landscaping
Sustainable Landscaping

Our area of study for exteriors can be divided into three parts:

  1. Sustainable Landscaping
  2. Drip Irrigation System
  3. Xeriscaping

Water Efficient Landscaping accounts to attaining five main objectives:

  1. Proper planning and use the land
  2. Soil analysis to efficiently utilize it for the purpose
  3. Appropriate Plant Species selection
  4. Efficient Irrigation System
  5. Proper use of mulches to attain efficiency

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Water Efficiency in the Interiors | Principles of Green Architecture

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Water Efficient Techniques for the interiors

We have already discussed the classification for the study of Water efficiency, it is as follows:

  1. Interiors
  2. Exteriors
  3. Stormwater Reuse

In this article, we will discuss various aspects and ways that will help determine various ways in which we can save and conserve water and use it to its best possible way.

Ways of efficient utilization of water in the interiors

Using water less urinals

Using waterless urinals is quite common in the West but this concept is rejected in the Asian countries. The major advantage of using waterless urinals is that it saves on average 20,000 to 45,000 gallons of water a year.

Working of water less urinal

Urine flows down the bowl of the urinal past a debris-catching strainer.

The urine then passes through a sealing liquid.

The urine sinks through the sealing liquid and the oil floats on top of the layer of urine below.

Any air bubbles rise to the top and escape leaving the urine in a relatively low oxygen environment.

Odour is therefore trapped below the oil layer .

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Water Efficiency | Principles of Green Architecture

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Necessity for Water Efficiency

Water Efficiency is one of the seven key principles of Green Architecture. All of us are pretty much aware of the water shortage across the globe. The climatic changes have reduced the extent of rainfall in many parts of the world. The climatic changes are reaching their extremes. There are either droughts or floods but not proper rainfall.

Water efficiency
Water efficiency

Study of Global Warming and Climate change also forms the part of the study of Green Architecture. It helps you understand the gravity of the consequences that the world is facing already because of the human activities today. Why creation of sustainable environment is so important?

In our previous articles regarding “Principles of Green Architecture”, we have listed seven important principles of Green Architecture. They are as follows:

  1. Site and its surroundings
  2. Energy Efficiency
  3. Water Efficiency
  4. Material Efficiency
  5. Indoor Air Quality
  6. Waste Reduction
  7. Low maintenance costs

There are two key objectives to be analysed when studying water efficiency:

  1. Reduction in Water consumption
  2. Preserving the quality of water

Achieving these two key objectives is the second ultimate goal of Green Architecture…

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Green Architecture Features in High Rise Buildings

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Green Building Architecture in High rise Structures

High rise buildings support green features to a small extent. Hence it is a bad concept to go for the construction of High rise buildings if we are to incorporate green features into the building. Incorporating various green features could make the construction 5 times more expensive than the cost incurred in regular methods of construction.

Aliens Space Station is an excellent example of the High rise Green Buildings.

Aliens Space Station - Green Building
Aliens Space Station - Green Building

Green Architecture Design Features to be incorporated into the Building Design

(Passive and Active Features)

  • Ceiling height – 12 feet

Ventilators

  1. between rooms
  2. outside/ inside
  3. Inside and inside
  • The doors should be designed with louvers at the bottom.
  • Cavity walls or thick walls on Southern and western side of the building.
  • Use your facades, chajjas, rooftops, active solar photovoltaics.
  • Colour of the building (Light colour)
  • Orientation of the building

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