Sustainable Design, Green Buildings, LEED, and BIM

What is Sustainability?

‘Sustainability’ is among the most popular terms in the construction industry and has almost become a buzzword. Environmental conservation is one thing that comes to mind when Sustainability is mentioned.

However, Sustainability requires a balance between the Environmental, Social, and Economic factors within a Product, Project, or Service — this is known as The Triple Bottom Line.

• Economically: The building industry generates trillions of dollars in revenue worldwide every year.
• Socially: Humans spend up to 90% of their lives in buildings, and the industry accounts for millions of jobs worldwide.
• Environmentally: The industry consumes about 40% of the world’s energy, emits about 40% of the world’s Greenhouse Gases (GHG), contributes about 30% of the world’s waste output and consumes about 15% of the global drinkable water.

Hence, Sustainable Buildings require a balance between these three factors.

Source: freepik.com

What is a Green Building?

On one hand, a Green Building is an environmentally friendly facility that consumes less energy, water and materials and produces less waste than a traditional building — offering a healthy environment for…