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The Sustainable Building Concept - where did this come from?
In creating the sustainable building, it is necessary to be equipped with the key ingredients that defines what this means. In essence, you're not creating something because it's a new trend, you're creating something which you understand and have a direct relationship with. Even Donald Trump once said that you cannot sell something in which you do not believe in. This is not to say that sustainability is some sort of religion, it simply says that you can be more creative (and hence be more cost-effective) when you're familiar and are in tune with what the overall goals are.
This is a major shift in a traditional-thought so we understand that there can be a significant level of frustration when first introduced to this concept. As a start, we must be open to the notion that our education is not complete. We constantly learn new and better ways in making life better, more profitable, and hopefully more sustainable. Once we're ok with this, we can move onto step two; think of the project not as a building but an impact. A global impact of what the new building has on this planet not only in its construction, but its ultimate use for many years to come. This is a major step away from traditional thought and a major stumbling block on the road to building, economic, and environmental longevity.
Previous teachings told us that we must build and design for profit, use, and style (the order depends who's writing the checks). Now you're hearing we must build for people and things which the building never even "sees!" That's a tough one to swallow. We touch on this concept in our FAQ under Why should I care about this stuff? so we won't repeat ourselves. Essentially, we should have been taught this from day one so it wouldn't be such a foreign concept today. But being that we are introducing "something like this" at a time in our lives when "something like this" is a dramatic shift - we will take every opportunity to make this as simple, understandable, and most importantly enriching as possible. You love what you do; you'll love it more! You'll have a personal association with your building on a level never before felt - a truly rewarding experience.
So, how do you approach such a "foreign" concept as it relates to the building industry? First, familiarize yourself with the building concepts through our Sustainable Building Integration page, and then follow through the links generally found at the bottom of each page under "references." From case studies to specific testing processed explained - you're on your way to become in sync with your building - from the ground up.
For reference: