Green architecture

'Green architecture' is becoming increasingly important in some countries where there is pressure to ensure that new and refurbished buildings have as little detrimental impact on the environment as possible.

Several countries now have 'Green building' councils that set standards for developers wishing to attain 'Green building' status with their projects.  One of the best known bodies is the United States Green Building Council (USGBC).

What are 'Green buildings'?

'Green buildings' are those that are built or refurbished to a set of auditable environmental standards.  The principle includes the redevelopment of existing buildings and refurbishment of interiors as well as the construction of new buildings.  All aspects of the building, from site selection to interior design and decoration, are included in the standards.

What are the standards?

The standards for 'Green buildings' are set by the relevant Green building councils in each country.  The standards may have some quasi-legal status in some areas and they can be used by planning authorities to influence their decisions.

A good example of a set of 'Green building' standards is the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards produced by the USGBC.  There are different standards  available, depending on the nature of the project being considered, and there are degrees of certification depending on the extent of conformity with those standards.

Further details and some case studies can be found by visiting the USGBC's LEED web site.

How can interior plants be used to attain 'Green' status?

Water Efficiency

Specifiers who design large interior landscapes will need to have a water usage estimate as part of their overall water efficiency estimate. In warm climates roof-top collectors may be used as a water source for interior irrigation systems.  Also, recycled water (as long as it is clean and free from detergents and other chemicals) is perfectly suitable for watering plants - they don't need drinking water.

Indoor Chemical and Pollutant Source Control

Specifiers of interior landscapes or of large individual planting units should be aware of the implications of pest control on indoor plants. Effective strategies can be put in place through an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programme to control insect populations by minimizing, and in many cases eliminating, the use of chemical pesticides.

Indoor air quality

Research carried out over several years has demonstrated how interior plant displays can improve indoor air quality.  The effects are quite small, but they are measurable and can contribute to improvements in indoor air quality.

Plants are effective at increasing the relative humidity in their localized area (although not evenly throughout an office unless you have a vast number of plants) and have been shown to reduce levels of dust.  Some plants, through complex interactions with bacteria in the growing medium, are also effective at reducing the levels of some atmospheric pollutants.  Finally, plants can reduce the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere through the process of photosynthesis.

Controllability of Systems

Interior landscapes have been proven to enhance individual and common spaces (see also Module 1 and the 'Why plants?' section on this web site). Plants, properly specified, can improve room acoustics by reducing reverberation time.  They can also assist in humidification and evaporative cooling.

Daylight and Views

The optimum goal of LEED is views for 90% of spaces. An effective interior landscape should not interfere with this goal whilst also providing individual and communal enhancements.

Innovation in Design

Properly specified interior landscapes help to create warmth and human scale in small, medium or large landscapes. An interior landscape can provide a refuge in a busy environment, a focal point of interest and a sense of well being by association.

This concludes module 4 of our on-line CPD training course.  If you would like to test your knowledge and produce a certificate of participation to include in your personal training file, please click on the link below.