The beginning of the New Year 2018 has brought with it new activities. The year has moved its focus on green building design with incoming projects seeing a paradigm shift in this arena. Industrial architects and consultants are working towards embracing this shift. So what are these green construction trends that are causing ripples in the industry? Go ahead and explore the latest trends driving the building industry this New Year.
Sustainable green construction trends
The awareness of volatile organic chemical compounds and emissions are increasing, with the governmental drawing strict regulations to contain these harmful emissions. So, these concerns cannot be brushed off. Prominent and reputed research institutions show the relationship between employee productivity and indoor air quality. It shows that only healthier employees can guarantee productivity. Therefore, all this has driven employers to ask for indoor air quality while constructing, buying, or renting a building. Moreover, Industrial architects and consultants have the tools to prove the indoor air quality efficiency to their occupants. Nowadays, it has become a mandate for any architect or designer to follow green construction trends.
Green building construction tools to evaluate indoor air quality
For years Industrial architects and consultants are working hard to determine the hazardous nature of the materials and products used for construction purposes. Some of the significant challenges include:
Manufacturers unwilling to disclose the ingredients of their products; even if they share the information, there may be very little truth in it.
Moreover, there is no uniform agreement on what materials are dangerous to the inmates, and in this regard, the certification agencies, design firms, and trade groups all stand to vary.
Though the good news is that tools are being devised to complement one another and manufacturers are now transparent when it comes to supplying information the customer seeks. This transparency helps to grow confidence in the manufacturer bringing in more customers. There are special tools that can organize the database and make a comparison. It allows designers to understand the existing databases that are viewed through different lenses.
A move in the direction of green, Sustainable design
The focus today is on healthy buildings. The reason for the green initiative is to promote good health through improved indoor air quality. Green buildings ensure health and well being. Further, the use of healthy materials and products drives good health. A study by COGfx concludes that material and design decisions are vital for the health and well being of the employees in a building.
Devising and upgrading certification standards are the means to achieve health sustainability in buildings. There is some progress in this direction by building regulatory associations across the world. Governmental organizations also started banning certain materials that can cause health hazards. In addition to this, the continued growth of solar energy usage with a tax credit for renewable sources of energy like solar, geothermal, and wind are boons for the construction industry.
The infrastructural challenges faced by Industrial architects and consultants are also a significant concern, not to forget the damages caused due to natural disasters. All this poses a significant threat to the construction industry that needs to take a purposeful approach towards green construction trends to identify long-term risks and mitigating these risks.
