What is sustainable building?
Sustainable building means the conscious handling and use of available resources, the minimization of energy consumption and the preservation of the environment. The common sustainability concept is based on a three-pillar model consisting of: Economy, Ecology and Social. This idea can also be applied to building. The economy refers to the fact that we consider buildings in an economically sensible way and over their entire life cycle. Ecology - to put it simply - stands for the construction of buildings that conserves resources and protects the environment. Social aspects focus on the user of the building. One can therefore speak of sustainable action when these three dimensions are brought into harmony.
Sustainable building in Germany
With the awareness of finite resources and the noticeable effects of climate change, 16 German pioneers from the construction and real estate industry founded the German Sustainable Building Council - DGNB e.V. in 2007. The aim was to promote sustainable building even more strongly in the future. In the meantime, the DGNB has over 1,600 member organizations around the world, representing the entire value chain of the construction and real estate industry: Architects, builders, investors, planners, municipalities and scientists.
However, the DGNB's sustainability concept goes one step further and focuses on a total of six thematic fields. Thus, in addition to ecology, economy and the socio-cultural and functional aspects, technology, process and location also play a role in the planning and construction of buildings.
Besides the DGNB, the German Government published a report called, Nachhaltiges Bauen und Wohnen in Deutschland (Sustainable building and housing in Germany )
Original UMWELTFORSCHUNGSPLAN DES BUNDESMINISTERIUMS FÜR UMWELT,NATURSCHUTZ UND REAKTORSICHERH IT.
Building with sustainability in mind means not only using new and recyclable building materials, such as recyclable concrete, but also reducing energy requirements or avoiding high transport costs by consciously opting for regional components and materials.
Attractive and sustainable
Whether in residential or office buildings: we want to feel good in them, because ultimately the buildings we spend time in play a decisive role when it comes to our feeling of quality of life. This begins with the design and continues with well-tempered rooms, the best possible indoor air, ideal lighting and sound insulation. But barrier-free planning is also an important point with regard to sustainability.
The aspects mentioned above, from the use of certain materials to the consideration of well-being factors: All these criteria play a role in the assessment of buildings and ultimately also determine how sustainable a building is. For the objective assessment and description of the sustainability of buildings and neighborhoods, there is the DGNB certification system, which is unique in its form. This is because it evaluates quality in a comprehensive sense, over the complete building life cycle of 50 years.
Depending on the building type, up to 40 sustainability criteria are included in the assessment, which are continuously developed by independent expert committees. Depending on the degree of fulfilment of these criteria, the DGNB awards certificates in platinum, gold, silver or bronze.
However, the DGNB system is intended to achieve more than just reflecting the status quo. It is intended to provide an impetus to establish sustainable building and action as a lifestyle in the long term.
Good for the environment = good for us
One prejudice persists when it comes to sustainability in general and sustainable building in particular: the allegedly high costs. Here, however, it is worth taking a second look and comparing the different products available, for example. The surprising thing: Products that fulfil sustainability features are often not more expensive at all. And those who consciously choose them can even save money in the end. Background: Such products only pay for themselves over time, as they ensure, for example, that operating costs are lower in the long term.
Green Architecture
Green architecture is also referred to as "sustainable architecture" or "green building". They minimize the use of resources in the construction of a building, in its maintenance and in its operation. They are environmentally friendly by reducing waste generation and having fewer emissions into the environment. Green buildings minimize the harmful effects on human health and the environment.
Why is green architecture important?
In recent years, industrialization has removed more than half of the world's energy reserves and raw materials from all forms of building activity on the earth's surface. On the other hand, landfill deposition and greenhouse gas emissions have also increased. If this process continues in the future, we could face problems such as climate change, energy crisis, shortage of raw materials and fuels. If we do not act against these problems now and use all the resources, whatever we have now, our future generations will have to suffer a lot.
Therefore, turning to green architecture is important as it helps to improve the lives of the human species and almost all living beings on the planet. These buildings play an important role in reducing the impact on human health and the planet by using renewable materials for construction. Green architecture has social, environmental and economic benefits. They also save on maintenance and operating costs.
Therefore, to protect our planet and resources, Green Architecture is the best solution. It helps to create buildings that are gentle on the planet. They use resources efficiently and consider the well-being of people and the environment. These Green Buildings use sustainable raw materials and renewable energy for construction.
Sustainable site development means using the existing buildings for new construction and planting around the buildings. This helped to protect the environment and also minimized the need for raw materials.
Economical use of water:
Water is the source of life. It can always be collected, stored, filtered and reused. There is no need to use drinking water for irrigation activities. The concept of green architecture offers various methods to collect rainwater. By installing rainwater harvesting systems in a building that collect rainwater from the roofs into a reservoir and use the filtered water for gardening. Using recycled grey water for irrigation purposes and reusing this water in cooling systems also saves water. This also helps in minimizing infrastructure costs as well as improving aesthetic quality.
Increased energy efficiency:
To achieve higher efficiency in green buildings, both operational energy and embodied energy use should be minimized. This could be achieved by insulating walls, ceilings and floors and by orienting windows in an effective position. On the other hand, the environmental impact of the buildings could be reduced by generating renewable energy from wind energy, solar energy or biomass
Advantages of green architecture:
- Comfort: A properly designed green building is very energy efficient and south-facing windows provide more sunlight and make it more comfortable in winter than a conventional building.
- Economy: if passive solar panels are properly installed during the design phase of a green building, it saves on construction costs and fuel bills compared to a conventional building.
- Aesthetic view: Passive solar collectors make the indoor environment pleasant and bright.
- Environmentally friendly: When properly designed and maintained at every stage of a green building, they protect the environment by reducing emissions and saving our natural resources and raw materials.
Green building in Hamburg and Northern Germany
Hamburg's climate goals - good for the city, good for the world
In order to realize Hamburg's climate goals, the city works hand in hand with the Hamburg Ministry for the Environment and Energy (formerly the Ministry for Urban Development and the Environment). In doing so, they strictly adhere to the Hamburg Climate Plan and the Senate Printed Paper "Guiding Criteria for the Energy Refurbishment of Public Buildings in the FHH" as well as the Hamburg Climate Protection Act. Together they are working to achieve the goal supported by the Federal Government in the Paris Climate Agreement of limiting the increase in global warming to 1.5 °C. To achieve this, we want to drastically reduce our final energy consumption in the long term and strongly increase the share of locally generated renewable energy, thus making our contribution to reducing CO2 emissions by 65% by 2030 and to a climate-neutral building stock by 2045 at the latest.
In addition, the city of Hamburg is already realizing new buildings with a view to an energy-efficient and climate-friendly future with high-quality energy standards.
Financial stimulus
Up to 50% government funding for Energy-efficient refurbishment with sustainability bonus. The Federal Promotion for Efficient Buildings (BEG) now supports the refurbishment of non-residential buildings even more strongly. In addition to higher subsidies, construction support and sustainability is being promoted since 2021.
Hafencity - Hamburg
Since 2007, HafenCity Hamburg GmbH has been awarding an independent certificate for sustainable building, the HafenCity Ecolabel. Certification was made a condition for the award of planning options on building plots in 2010. Since 2017, the highest platinum standard has been obligatory for all new buildings in HafenCity. HafenCity Hamburg GmbH thus promoted an urgently needed sustainable transformation at a very early stage and has supported and promoted the development of innovative, climate-friendly building solutions. Hence it has played a key role in anchoring sustainability ideas in the real estate industry and raising sustainability standards to an ever-higher level. Certified buildings have been and continue to be role models and pioneers in the transformation to sustainable building and thus an embodiment of practical climate-change mitigation.
Co2 – building in Germany
CO2 emissions from the construction and use of buildings are responsible for about 30 percent of emissions in Germany. To reduce this significantly, the entire life cycle of a building must be taken into account and the environmental impacts minimized.
Buildings are one of the main CO2 emitters in Germany. If we look at national greenhouse gas emissions, we see that there is still enormous potential for savings in the mobility and buildings sectors. The production of building materials for the construction and modernization of buildings alone produces about eight percent of Germany's greenhouse gas emissions. This already corresponds to the CO2 emissions of the average annual air traffic of all Germans. If one adds the provision of building heat and hot water, the building sector as a whole is responsible for about 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in Germany.
Energy Requirements in Germany
The energy requirements for buildings are laid down in the Building Energy Act (GEG). The Act has replaced the Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV), as well as the Energy Saving Act (EnEG) and the Renewable Energies Heat Act (EEWärmeG) and combined their contents into one regulation.
The GEG has applied to all buildings that are heated or air-conditioned since 1 November 2020. Its specifications relate primarily to the heating technology and the thermal insulation standard of the building. An amendment to the law will apply from 2023. A new building may then consume a maximum of 55 per cent of the primary energy of a reference value, which is calculated individually for each building. Previously, this requirement was 75%. The criteria for the structural envelope, i.e. the energy quality of insulation and windows, were relaxed for new buildings in 2020 and will remain unchanged from 2023.
