Whether you are building your own home or running your own construction company, there is no excuse nowadays to not use “green building” practices in your construction project.

What Is Green Building?

Green building, or eco-friendly construction, means consideration for the environment throughout every step of the process – from the planning and design to the construction, operation, and maintenance, and finally to the destruction of the building years down the line. As a contractor, it means little things, such as using time tracking software and other software instead of wasting paper for time cards, blueprints, and drawings, and big things, such as keeping abreast of the latest technology that you can use for eco-friendly practices. As a home builder, it means finding ways to stay eco-friendly while still having the aesthetic look you want for your home (which is definitely possible).

Here are some other ideas for green building:

Use the Right Materials

The “right” materials are those that are environmentally friendly. Toxic paints, building materials, and solvents should be avoided (which is easy enough to do nowadays with all of the options available). There are also a variety of insulation materials available that are green, including recycled cotton, sheep’s wool, and even wood fiber. (These are, of course, not only environmentally friendly but better for those who will live and work in the building!)

Concrete is a material that has been used everywhere for decades; however, it totals up to over 500 million tons of waste worldwide. There are other, more sustainable materials that can be substituted for concrete, such as hempcrete, ferrock, recycled plastic, and even bamboo. These materials are not only green but can help to make your building look amazing.

The right materials are also sourced nearby. This not only helps to support local businesses, but a lot of energy is saved when materials don’t have to be transported over a long distance.

Conserve Water

Even if you don’t live in a desert climate, it is always a good idea to find ways to conserve water, both during the construction process and for the finished project. Rainwater collection systems and water condensation from HVAC units can be used for irrigating the landscape, whether for a home or an office building, which is much better than just letting it go to waste.

Get Creative 

OK, maybe you don’t have to go as far as building your house out of beer cans or making an entire plastic bottle village as some people have done. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t use your “trash” in a fun and creative way in your home construction project. Make your fence out of bottles, or find a creative way to give old tires a second life instead of leaving them to the landfill.

Consider a Green Space

Even if you are developing a building in a crowded area and are forced to build “up” instead of “out,” you can still create a green space - just do it on the roof! Green spaces are a great place for office workers to go to and relax, but they can also help to improve the air quality in a building.

Use the Sun and the Wind

Solar and wind power are not only clean and renewable, but they are also a great way to reduce costs. Solar power can be installed on roofs to generate power, and photovoltaic windows can be used to help maintain a comfortable interior temperature. Wind turbine farms don’t have to be huge – farms of all sizes can produce energy for a building. A wind turbine not only saves energy and energy costs, but they can also help to maintain indoor air quality.

Nowadays, with our knowledge about the environment and how to make green materials that function well, it is very easy to make sure your construction project is eco-friendly, whether you are a contractor or just building your dream home.