Green Building
Scott Kelley, CR is currently involved with the development of a new green building council and certification program for Kansas City. The mission is to promote energy efficient and environmentally friendly building solutions within the Kansas City residential building and remodeling industry. The vision: “To create positive building practices for future generations.”
In its narrowest sense, the green building process minimizes the environmental impact of construction from site development, procurement and use of materials to the safe reuse, “deconstruction” or disposal of a building at the end of its useful life.
In its widest sense, green building is about sustainability. Sustainability has been defined as the ability to provide for the needs of current generations without diminishing the capacity for future generations to do the same.
So what does this involve?
Emphasize the four “R’s” — Utilize sound design, construction and building methods without compromising structural durability, indoor pollutant levels, ventilation, building code requirements or future marketability, including:
- Reduce: lower quantities of building materials, resources, and embodied energy are used
- Reuse: construction materials are reused where practical and structurally sound
- Recycle: recycled materials are used and the home is designed for recycle-ability
- Renew: energy from natural sources and renewable building materials are emphasized
