Green Building: The Unifying Link

The field of practitioners and researchers dealing with issues of building and the environment has various factions. Many people have arrived at green building as an extension of their commitment to energy-efficient construction, while others are more focused on occupant health and well-being—the indoor environment. In recent years these constituencies have been somewhat isolated from each other. On some issues, they’ve even taken opposing positions. But as the green building movement matures, these schisms seem to be disappearing and people are realizing that our common concerns far outweigh our differences.

One obvious point of contention between energy buffs and IAQ advocates has been ventilation levels in buildings. Recommended levels of fresh air were reduced in the 1970s to save energy and have been raised again in the late ’80s to improve air quality. Now there is growing consensus that too much ventilation, especially in humid climates, can contribute to air quality problems due to condensation and the resultant mold growth. At the same time, cutting down fresh air supplies too far is no longer seen as an appropriate energy-saving measure. A common ground is emerging.

Collectively we seem to be realizing that it makes no sense to look at the health of the planet and the well-being of humans as separate goals. These two agendas are interconnected on every level. Furthermore, the general public intuitively knows this and is more responsive to this unified appeal. Programs to promote energy-efficient construction seem to be most successful when they broaden their message to earth-smart construction—director Doug Seiter reports that in four years the Austin Green Builder Program has achieved better name recognition than they had in ten years with the Energy Star Program. Similarly, Hal Levin’s

Indoor Air Bulletin reports a clear trend towards increasing attention to energy conservation and broader environmental issues at international IAQ conferences. This merging of interests is bound to help us all as we strive towards change in the industry at large.

– Nadav Malin