Eco-friendly Building: Design, Materials, and Performance

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ECO-FRIENDLY BUILDING
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Table of Content
Introduction....................................................................................................................................3
Preliminary design.........................................................................................................................3
Detailed design...............................................................................................................................5
Structural Material Options..........................................................................................................6
Casing /frame...........................................................................................................................6
Walls.........................................................................................................................................7
Roof..........................................................................................................................................7
Flooring....................................................................................................................................8
Doors........................................................................................................................................8
System test, evaluation, validation and optimization processes..............................................10
Evaluation/Conclusion................................................................................................................11
References.....................................................................................................................................14

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Introduction
The built and environmental design industry strive to produce buildings that are eco-
friendly to the environment as much as possible in an attempt to achieve net zero energy
emission. In most cases, construction activities greatly impact on the environment. Therefore, it
is important to consider sustainability in projects approach based on their performance. Going
green in terms of the building design concepts is not only due to the environmental concerns but
also due to social, economic advantages and architectural advantages. This paper aims to
highlight the different phases through which design projects are developed including the
preliminary and detailed design stages emphasizing on sustainability measures and the building
performance. The selection of sustainability key indicators is used in the design’s conceptual
stage in order to start predicting the sustainability performance of the building if it is
implemented. The output of this task is aimed at enlightening the designers to compare and test
or evaluate the impact the building might have considering the different design solutions adopted
at the preliminary stage and facilitate a close collaboration between the client and other
stakeholders to help yield a high performance building that will be sustainable throughout its life
cycle.
Preliminary design
A sustainable design needs a coordinated outline process and a more included
methodology than an ordinary design process. Guaranteeing the high caliber of configuration is
to guarantee a methodology in view of building performance, a coordinated and interdisciplinary
venture group working through an incorporated arranging and setting up an undertaking to its
best execution. In this manner, the design procedure and its optimization is significant in light of

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the fact that most choices that will determine the building performance will be executed at this
stage.
A building project is created in stages. The idea of design stages is identified with an
arrangement of sequential activities that aides the development procedure. These activities are
gathered in stages by their level of need, shaping the design in each stage of the design process
(Araújo, et al., 2013). It is vital to think about the estimation of each activity/objective,
anticipating its significance on structures performance and its impact on the project cost keeping
in mind the end goal to actualize everything at the sufficient moment.
The project begins with the definition of its objectives and where the client meets the task
group and uncovered the objectives for the building. Amid this underlying stage, client and
configuration group share ideas trying to build up the building's philosophy and concept. The
building regulation standards is required to characterize key necessities and limitations towards
the project’s quality (Bragança & Mateus, 2012). The type of architecture and the functional
requirements of the building are discussed including the outdoor and indoor qualities admired by
the client. The site condition should be addressed to determine its suitability in construction. The
buildings orientation, spatial performance, energy requirements, space functions, comfort
practices are also tabled (Bragança & Mateus, 2012).
In addition concerns on building use, warming, cooling, lighting, ventilation, wastes,
water, site works, and materials are addressed. Moreover, it is at this phase that procurement
phase, undertaking and supportability methods, building plan life time, hierarchical structure,
project cost, maintenance and timescale are managed.