Future Trends in Architectural Development – Green Building
Release Time:
2015-07-24
Source:
Future Trends in Architectural Development – Green Building
Green buildings are those that, throughout their entire life cycle, maximize resource conservation, protect the environment, minimize pollution, provide healthy, functional, and efficient spaces for occupants, and achieve harmonious coexistence with nature. Under the overarching trend of energy conservation and emissions reduction, green building in China has flourished, contributing significantly to the development of a green, low-carbon society.
Developing green buildings is one of the most effective ways to conserve energy and reduce emissions today. We have learned that enhancing energy efficiency throughout the construction process and adopting more scientifically informed architectural design can both achieve these goals. Vigorously promoting green building not only directly reduces building energy consumption but also helps transform the way the construction industry develops, which is of great significance for accelerating the building of a resource-conserving and environmentally friendly society. At present, China is the world’s largest construction market; buildings are not only major energy consumers but also the primary front in the future battle for energy conservation. As long as we vigorously advance energy efficiency in buildings, this enormous potential can be unlocked. Promoting building energy efficiency should therefore be a sustained, long-term endeavor.
Currently, numerous low-cost, simple, and highly adaptable mature technologies are available for use in green building, including natural ventilation, shading, thermal insulation of building envelopes, facade greening, and rooftop greening.
Developing green buildings and jointly building a low-carbon, energy-efficient new home: Only by mastering energy-saving technologies for buildings can we more effectively promote energy conservation in the construction sector. It is recommended to vigorously advance innovation in building science and technology—on the one hand, striving for new and greater technological breakthroughs in areas such as wall insulation, window and door insulation, and green lighting; on the other hand, further strengthening the translation of mature, applicable new technologies into practical applications and their wider promotion and adoption, while encouraging and supporting the large-scale utilization of renewable energy in the building sector.
Passing on Cultural Heritage and Developing Green Buildings Tailored to Local Conditions: Respecting traditional culture and local climate, designing buildings that are well-suited to their specific geographic and environmental contexts, and employing appropriate technologies can not only meet green-building standards but also reduce costs. For example, in the reconstruction project in Tumeng Town, Sichuan Province, the central primary school and kindergarten were designed with architectural forms and materials that reflect the region’s cultural and climatic characteristics as well as its broader human and natural features; combined with the use of traditional techniques for daylighting and natural ventilation, the construction cost was only RMB 2,800 per square meter. Professor Li Zhu of Taiyuan University of Technology has integrated the advantages of traditional cave dwellings into modern architecture: while preserving the fundamental style and functional requirements of contemporary buildings, he has addressed issues such as dampness and poor lighting in cave dwellings by using environmentally friendly materials, thereby creating a “urban cave-dwelling”–style green building. We are pleased to see that many regions have already begun actively promoting the development of locally grounded green buildings.
