The importance of sustainability can be seen in every facet of the business industry today, and this certainly includes construction. According to GlobeNewswire, the green building market in the U.S. hit $99.9 billion in 2023. Read on to learn more about why you should invest in sustainable building designs.

Improved Building Energy Efficiency

One of the main benefits of sustainable construction is how the finished product will utilize energy. When developers look at a whole building's view of the thermal performance, it can help to inform choices on materials used both outside and inside the building. Professionals should be using building technologies and construction techniques as well as operational methods that achieve energy efficiency at higher levels if they want to attain sustainable practices.

Optimized Energy Use

At first glance you might think that energy efficiency and energy optimization are the same thing, but they aren't. Optimizing energy use involves the optimizing of building location to align with solar performance or natural lighting. This can help to balance year-long heating and cooling loads of buildings as well as lighting needs. If buildings are built to operate on solar or partial solar energy, this is a vital component in the overall construction plan.

Tech Utilization

Another aspect of sustainable building is the utilization of technology. New advances in technology can help to improve a designer's ability to predict a structure's energy performance. This allows the eventual building owners better control over operations and maintenance costs. New technology such as energy-efficient lighting, occupancy sensors, and daylight strategies also help to reduce energy consumption.

Resilient Design

Resilient design envelopes the theories of changing climate conditions. This means that designers will understand the global and local climate patterns and plan for how these will influence the selection of construction materials and design choices to create a long-term performance plan.

Sustainable Materials

The materials that are used during construction are also a vital aspect of sustainable building designs. Developers should exclude short-service life products, products with high levels of toxicity, or inferior life cycle recyclability. Sustainable material choices should also include careful consideration of acquisition, manufacturing, packaging, transportation, and disposal details.

Indoor Environmental Quality

When it comes to sustainable construction, the exterior of a building shouldn't be the only consideration. It's also important to consider how design and material choices will affect indoor environmental quality. This can include energy gains and losses, ventilation, daylighting, and other factors.

These are just a few things that building developers can consider in order to prioritize sustainable building practices. If you'd like to learn more, please contact IGW Architecture today.