Barnard: The Liberal Arts College for Women in New York City
The Diana Center

What Does it Mean to Build Green?

What's green all over and saves vast amounts of energy and water, while giving people healthier, user-friendly places to study, work, and live? And what also happens to be one of the hottest construction trends in the country?

The answer in both cases: green building. Green building, in short, is an eco-friendly approach to construction design, aimed at promoting more efficient use of electricity, oil, and water and minimizing harmful effects on the environment.

On a practical level, that involves a whole range of steps big and small, says Ashley Katz, a spokesperson for the U.S. Green Building Council, covering everything from the core architectural and engineering plans to what sort of carpets cover the floor. For example, green buildings are typically angled toward the sun, and they're designed with plenty of windows to maximize the amount of natural daylight they receive, so that, as Katz notes, there's no need for massive overhead fluorescent lights.

They also tend to have better insulation, along with more decentralized heating and ventilation systems that give workers in, say, a big office building more control over the temperatures in their individual work areas-and thereby ensure that the entire building isn't overheated in winter or overly frigid in July. Indeed, unlike in conventional buildings, Katz points out that green ones typically have windows that actually open and close, and let in fresh air.

Sensors that automatically dim artificial lights on sunny days or when there's no one in an office or work station are standard fare, as are water and energy-saving plumbing systems. Besides making use of rainwater collected in rooftop tanks, those so-called smart systems typically rely more heavily on gravity (instead of electricity) to keep water pumping, and feature low-flow toilets and faucets that automatically shut off.

Green buildings also tend to use significant amounts of environmentally-friendly materials – for instance, paints and finishes made with non-toxic chemicals, as well as recycled carpeting and floors or countertops made out of bamboo, which can be harvested easily and plentifully and doesn't require cutting down vast tracts of old-growth forests.

To cap it all off, a truly green building will feature a green rooftop – that is, a roof outfitted with a specially-designed waterproofing and drainage system, enabling a building owner to lay down soil and begin growing plants, bushes and other vegetation. That greenery in turn not only helps insulate the building, but provides cleaner air for everyone since plants help filter out toxins and absorb carbon dioxide.

That's just one piece of the environmental pay-off. The U.S. Green Building Council contends that not only do eco-friendly buildings consume up to 50 percent less energy and 40 percent less water use than conventionally-designed structures. They also help curtail the emissions of carbon dioxide – thought to be a key contributor to global warming – and other harmful chemicals, and reduce solid waste.

The good news? Across the country, more and more buildings are going green. The prime example on the Barnard campus is the new Diana Center building-a project built around core green construction principles, according to Mike Harshman, an architect with Manfredi/Weiss, the New York City architectural firm charged with Diana Center's design. Plus, like other green buildings, the Diana Center project will rely heavily on recycled building materials. "It's definitely catching on," says Harshman, referring to the green building boom.

Many other academic institutions, including Wesleyan, Duke, Emory, and the University of Colorado, have their own eco-conscious building projects in the pipeline. The same goes for state and local governments, says the USGBC's Katz, not to mention a wide range of businesses. Indeed she notes that not only have companies like Starbucks and Whole Foods been building green retail outlets. But last fall, the Hearst Corporation opened its new 46-story green building in midtown Manhattan, and Bank of Americas has its own green midtown office tower in the works. All of which, says Katz, should definitely help make the planet a more livable place. "Green building is a proven, measurable way of making a difference," she says.

—  by Susan Hansen

For further information, the city of Seattle has a comprehensive green-building glossary.