Professional Documents
Culture Documents
AR156/EO1
2015121131
Final Examination
1. Modern approaches in design & construction are already available since the beginning of the 21st
century. What are the different technological approaches in green building design? Explain &
illustrate. (25 points)
Cool roofs
Storm-water management
The smart glass and low-emittance windows are new technologies and designs utilized within the
green construction domains. They are glass materials coated with metallic oxide to block away the harsh
solar radiation during summer and reduce heat emittance from within the house during winter.
Subsequently, smart glass and low-emittance windows minimize the dependence on air conditioning
thereby reducing energy use which translates into decreased cumulative greenhouse gas emissions from
power plants.
Zero-energy buildings
Zero-energy buildings refer to green engineering designs that mainly focus on the use of energy from
renewable sources to ensure improved and more energy-efficient business buildings and homes.
Examples of such sources include wind and solar power which allows the building to operate
independently minus the power supply from the main electric grid. Apart from saving energy, the use of
zero-energy design equally reduces greenhouse gas emission from power plants.
Green building techniques also include the use of sustainable and eco-friendly materials for building
construction. In involves the incorporation of sustainable, recycled and biodegradable materials in the
entire building construction process. The use of eco-friendly and biodegradable materials which are free
of toxic chemicals and VOCs do away with indoor pollution and naturally breakdown without harming the
environment.
2. Compare & contrast the different rating systems in terms of: applicability, features, criteria,
policy, etc) (25 points)
APPLICABILITY FEATURES CRITERIA POLICY
BREEAM Certification New construction. Energy and water u Assessment uses
(UK) system is a multi- Communities. se. recognized measures o
tiered process In-use buildings. Internal environme f performance, which
with pre- Eco-homes. nt(health and well- are set against
assessment, third- being). established
party consultant Pollution. benchmarks in:
guidance through Transport.
an assessment Materials.
organisation for: Waste.
Ecology.
Management
processes.
3. The Philippine Green Building Code is mandated to ensure sustainable design of various projects. In a
MATRIX format, present the different buildings/projects covered by this code versus the applicable
provisions/ highlights to achieve green building design) (25 points)
BERDE Focused BERDE The new BERDE Framework is focused on nine (9) categories,
Version 2.0.0 including: (i) Energy Efficiency and Conservation, (ii) Water Efficiency and
Conservation, (iii) Waste Management, (iv) Management, (v) Use of Land and Ecology,
(vi) Transportation, (vii) Green Materials, (viii) Indoor Environment Quality, and (ix)
Emissions. The upcoming Electives category will recognize innovations of projects in
addressing wider environmental, economic, and social sustainability targets.
4. With the emerging conflicts, threats or opportunities in the design & building industry, cite ONE of the
most challenging issue in the application of green building principles & techniques. Cite concrete
examples to justify your answer. (25 points)
One of the primary political issues affecting sustainable building design is the adoption of
comprehensive green building public policies. Currently, only a very small percentage of jurisdictions have
adopted consistent green building policies that are integrated through economic development, zoning,
building regulations, preservation, and tax incentives. A majority of jurisdictions have yet to integrate
such consistent policies throughout or have only adopted diminutive elements relegated to a subset of
development. One of the primary aspects of green building design that is impacted by federal legislation
concerns the adoption of on-site facility renewable energy like solar power. Presently, federal level
incentives are required for a reasonable return on the investment with implementing renewable energy in
green building design.