Building Interior Design and Energy Efficiency Quiz

Building Design and Sustainability

• A building is a layer of protection between our bodies and our environment, creating an interior environment that supports our needs and activities and responds to the weather and site conditions outdoors.

Energy Efficiency and Conservation

• Building designers and owners strive for energy efficiency to minimize costs.
• Almost all building codes now include energy conservation standards.
• Electricity consumption is expected to rise about twice as fast as overall energy demand.

Environmental Concerns

• Human activities add greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.
• Ozone layer depletion allows more harmful UV radiation to reach the Earth's surface, causing skin cancers and altering complex molecules of living organisms, including DNA.

Sustainable Architecture and Design

• Sustainable architecture seeks to preserve nature through encouraging conservation in daily life.
• Sustainable design integrates three elements: environment, economy, and social system, to maintain a healthy state indefinitely.
• Environmental consciousness in interior design creates indoor spaces that are environmentally sustainable and healthy for occupants.

Strategies for Sustainable Design

• Specify energy-efficient lighting and appliances.
• Use natural light, natural ventilation, and adequate insulation to reduce energy use.
• Choose materials that require less energy to manufacture and transport.
• Use products made of recycled materials that can be recycled when replaced.
• Introduce user-operated controls to reduce energy use.

LEED Green Building Accreditation

• The U.S. Green Building Council created the LEED program, which provides information on green building techniques and strategies.

• LEED certifies buildings that meet high standards of economic and environmental performance.

• LEED initiatives include:

  • Use of recycled materials
  • Waste management
  • Sustainable design
  • Energy-efficient equipment and lighting
  • Water-saving devices
  • Materials selected for durability, low maintenance, and ecological sensitivity.### LEED and Green Building

• The U.S. Green Building Council created a comprehensive system for building green called LEED: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

• LEED certifies buildings that meet the highest standards of economic and environmental performance, offers professional education, training, and professional accreditation.

Initiatives for Sustainable Design

• Use of recycled materials
• Waste management
• Sustainable design
• Choosing products with recycled content
• Optimizing natural daylight
• Installing energy-efficient equipment and lighting
• Installing water-saving devices
• Materials selected for durability, low maintenance, and ecological sensitivity

Sustainable Architecture

• Looks at human civilization as an integral part of the natural world
• Seeks to preserve nature through encouraging conservation in daily life
• Energy conservation in building site, choice of appropriate construction methods, use and control of daylight, selection of finishes and colours, and the design of artificial lighting
• The selection of heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) and other equipment can have a major effect on energy use
• The use of alternative energy sources, waste control, water recycling, and control of building operations and maintenance all contribute to sustainable design

Energy Efficiency

• Building designers and owners now strive for energy efficiency to minimize costs
• Almost all building codes now include energy conservation standards
• Electric lighting provides virtually all illumination, but produces heat, increasing air-conditioning energy use in warm weather

Environmental Concerns

• Human activities are adding greenhouse gases to the atmosphere at a faster rate than any time over the past several thousand years
• The human health and environmental concerns about ozone layer depletion are different from the risks we face from global warming
• Ozone layer depletion allows more harmful UV radiation to reach the planet's surface, causing an increase in skin cancers, especially in the southern latitudes

Sustainable Design in Interior Design

• Environmentally conscious interior design is a practice that attempts to create indoor spaces that are environmentally sustainable and healthy for their occupants

• Limiting green-house gas production by specifying energy-efficient lighting and appliances

• Using natural light, natural ventilation, and adequate insulation in designs to reduce energy use

• Specifying materials that require less energy to manufacture and transport

• Using products made of recycled materials that can be recycled when replaced

• Introducing user-operated controls to conserve energy

• A carefully sited building can enhance daylighting, passive cooling, solar heating, and improved indoor air quality### Interior Designer's Role in Sustainability

• Interior designers are responsible for creating a healthy and safe indoor environment, while also considering the environment's well-being.

• Their choices can provide comfort for occupants while reducing energy consumption and promoting sustainability.

Sustainable Design Strategies

• Specify energy-efficient lighting and appliances to reduce greenhouse gas production.
• Utilize natural light, natural ventilation, and adequate insulation to reduce energy use.
• Choose materials that require less energy to manufacture and transport.
• Incorporate products made of recycled materials that can be recycled again when replaced.

Building Siting and Design

• A carefully sited building can enhance daylighting, passive cooling, and solar heating.
• Good siting also supports opportunities for improved indoor air quality, reduced use of electric lights, and added acoustic absorption.

Water Conservation

• Rainwater retention can be used for irrigation and flushing toilets.
• On-site wastewater recycling can circulate water and waste from kitchens and baths through treatment ponds, resulting in water suitable for irrigation and fish food.

Energy Load Reduction

• Energy loads can be reduced by integrating with the building site, using renewable resources, designing the building envelope, and selecting efficient lighting and appliances.
• Energy load reduction leads to smaller, less expensive, and more efficient HVAC systems, which use less energy.

Sustainable Building Practices

• Buildings designed for sustainability can adapt easily to changed uses, reducing demolition and new construction, and prolonging the building life.

LEED Certification

• The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED program provides information on green building techniques and strategies.
• LEED certifies buildings that meet high standards of economic and environmental performance, and offers professional education, training, and accreditation.

LEED Green Building Accreditation Initiatives

• Use of recycled materials
• Waste management
• Sustainable design
• Choosing products with recycled content
• Optimizing natural daylight
• Installing energy-efficient equipment and lighting
• Installing water-saving devices
• Selecting materials for durability, low maintenance, and ecological sensitivity

Net Positive Effect

• It is possible to create buildings that generate more energy than they use and improve their environment's health.
• Designing buildings with a net positive effect involves creating structures that do more good than harm, rather than just reducing their negative impact.