"Green" plus "Blue": the Prospect of Sustainable Buildings

-- an SWMTHiNKTANK article

In the wake of sustainability efforts of a number of other stakeholders, also the building and construction industry considers and (eventually) adopts sustainability measures. 'Green Building' is just one buzzword. But is "green" equal to "green"? A number of investigations suggest that the current state may merely be considered as a first step [1]. Building materials is one aspect. Energy- and water aspects are the "new" issues that require consideration [2]. Looking at the "blue issue" a number of water aspects are considered important to be addressed e.g. rain water harvesting [3] (follow -- an SWMTHiNKTANK live debate about rain water harvesting), fresh water supply [4], and water efficiency in general [5]. Pioneers in architecture even go one step further and consider the development of indeed intelligent buildings, almost smart buildings [6], [7].


Further readings: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7]

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