From: Green building literacy: a framework for advancing green building education
Category | Sample themes (factual and conceptual knowledge) | Sample skills (procedural knowledge) |
---|---|---|
Sustainable sites | Stormwater management; effects of the building on light pollution; heat island effect | • Measure water quality on building site • Install water-saving landscape features (e.g., rain barrels) |
Location and transportation | Sensitive land protection; neighborhood density; green transportation | • Calculate effects of population density on biodiversity |
Shape of building | Size and compactness of building (e.g., occupants per square foot/meter); door and window locations; orientation of the building on the site relative to sun and wind | • Measure and compare solar gain through windows that face various cardinal directions |
Energy and atmosphere | Energy reduction; energy efficiency; the carbon footprint that results from the building construction and operations | • Measure kilowatt hours and determine energy-saving solutions • Monitor solar panel performance |
Water | Conservation of water through building fixtures such as toilets and sinks; water issues in the landscape such as rainwater harvesting and drought-tolerant plantings | • Use water-saving landscape features • Select water-saving plumbing fixtures |
Materials and waste management | Building material considerations such as: recycled content, recyclable, rapidly renewable, sustainable wood products, local materials, re-purposed materials; overall reduction in material use | • Build furniture out of salvaged materials • Research the social, ecological, and economic impacts of a building product like carpet, wood, or stone |
Indoor environmental quality | Indoor air quality; moisture and temperature control; connect occupants to nature via daylight, views, and biophilic design | • Assess environmental toxins such as mold and radon • Select furniture that promotes healthier air quality • Study psychological impact of daylight |
Social justice | Affordability; accessibility; positive or negative impacts to communities locally and globally due to green building design choices | • Advocate for equitable green building solutions • Volunteer construction skills in communities of need |
Beauty and inspiration | Designs that “elevate our spirits and inspire us to be better than we currently are” (International Living Future Institute, n.d.); show innovation compared to past practices | • Paint a mural that celebrates the history of the building site • Compare old and new building practices |
Economics | Cost-saving features; long-term budgeting; trade-offs between cost and performance | • Calculate energy savings • Compare costs of green building materials |
Life cycle assessment | Ecological impacts across the life of building materials from creation to use to end-of-life; Embodied energy in furniture and building materials | • Follow a building product from “cradle to grave” or “cradle to cradle” (Braungart et al., 2007) |
Operations and metrics | Green cleaning; occupant education and training; building information modeling (BIM); performance monitoring | • Contrast and compare environmental effects of various cleaning products on air and water quality • Monitor performance of HVAC system |
Local and healthy food | The built infrastructure for growing and consuming food that is healthy for people and the environment (e.g., greenhouses, edible landscapes, etc.) | • Design and properly orient a greenhouse • Design and build a vegetable garden for wheelchair accessibility |
Policy | The relationship between green buildings and the political context, including local/regional/national policies, codes, guidelines, strategic plans, etc. that affect green building practices | • Examine local residential building codes and identify opportunities and constraints for eco-home design |