Week 2: A Holistic Approach to Building Design and Construction

This week we learned about the approaches to building design and construction and the different certifications and organizations that help make that happen. 

First we covered BEES (Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability), which is a web-based energy software tool that allows the user to make decisions based on life cycle information and consensus standards. 

Next, we learned about biomimicry which is a new science that studies nature’s best ideas and then imitates these designs and processes to solve human problems and biophilic design which involves the integration of nature and natural processes into building design 

BIM (Building Information Modeling) is a digital tool, such as Revit, that models a complete design project for a building including all information on construction, structure, etc. in a 3D model 

Green Globes provides a series of sustainable building assessments and certification tools for buildings in the US and Canada in an online format. 

International Living Future Institute (ILFI) is the creator of the Living Building Challenge (which is composed of seven component areas called petals, it claims to be the most advanced measuring system for sustainable buildings) and has a focus on Biophilic Design, and offers online and in-person coursework and case studies of its use in Living Buildings through Ecotone Publishing 

The ISO 14025 defines Product Rule Categories (PCR) and outlines what a PCR should contain. It also defines how to conduct a Life-Cycle Assessment for a given product, the criteria for inclusion for inputs and outputs of the LCA, and how to report the data in the form of an Environmental Product Declaration 

LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) is a technique to assess the environmental aspect and potential impacts associated with a product, process, or service 

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accredited Professional participates in the design process to help facilitate it 

There were many more that we learned about, including subsections of the ones listed above, but I thought I would just highlight the ones that I found most important. 

As for the interior space on campus, I focused on the reading nook in Creekside. I am normally over there by myself since there is only one seat, and it is a very small space, but it is the definition of a little hideaway space that I would have loved to make as a kid but never could. It makes me feel secure and safe, even though there is no door and is just a foot away from the main area, but the wall hiding me as I read makes me feel tucked away and comfortable. I love having my own individual space to hang out and to do work, so in previous years I would go for a walk and go into the reading nook to do some homework for the night. Emotionally, it makes me feel secure and separated in a good way. It helps me to see things clearer and to be more productive. Physically, it is a little bit small, but the chair is very comfortable and soft and makes me want to sink into it. Spiritually, it feels like a place that I can go to be comforted and loved, even when its just me.