Green AP pushes for sustainable practices in design, construction

CEBU, Philippines - Amid resounding calls worldwide to take up green ways in all facets of human existence, a group of Filipino architects came up with an idea to impart green strategies and principles in their designs.

Green Architecture Advocacy Philippines (Green AP) is a four-year-old movement that encourages not only architects but also other industry professionals and the general public in studying and adopting sustainable practices in design and construction.

The group was founded in the middle of an era where crusades on environmental protection and sustainability of life and resources are mounting.

Across the globe, 30 to 40 percent of all primary energy is used in buildings, said the United Nations Environment Program in its study back in 2007.

Through carbon dioxide and chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) emissions, it is estimated that buildings account for up to 32 percent of global warming.  Large quantities of non-renewable resources and water are said to be consumed in the production of modern buildings.

Last year, the International Energy Agency reported that the climate goal of limiting warming to two degrees Celsius is becoming more difficult and costly with each year that passes.

If action is not taken before 2017, all the allowable carbon emissions would be locked-in by energy infrastructure existing in 2017, the agency said.

But most architecture is not aware of these facts and consequences, and merely attempts to address the issues of cost, function, aesthetics and construction.

“This is where we now step in,” said Green AP secretariat and founding member Lilibeth A. Ducut-Abais.

She said the construction industry and related sectors should be urged to incorporate “something green” at some given points in their businesses, seeing it as another form of corporate social responsibility.

As an example, she cited that hardware stores could sell products with green features or environmental attributes.

“From the building design, down to its construction, its maintenance and eventual disposal, companies must integrate some green features that will help mitigate energy requirements,” she said.

Ducut-Abais also believes that green architecture as an idea is already picking up in the mainstream because not only does it allow companies to benefit from increased savings due to lower energy consumption, it also promotes public wellness as a result of, among other reasons, improved indoor air quality.

By the end of August this year, Ducut-Abais’ L.A. Ducut and Company, Inc. will stage the country’s annual exposition and conference on green and sustainable built environment in Manila, which is also consistent with Green AP’s thrust.

Green AP is presently directing their efforts on establishing and beefing up their programs, as well as increasing their membership among like-minded professionals from various fields.

Much broader view

According to online-based writer Ken Stucke of ERA Architects, green architecture takes a much broader view, and attempts to address the issues of resource depletion, environmental degradation, pollution and social imbalance.

 It encompasses the three pillars of sustainable development: social, economic and environmental sustainability.

The site of the building is considered more than just a place to build the project, but rather its geology, geography and ecology are regarded as a resource with which the architecture synthesizes to produce built form, Stucke said.

“In the language of the building industry, the building is broken down into separate elements: wall, roof, floor, etc. There is little mention of the interaction between these elements, and how they perform as a whole,” he said.

He then said that green architecture represents a holistic approach, where the building is considered as a whole; an organism or machine, in which every component has an effect on the other components and on the building as a whole.  (FREEMAN)