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Green architecture is a broad approach to green building that seeks to create or renovate buildings in a way that they will have very minimal, if any, harmful effects on the environment and the human health. There are different approaches to green architecture but mostly the idea revolves around safeguarding the water, air, energy, and selecting ecologically friendly construction materials and of course employing good sustainable practices. The other common approach to green architecture revolves round responsible recycling of the available resources in tandem with the efficient use of eco-friendly systems that give power and water services.

Generally, a green architect will endeavor to design or renovate buildings in order to serve the purpose of any typical building but do not pose any threat to the environment. This would mean using construction materials made of organic compounds instead of synthetics such as bricks, woods, and other elements that have been harvested from an old structure that is scheduled for demolition.

Using solar panels is quite a common feature that green architects love to include in their designs. Solar panels and storage tanks ensure that energy is stored for electrical needs like cooking, regulating the temperatures in the building, and powering electrical equipments like computers and the likes. Advancement in green building technology has seen the architects use a solar energy system together with a wind system to tap on both sun and wind energies.

Depending on the intended purpose of the building, some other aspects of green architecture that can be can be included include using composite toilets in areas where there is water shortage. The building can also be recessed partially on the side of a hill to provide all-natural insulation. Other devices such as using collection vats are a common feature of green architecture. The vats make it possible to collect rainwater and channel it to tasks like watering the gardens, lawns, or operating sewerage systems.

Such a system will greatly help reduce the demand mostly placed on municipal purification systems, while at the same time it will reserve clean purified water for cooking, bathing, and drinking. The other notable feature of a green building design is the strategic placement of windows on the building’s facing.

Mostly, windows are placed in locations where there would be the maximum efficient use of sunlight during the day. Additionally, it reduces the demand for artificial lighting in the day as the windows will allow natural light come in hence provides a degree of warmth to the interiors of the building. As a result, it makes it possible to use less stored wind or solar energy to ensure that the living space has equitable temperatures.

Characteristics of green architecture include:

-         A green building design will cause negligible harm to the natural habitat

-         Efficient space use

-         No toxic or synthetic materials

-         Water-saving fixtures

-         Energy efficient appliances and lighting

-         Efficient heating and cooling ventilation systems

-         Adaptive reuse of old structures

-         Responsible way of harvesting woods

-         Use locally available materials