Buildings are responsible for half of the global energy use; and with 55% of the world’s population living in urban areas, it’s no wonder that we are now turning towards eco-friendly, sustainable architecture. There are many ways to create eco-friendly architecture which include: using resource-efficient materials and renewable energy sources to power buildings – and it is on the rise.

The government pledged that all homes must be zero carbon by 2020, so there are plans in place for 1.5 million new UK homes to be built by 2022, which have to comply with the new regulations: being low-carbon, low-energy and resilient to climate change.

There are many benefits to switching to green building, and they are as follows:

Low-cost building materials

The process of building should generate as little waste as possible, so materials that are used are long-lasting. If some materials have been recycled, then that allows for the use of fewer materials to be bought. Furthermore, if you use less water and energy, that can also help material efficiency and better for the environment.

Enhances the indoor environment quality

Conditions inside the building affect the quality of the environment inside. A good indoor environment is one that protects the occupant’s health, reduces stress and improves life quality. Green buildings tend to do this by installing more windows to let more light in.

Decrease environment damage and strain on resources

By using materials such as earthbags, stones, bamboo, logs, and straw as insulation can decrease the damage made to the environment; you would need to use less energy to heat the green building, therefore reducing energy bills. This will also ease the strain on the demand for energy.

Energy efficient

As mentioned above, eco-friendly buildings can help to ease the strain on energy demands in the local area. Installing solar panels will ensure that you make use of energy from the sun and reduce the use of artificial light by using natural light. These are both great ways of reducing the use of non-renewable sources. An increase in the dependency on renewable sources will impact the environment for the better.

Not only are the day-to-day living costs reduced, but the cost of building and time taken to construct the buildings reduces. Designing sustainable architecture must be strategic to reduce the dependency on non-renewable energy sources and non-recyclable building materials.