Sustainable Green Interiors

The impact of building construction on the environment is harrowing; U.S. buildings use 30% of the world’s total energy and 60% of our total electricity each year. In order to maintain our ecosystems and the health of the earth, we are all responsible for working towards sustainability. More and more businesses each year are enacting green building practices, constructing high-performance buildings that are sound for the environment, economy and humankind.

By 2009, it is estimated that 20% of businesses in the U.S. will be green for 60% of the time, with 80% of the nation’s corporations living green 16% of the time. Green building revolves around utilizing natural breeze and sunlight during construction, focusing on renewable energy and resources. Sustainable design is also part of green building, accomplished by implementing quickly regenerative materials such as bamboo and straw. Sustainably-managed lumber, recycled rock and other recycled materials are also used in sustainable design schemes. The goal of green building is to use low-impact, high-quality materials that are durable, biodegradable and energy efficient.

Many skeptics may ask: Why go green? Besides preserving the health of the environment and its ecosystems, green building is also economically beneficial to corporations. Once a building is considered high-performance, energy and water costs are greatly decreased, thereby reducing operation costs. Sustainable design also increases the marketability of the building in the future and increases human productivity and health through the better quality of indoor air.

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Green building and sustainable design is now being mandated by the government. In 2005, Washington set a precedent as the first state to enact green building legislation, requiring that edifices maintain a certain degree of sustainability. The trend of green building is expected to not only progress, but to eventually become the standard. It is your social responsibility as a business to negate the immense negative impact corporate America has on the environment. Begin by starting small with implements of sustainable design from Think Spaces, and the nation’s corporations can one day be collectively sustainable.