The Difference Between Green Design and Sustainable Design
“Being green is more than just buying ‘eco’. It is an unshakeable commitment to a sustainable lifestyle” – Jennifer Nini
The level of public awareness for the environment and climate change is increasing each year. Both green and sustainable design movements are constantly growing to protect natural resources, to also to be implemented as efficient use of energy and minimize environmental damage.
So what are green design and sustainable design? Most people often think that both of them has the same meaning. But the fact is, green design and sustainable design are different.
Green design focuses on the use of recycled materials, renewable energies and reduced waste of energy and materials. In sustainable design, all strategies for respecting the environment, along with attention to energy consumption, are emphasized.
It will be very useful if done equally, collectively to design a space. Let’s jump in and explore the topic even further.
The Three Pillars Of Sustainability
When comparing green vs. sustainable, it is vital to know that these two terms do not mean the same thing. But, before that, we need to put in mind that sustainable design has 3 main pillars associated with it to make it easier for you to understand the difference.
It is very important to know that sustainable design has 3 main pillars as a foundation for its application in a building design. What are these things?
1. Economic development:
To maintain stable economic growth by restructuring productive systems to conserve resources and energy. It’s about providing incentives for businesses and organizations that incorporate sustainable practices. They can’t be sustainable if they’re not profitable.
2. Social development:
To ensure social justice in the distribution of wealth and social services. It’s associated with the concept of social responsibility. If you run a business, you need to know how it impacts people’s lives, including your employees.
3. Environmental protection:
To keep the living environment comfortable and safe through zero-emission. Our planet is our home and we don’t have another one. So, we should take care of the environment to ensure the future of humanity.
Green Design Definition
Green Design is a principal design that reduces or negatively impact the environment. Which creates a positive change on the environment and climate.
Foster + Partners said that green design is the “creation of buildings which are energy-efficient healthy, comfortable, flexible in use and designed for long life”. A green design should have a minimal impact on the environment, both in terms of products and materials used in the construction and the functionality of the building.
Designs that can be categorized as green design contain the following aspects :
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Healthy indoor air quality
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Adaptable design to changing environment
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Solar or other form of renewable energy
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Use of non-toxic, sustainable, low-impact, and ethical materials
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Design and construction that considers the quality of life of occupants
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Efficient energy and water resources
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Consideration of environments needs in design, construction, and operation
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Reduction of waste and pollution
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Utilization of green roofs and rain gardens
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Recycling and reusability
Sustainable Design Definition
Sustainable design is the intention to reduce or eliminate negative environmental impacts through thoughtful designs. This concept can be applied across all fields of design such as designing buildings or products. The goals of sustainable design are to eliminate negative impacts on the environment through designs that change the stages and systems to be more friendly to nature in the long term.
Through a minimalist approach to impacting the environment, the sustainable design uses renewable resources. The focus is on creating a healthy and productive environment for the user. Sustainable design principles include :
- Lower energy and water consumption through the entire lifecycle – from manufacture to daily use to disposal
- Enhance operational and maintenance procedures
- Use of environmentally friendly products
- Limit resource consumption through waste-free manufacturing, a preference for renewable resources, and an emphasis on recycled materials
- Minimize the impact on climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions or mitigating them through carbon neutralizing activities
- Optimize building site potential
- Optimize renewable energy
- Minimize impact on the local ecosystem and look for ways to incorporate biomimicry principles where possible
- Enhancement of indoor environmental quality
The Difference
Do you remember the three pillars we talked about before? Sustainable design can be differentiated from green design because of its long-term approach to environmental protection and its consideration of social and economic development. Every stage of the design process is optimized to reduce negative impacts and to improve quality of life without shrink out natural resources. When it comes to sustainable design, the main intent is not to build a structure, but to build a future. Ideally, it should help people envision a better world.
When comparing green vs. sustainable design, the primary difference is that sustainability design is a broad ideology that takes into consideration social, environmental, performance, and financial implications. A green design focuses more on environmental aspects. While many green products are environmentally friendly, looking at them from the sustainability aspect involves digging deeper.
Are you still confused? Let’s take an example. bamboo flooring is a green, eco-friendly and durable material. It may be less harmful to the environment than concrete floors, but it is not considered sustainable. Most of the available bamboo flooring in the world is manufactured in China, which means it needs to be transported by boat and truck to its final destination. As a result, it contributes to more pollutants in the air.
For bamboo to be called a sustainable material, it can be used in a project happening China, if the bamboo material is sourced in China too. Bamboo can also be sourced locally in other tropical countries that have these resources as well. When the area where the building is built supports these green materials, it can also be called a sustainable material.
Do you know the difference now?
Do you know the difference between green design and sustainable design? Did this article help you? Give us your thoughts in the comment section below!
Ideal Home Bali will always provide other useful information and tips related to design. We hope to improve your insight and give many people a chance to be more aware of the environment by design. In practice, green design and sustainable design support each other hand in hand and can create lots of good design results. Our Earth is in Our Hand, let’s create a more green and sustainable design for the years to come.
by Ideal Home Bali Editors
10 January 2021
