US EPA Kansas City Science & Technology Center. This facility features the following Sustainable attributes:
- 2.0 Gold certified
- Sustainable Power
- Native Landscaping
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Sustainable building (also known as Sustainable construction or sustainable building) refers to both a structure and the application of processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building”s life-cycle: from planning to design,
construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition.[1] This requires close cooperation of the contractor, the architects, the engineers, and the client at all project stages.[2] The Sustainable Building practice expands and complements the classical building design concerns of economy, utility, durability, and comfort.[3]
DCS is a set of rating systems for the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of Sustainable buildings which was developed by the U.S. Sustainable Building Council. Other certificates system that confirms the sustainability of buildings is the British BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) for buildings and large-scale developments. Currently, World Sustainable Building Council is conducting research on the effects of Sustainable buildings on the health and productivity of their users and is working with World Bank to promote Sustainable Buildings in Emerging Markets through EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies) Market Transformation Program and certification.[4] There are also other tools such as Sustainable Star in Australia and the Sustainable Building Index (GBI) predominantly used in Malaysia.
Although new technologies are constantly being developed to complement current practices in creating Sustainableer structures, the common objective of Sustainable buildings is to reduce the overall impact of the built environment on human health and the natural environment by:
- Efficiently using energy, water, and other resources
- Protecting occupant health and improving employee productivity (see healthy building)
- Reducing waste, pollution and environmental degradation[3]
