architecture green construction

What is "greenwashing"?

promoting something as green when it's not
Greenwashing is the under-the-table practice of marketing products and services as environmentally friendly or organic when they're not.

1. What percentage of a building material has to be from reused or repurposed materials for it to be called "recycled"?

1. depends on weight and cost calculations
   Depending on local codes and desired certification, LEED or otherwise, the number will depend on the size and cost of the project and even the weight of materials. It comes down to the math.

1. How much additional, formal schooling does an architect need in order to be a green architecture specialist?

1. None
   While some architecture degree programs specialize in preparing students to become green professionals, it is a specialization within a general course of education to become an architect.

1. What is "green fatigue"?

1. a weariness in talking about all things green
   With an increasing focus on being aware of what we buy, build with and throw away, some get tired of all of the focus on being green, leading to "green fatigue' and sometimes the urge to just rebel and be environmentally-unfriendly instead of friendly.

1. Which architect said: "In 10 years we're not going to talk about sustainability anymore, because it's going to be built into the core processes of architecture... Advertising sustainability...will be like an architect getting up in of a room to 'proudly' proclaim how his buildings didn't fall down."

Robert Stern

1. What is a carbon footprint?

1. The total amount of greenhouse gasses (including carbon dioxide and methane) that are generated by our actions. The average carbon footprint for a person in the United States is 16 tons, one of the highest rates in the world.

1. Which housing type might have the smallest carbon footprint?

1. Multi-family
   Multi-family dwellings, with their shared walls and likelihood of being closer to transportation, can use much less energy than detached single-family residences.

1. Which very famous architect has had to defend some of their negative comments about green architecture?

1. Frank Gehry
   Frank Gehry spoke of the race to reach LEED certification with a critical tone, and many have picked up on his comments as being un-green.

1. This housing type may seem environmentally friendly, but it's often not.

1. Timber Frame
   Timber frame houses actually have a lot of negative impact when they're full of lofty spaces requiring added heating and cooling, or if they're not joined properly and let too much air in and out.

1. LEED is an acronym for:

1. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
   LEED is a certification award for buildings and communities that achieve high standards in environmental friendliness and sustainability.

1. One of the most acclaimed public green projects in the United States does NOT have this:

1. Air conditioning
   Architect Renzo Piano designed the California Academy of Sciences with numerous sustainable features and without air conditioning, relying instead on windows that actually open -- a rarity in modern building desig

-- and a motorized ventilation system that circulates breezes through the main building.

What is sold online for use as housing?

Shipping containers, train cars

1. Is it more green to sell your house and live in an RV?

1. It can go both ways
   Depending on the amount of traveling you plan to do and the eco-friendly features or lack of them on the RV itself, staying in a home or hitting the road can be green or not at all green. Those who consider RV living are already thinking about the possibilities of downsizing, so in that sense it's green, but guzzling fuel and picking up lots of Styrofoam takeout along the way?

1. Who are the green police?

1. Environmental enforcers
   The green police are members of a fictional, real and abstract force all at the same time.

1. When was green architecture regulated under a standard international building code?

2012

Black water refers to:

1. Wastewater from sinks, showers, and laundry - in distinction to Gray water from toilets and urinals

1. What can make a building 'Green'?

1. Cool Roofs, Green insulation, Solar Power, Smart Appliances, StormWater Management, Biodegradable Materials

1. What's the highest LEED Certification you can get? And how many points does this require?

Platinum: 80+ points

1. LEED is a building rating system developed and maintained by:

1. The US Green Building Council