Arch+Eco Quiz 3

Environmentally preferable products (EPP’s)

goods or services that have a reduced negative effect on human health and the environment throughout their life cycle

Environmental product declarations (EPD’s)

verified, transparent documents that disclose a product’s comprehensive environmental impact across its lifecycle

Environmental building declarations (EBD's)

analysis of the total environmental performance of the finished building

Ecological School of green building evaluation

holistic approach to design and assessment that prioritizes a building’s harmonious relationship with its surrounding ecosystem

LCA School of green building evaluation

standardized, scientific method used to quantify the environmental impacts of a building across its entire lifespan

Green Building Materials

sustainable, eco-friendly, or recycled products used in construction to minimize environmental damage and health risks across their life cycle

Green Building Products

finished, manufactured components installed to boost efficiency

Cradle-to-cradle / Closed-loop system

constitute an ecological design framework where “waste equals food”, creating circular metabolisms rather than linear consumption

products are designed for infinite reuse

Cradle-to-grave / Open-loop system

linear system tracing a product’s life from raw material extraction to final disposal

creates environmental debt through resource depletion and waste

Waste vs. Trash

trash represents discarded, unwanted materials while waste is seen as a resource and a design failure

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

policy framework that shifts the financial and operational responsibility for a product’s entire life cycle from municipalities to the producers

CoGen (or CHP – Combined Heat & Power)

efficient, on-site energy approach that generates electricity and useful thermal energy simultaneously from a single fuel source

Waste-to-Energy (WtE)

merges sustainable waste management with industrial design, converting non-recyclable waste into electricity or district heat while minimizing landfill use

Refuse-Derived Fuels (RDF)

sustainable, eco-friendly energy source produced by processing combustible municipal solid waste into fuel pellets or fluff

Cardinal rules for closed-loop building materials strategy:

Buildings must be deconstructable

Products must be disassemblable

Materials must be recyclable

Products and materials must be harmless in production and in use

Materials dissipated from recycling must be harmless

ATHENA LCA tool

provides LCA data on materials and systems for conceptual design, allowing users to compare options, evaluate embodied carbon, and make informed sustainable choices

BEES (Building for Environmental and Economic Stability) LCA tool

decision-support tool used to select environmentally and economically balanced building products, enabling designers to compare various building products based on both their life-cycle environmental performance and their life-cycle

Green building materials usage:

Reduce material use

Design with material modules

Structural materials as finish surfaces

Prefab construction

 Reuse & reclaim existing building materials

Adaptive building reuse

Building component reuse

Design for deconstruction

Use Recycled (& recyclable) materials

Use materials derived from renewable sources

Upcycling, Recycling, and Downcycling

ecological waste management strategies defined by the resulting material quality

Benefits of factory built, prefab, and modular construction

offer significant ecological benefits compared to traditional building methods, primarily due to the controlled factory environment, which allows for minimized waste and improved resource management

Deconstruction / Design for Disassembly (DfD)

ecological construction strategies that focus on designing buildings for easy, future dismantling, enabling material reuse and recycling rather than demolition

minimizes construction waste, reduces landfill contributions, lowers environmental impacts, and supports a circular economy

Commonly recycled building materials

steel, concrete, wood, glass

essential for ecological construction, reducing landfill waste, and minimizing the demand for virgin resources

Locally produced materials (LEED: ≤500mi. from project)

products extracted, harvested, recovered, and manufactures within a 500-mile radius of the project site, or within 100 miles for increased valuation

significantly enhances the ecological profile of a project by reducing transportation emissions, supporting local economies, and prioritizing sustainable, regional resources

Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC)

sets global standards for responsible forest management, focusing on ecological integrity, biodiversity conservation, and ecosystem services

Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)

aimed at ensuring healthy, resilient, and productive forests by balancing ecological health with economic and social needs

Rapidly renewable resources (LEED: 10 yr replacement cycle)

agricultural products that take 10 years or less to grow, harvest, and replenish

identifies materials that can be continuously harvested without depleting the ecosystem or requiring significant time to regenerate

Flyash and silica fume as Portland cement substitutes

ecological approach aimed to reducing the environmental footprint of construction

Ways to reduce construction waste

implementing the “reduce, reuse, recycle” hierarchy through modular design

deconstruction instead of demolition

on-site sorting of materials

purchasing accurate material quantities

donating salvageable fixtures

recycling concrete and wood

using technology to track waste

Stages in deconstruction for materials reuse:

assessment

• deconstruction and reuse takes time

design

• team and structural engineer

preconstruction

• communicate shared goals and priorities

• clearly mark which items go to reuse, recycle, or disposal

• find materials to reuse first, rather than finding materials after

construction

• double check dimensions or items that will be reused

• foreman and site supervisor read plans, everyone else gets info from them

postconstruction

• have a reuse plan for future

KDI Material classifications

bio-based

• Algae

• Animal

• Bacteria

• Biocomposite (two or more materials mixed together)

• Bioplastic (plastic sourced from living materials)

• Fungi

• Plants

metals

• ferrous

• non-ferrous

mineral/earthen

• Cementitious

• Ceramic

• Clay-based

• Glass

• Soil-based

• Stone-based

plastic

• bioplastic

• elastomer

• thermoplastic

• thermoset