THE
BASICS
2
2.1
What makes a building green?
GREEN BUILDING minimises its impact on the environment
while achieving the required purposes and comfort levels for
which the building is intended. There are many aspects that
need to be considered, and generally they can be divided into
five main considerations for green buildings:
2.1.1 Land conservation
Deciding where to build is actually one of the most fundamental
decisions in the development process affecting the building’s
impact on the Earth. It is not unusual that we hear sad news
about natural habitats being destroyed by human activities or
city expansion. On the other hand, building on sites which have
been deserted or abandoned improves land usage and brings
life back to the area.
Density is another issue related to land conservation.
Typical malls in North America are of extremely low density and
‘spread-out’. Shopping malls in Hong Kong, on the contrary,
are of much higher density and are often ‘stacked-up’ more
than 5-6 floors.
High-density developments use up fewer land resources and
reduce energy consumption for transportation. However, they
also bring problems, including crowdedness, hygiene and
comfort issues, as well as higher energy use for its operation.
Land
Conservation
Water
Conservation
Material
Conservation
Indoor
Environment
& Health
GREEN
BUILDING
Energy
Conservation
48 Hong Kong Green Shop Guide
