“Environmentally sustainable buildings, also known as green buildings have come up to address the issue of energy efficiency. They have a small carbon footprint in their operational lifespan because of the way they have been built,” Charles Ndung’u, director, Triad Architects
There’s no denying that global warming is a reality. If the negative effects of climate change, including biting drought, famines, inadequate clean water and floods are any measure, the world is staring at a ticking time bomb. To averse the looming disaster, most industries are putting up environmentally friendly measures. The build environment industry is not an exception. Most property developers are now warming up to the idea of environmentally sustainable buildings. Consequently, the green building concept is gaining traction across the globe, more so in Kenya, where a host of green buildings are sprouting up.
Hustle East Africa talked to Charles Ndung’u, director at Triad Architects, a leader in Architecture, Design and Development in Africa to understand the concept of green buildings. He was the lead architect for the Britam Tower project, which was voted the 10th best skyscraper in the world according to Emporis Skyscrapers Awards.
What are Green Buildings all about?
Charles: The concept of green buildings or environmentally sustainable buildings comes from the realization that we need to conserve our energy resources. The less energy we use, the more we conserve our environment.
There’s also the issue of carbon emissions and the effects of carbon on the environment. The ozone layer helps to protect the harmful gases from entering our atmosphere, but we need to cut our carbon emissions.
The more processing we do, the more emissions we release into the atmosphere and the more energy we use. Energy conservation is not just a problem in the build environment, but in all industries.
In the built environment, there’s a lot that can be done to ensure that buildings are energy efficient. First, buildings should be designed in a way they can consume less energy, so the buildings generate their own clean energy. Green Buildings have come up to address the issue of energy efficiency. They have a small carbon footprint in their operational lifespan because of the way they have been built.
The Green Building concept is gaining traction across the globe, and is going to be a trending topic for many years as long as energy conservation is concerned.
Specialists in the emissions space say that global warming is not a myth as its effects will be felt in the next 50 or so years if nothing is done to arrest the situation.
What does it take to build an environmentally sustainable structure?
Principally, it boils down to how efficient you are when putting up the structure. This is in terms of materials used. What does it take to produce those materials? The less energy used to generate those materials, the less the carbon emissions. This benefits the environment.
Basically, you look at efficiency in terms of the building itself and the materials used. We also look at how those materials can be disposed off or reused when the building is no longer operational.
Once built, there’s the aspect of energy consumption. How efficient is the building when it comes to energy consumption? The more efficient the better.
In terms of materials used, there are many energy efficient sanitary and light fittings that can be used when building an environmentally sustainable structure. These include LED lights, and taps with sensors.
When it comes to rating a building, a lot of things are considered. One, how efficiently were the materials used when constructing the building? If two similar buildings are put up, and one employs an efficient model that uses less materials, then that building is considered greener than the one that used more materials.
Again, there are a few measures that can be used to turn a normal building project into an environmentally sustainable one. These include:
Rain water harvesting and the use of simple filtration systems.
Solar installation for generation of renewable energy.
Energy efficient fittings like electric sensor taps and LED lights.
Recycling water from the basins to be used in the toilets.
Efficient use of materials. The less the materials used the better.
Efficiency in reducing waste during the construction process, and the ability to recycle most materials after the building ceases operation.
There are many aspects that you can look at, all geared towards the key components of material usage and efficiency.
Why is the green buildings concept yet to gain widespread adoption in Kenya?
There are many reasons for this. First, sensitization of the project teams. This comes from the client proposals. Clients must have the ability to know what they need to build. There should be sensitization programmes aimed at educating more Kenyans on the importance of green buildings and how they can achieve such kinds of buildings.
Then, there’s the actual construction costs of green structures. When it comes to building environmentally sustainable buildings, there are some aspects that make it an expensive affair, especially if you wish to go the whole hog. For instance, installing solar power could be a capital intensive exercise from the onset, but pays off in the long term, simply because the building will be using less of grid electricity and more of solar power, which is a cheap, renewable source. The same goes when you want to install a water recycling system. For a commercial building, you’ll need to install a fully-fledged water recycling system, and these aren’t cheap. However, in the long term, it pays off as at the end of the building’s operational life, you’re able to recover your costs.
That said, there are various inexpensive measures you can take to make sure that your building is environmentally sustainable. One of these is to ensure that your building has enough windows, and the orientation is correct so you don’t have windows facing east or west where the sun is hottest.
Incentives; I think there are incentives that can be put in place to encourage the construction of green buildings.
There have been efforts. For instance, the government recently passed regulation that requires home owners to install solar water heaters in their buildings.
The concept is really growing, but it needs to be strengthened through sensitization to enable more people to know about its importance and what it takes to do it.
Are glass clad buildings environmentally sustainable?
It all depends with how they were built. If they were built sustainably, then they are. There are many examples of buildings that aren’t confortable to live in because they were poorly designed and built.
Some glass clad buildings are environmentally sustainable because they use environmentally sustainable materials, including high performance glass that is technologically advanced in terms of energy absorption. Some high performance glasses can absorb heat at a rate of 70 % and these can be classified as energy efficient.
Should we consider using other materials other than glass?
Glass is a fine material that you can’t ignore. All that matters is how creatively you use it. All that’s needed is creativity to use glass in a sensitive way that prevents heat buildup. To construct an environmentally sustainable building using glass, the basic rules of architecture apply. Orientation. You might not want to build your structure with a façade facing the headwinds.
Then, there are high performance glasses that can be used. These absorb heat well and are considered to be energy efficient.
Most clients, including corporates and multinational companies, are requesting for green buildings that are made of glass. The world is getting more interconnected and people are appreciating modern building methods. Architecture is not a vacuum. It’s influenced by what’s happening in other places. Because of futuristic designs that we see all over the world, we expect that most buildings are going to have a higher percentage of glass. You can use glass and still have buildings that are environmentally sustainable.
Triad Architects is well known for designing green buildings. Is it part of your mission to spearhead this concept?
Generally, we are advising our clients to build structures that are environmentally sustainable. The idea came up internally from a wish list as we pieced together our strategic plan.
We look at what’s feasible within the client’s budget and work with that.
We also came up with some basic standards for minimum sensitivities that we must include in our buildings to ensure they are environmentally friendly. First, we look at the orientation of the building, a basic aspect in architecture. Then, there are tools that help when it comes to designing of green buildings. As technology keeps advancing, more sophisticated tools are becoming available, more than ever before.
The other thing is that more people are getting training in environmental sciences and this is a field that’s gaining traction. Basically, we tend to look at how sustainably we can build structures without hurting the environment.
Triad Architects is also a member of the Kenya Green Building Council that pushes the agenda of sustainability.
There are many standards of rating buildings and any architect can register their project for certification.
What does the future looks like when it comes to environmentally sustainable buildings?
We are going to see this agenda gaining pace. Soon, electric vehicles will be popular in Kenya and we will need to incorporate charge stations in our buildings. I think sustainability is going to be embraced more as the negative effects of climate change continue to be felt across the world.
Furthermore, the concept is gaining popularity as more people start to appreciate the importance of environmentally sustainable buildings. What’s more, lots of new awards are coming up, seeking to recognize those behind the greenest buildings.
