Sustainable Design
What is sustainable
design?
The concept of sustainable design has come to the forefront in the last 20
years. It is a concept that recognizes that human civilization is an integral
part of the natural world
and that nature must be preserved and
perpetuated if the human community itself is to survive. Sustainable design
articulates this idea through developments that promote the principles of
conservation and encourage the application of those principles in our daily
lives. More simply, it’s how to meet current needs (building, product,
infrastructure) without compromising the ability of future generations to meet
their own needs. When you put “sustainable” and “design” together, you get an
approach to the creative process where resources are used wisely and preserved
for posterity. It’s a way of thinking, a mindset that solves problems and
addresses opportunities by balancing current and future needs.
Why is sustainable
design crucial?
Buildings today account for 1/3 of energy
use, 30% of greenhouse gas emissions and 30% of raw material use. According to
the U.S. Department of Energy, the world’s energy consumption is expected to
rise roughly 26% over the next 20 years. In the , wetlands are lost at
a rate of about 60,000 acres per year.
What is technology's
role?
The role of technology is central to sustainable design. To
be cost effective, sustainable design relies on the creation of an accurate 3D
computer model of the design, used for a variety of purposes:
· Rapid prototyping, to get energy-efficient
designs to market quickly
· Simulating energy usage, permitting long-term
calculations of energy consumption and cost
· Ease of modifications to optimize energy use
· Sharing of modeling data throughout the supply chain,
to permit the specification of the least wasteful materials
What are the
challenges?
· Opinion that sustainable design projects have a
much greater cost.
· Perception that customers will not want to pay
the upfront costs associated with a sustainable design.
· Critics are quick to point out “green washing” –
which describes misleading instances of environmental advertising.
How does the Autodesk
software PacifiCAD sells support sustainable design?
A key focus for Autodesk is to provide the software that
allows our customers to analyze and predict design performance to determine
the behavior and impact on communities and the environment. This ability
to predict the long-term impact of a building is a critical component to
sustainable design.
Autodesk’s tools empower design professionals to measure and
analyze the performance costs and occupant experience of a building, predict
the efficiency and durability of a mechanical device, or model the layout of a
new road and understand its environmental impact. As a result, design
professionals can significantly reduce the time and resources required to
create sustainable buildings, infrastructure and products.
By enabling our customers to reduce material waste,
collaborate more effectively and evaluate the lifecycle of their project,
Autodesk is helping make sustainable design easier and more efficient.
Autodesk is working with the world’s leading architects,
engineers, and product designers to drive awareness and increase adoption of
sustainable design principles.
By providing software that can be used to predict a design’s
performance, we can help customers incorporate sustainable design principles
into their practice, contributing to a cleaner and healthier environment.
Where is more
information available?
Websites:
· www.autodesk.com/mini-sites/green
Link to Solutions for sustainable design
· www.greenbiz.com
weekly updates to help companies profit from environmental leadership
· www.igreenbuild.com
resource for the latest "green" news, articles, reports and more
· www.asid.org
sustainable design case studies and more
· www.aia.com
American Institute of Architecture
Videos:
· Sustainable by Design DVD – The Source
(Introduction by Carl Bass)
· design:e2 – Sustainable design documentary
series sponsored by Autodesk
Blogs:
· http://greenrevit.blogspot.com
Autodesk Revit and green design
· www.treehugger.com
Guiding consumers towards greener, more environmentally responsible and
sustainable products
Publications:
· Environmental Design + Construction magazine
· Plenty magazine