Green building and green architecture: the keys to energy saving

We have already talked about how Varese in recent years has adopted virtuous behaviour in terms of eco-sustainability, believing in the ecological transition as a necessary requirement for the future of the planet. In the Lombardy municipality, the adoption of eco-friendly practices is also translates into an increasing use of green building and bio-architecture. But what do these two terms really mean? Are they synonymous? E above all: can they contribute to substantial energy savings for citizens? First of all, it should be clarified that the term green building or green architecture refers to the way of designing, constructing and managing a building in a way that is in in line with the principles of environmental sustainability, reducing negative impacts on the environment. Beware, however: we are not dealing with two synonyms. Instead, they are two approaches in total symbiosis, complementing each other to achieve a common goal. One practice, however, precedes the other, namely bio-architecture. Because before any choice of material or construction technique, designing the architecture of the building in an appropriate manner enables the foundations to be laid for optimising the levels of living comfort, energy saving and thus also eco-sustainability.

Hence, the term bio-architecture refers to the attitude of good design: aspects such as health, light, acoustic and thermal comfort luminous, acoustic and thermal comfort, aspects of a compositional and aesthetic nature, issues of domotherapy and geobiology of the site and much more. We then move on to the construction of the building, according to the five principles of green building. Here are them:

● Integrated approach: the team involved in the construction of the building must be competent in the field, must be familiar with the construction solutions materials and sustainable construction techniques.

● Consideration of geographical constraints: requires building taking into account the characteristics of the terrain and landscape so that the building is compatible with its surroundings.

● Choice of materials: to avoid so-called thermal bridges and optimise the building also from the point of view of durability and acoustics.

● Energy performance: to significantly reduce the energy needs and related energy consumption of buildings, through installations or clean energy sources that reduce both the pollution emitted by the home and the costs of maintaining it.

● Health and comfort of users: an eco-sustainable home must guarantee different levels of comfort: visual, acoustic, thermal and hygrothermal, as well as the health of its inhabitants.

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Green building techniques can finally make a significant contribution to energy savings. To maximise natural heating, for example, living spaces should be oriented towards the south, so as to capture as much light and heat as possible in winter. light and heat as possible in winter. This technique greatly reduces the energy requirements of the house. Another key element in reducing energy waste is to insulate the house from the cold, using materials with high inertia and reducing thermal bridges during construction. And again: a building designed according to green building standards should not need air conditioning. It is necessary to protect the house from the sun with fixed, movable or vegetal protections. You must also choose materials with a high degree of inertia, which absorb variations in external temperature. Finally, in a sustainable house, technologies that favour water saving are favoured, for example by reusing rainwater or white water for garden irrigation.