As energy prices continue to rise, more and more housing consumers in the U.S. are looking for ways to save money on home energy costs.Jeff Swicord reports on an environmentally friendly, green building movement in the United States.
A green building showcase of kitchen design and appliances
From high-rise apartment buildings to single-family homes, so-called "green building" is the hottest trend in architectural design today. Simply put, green building takes into account the energy efficiency of the design and the environmental sustainability of the materials used.
Susan Piedmont-Palladino is an architect and curator at the National Building Museum in Washington D.C. She explains the concept of green building. "Green building is thinking about where it comes from and where it goes. That goes for the material as well as the energy. How are you getting the energy, what systems are you using to heat your house and cool your house? And where are the waste products going to end up?"
The National Building Museum has assembled part of a green house designed by California architect Michele Kaufman as part of its exhibit on green building. Susan Palladino points out some of its green features. "The first one to notice is this generous overhang."
Susan Piedmont-Palladino
The exterior of the house is designed to maximize or limit solar exposure during different times of the year. "This overhang keeps the high summer sun off the glass. And then the sun in the winter is, of course, a little bit lower. The sun in the winter can slide or glide, it is The Glide House, can glide right under the overhang and warm up the interior," Piedmont-Palladino says.
The materials and design inside the house are equally important to its green character. The exhibition emphasizes the choices people make when building, designing and furnishing a home. "Some of the furniture is eco resin, which is a recycled material. And all of the upholsteries, the fabrics, they minimize out-gassing, minimize sort of nasty toxins that are sometimes hidden in the things we buy."
Bamboo flooring
The flooring is made of bamboo, which is the fastest-growing plant on the earth and considered a renewable resource. The lighting in the house is all fiber-optic, which gives off less heat than a conventional light bulb. "And it consumes vastly less energy than typical lighting."
The kitchen countertops are made from recycled paper.
The U.S. Green Building Council is an organization made up of representatives from the building industry. It has come up with something called LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Certification. LEED Certification is a way of measuring green design performance.
"The dishwasher and the washer are both Energy Star appliances which reduces the energy consumption…"
The Alta, a new condominium development by builder P.N. Hoffman in Washington D.C., is the first LEED certified condominium development in the city.
Shawn Seaman
Shawn Seaman is a vice president with P. N. Hoffman. He has been interested in the green building concept for many years. He says it was not hard to convince his company that green was the way to go with the Alta project.
"It has actually been a benefit for the company because it has been a marketable feature. And it separates us from the competition."
Consumer demand for green is increasing and other builders in Washington plan to offer green projects. Susan Piedmont Palladino says the next step is to design entire green communities that are self-sufficient and generate their own renewable energy.
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在美国，由于能源价格不断上涨，越来越多的消费者正设法节省在家居能源方面的开销，一个具有环保意识的绿色建筑运动已经展开。
从公寓大厦到独栋住宅，绿色住宅是目前建筑设计的一个最热门的趋势。简单的说，绿色住宅的设计要考虑到能源效益，同时要使用对环境具有长久保护作用的材料，位于美国首都华盛顿的国家建筑博物馆馆长帕拉迪诺也是一位建筑师。
她说：“绿色住宅的设计，要考虑到房子的来源和去向，包括建筑材料和能源。例如：怎么样取得能源？使用什么样的冷暖气系统？所有的废弃物最后被送到什么地方去？”
美国加利福尼亚州的一位建筑师考夫曼设计的绿色住宅有一部份在国家建筑博物馆展出。帕拉迪诺指出了这所房屋的一些特点。她说：“首先值得注意的是房屋上面特别凸出的屋檐。”
房屋的外部设计是要在每年不同的季节，尽量对阳光的热力加以利用或者对阳光的照射予以限制。帕拉迪诺说：“这种屋檐在夏天可以遮挡阳光，到了冬天，可以利用它的热力作为室内暖气的来源。”
绿色住宅内部的材料和设计也同样重要。国家建筑博物馆的展览特别强调人们在房屋的设计和家俱的布置方面所做的选择。帕拉迪诺说：“有些家俱用再循环的树脂材料制造，室内装璜和面料尽量减少有毒物质的含量。我们购买的用品当中有时隐藏着有毒物质。”
能源及环保设计领导证书
房屋的地板是用竹子制成，竹子是世界上生长的最快的植物，被认为是一种再生能源。室内的照明全部使用光导纤维，散发出的热力比普通灯泡要小。帕拉迪诺说：“这种设备所消耗的能源比传统的照明方法要少的多。”
厨房里面的厨台是用回收纸张制造的。由建筑业界代表组成的美国绿色建筑理事会拟定了能源及环保设计领导证书，用来评估绿色设计的质量。
在首都华盛顿，霍夫曼建筑公司正在建造一座新的公寓大楼，这是华盛顿的第一座获得能源及环保设计领导证书的建筑物。霍夫曼建筑公司副总裁西曼多年来一直对绿色住宅的概念感兴趣。他说，他的公司相信新的公寓应该走绿色之路。西曼说：“这实际上对公司有利，因为这是市场上所需求的一个特色，这使我们在市场竞争当中脱颖而出。”
消费者对绿色住宅的需求正在增加，华盛顿的其它建筑商也计划推出绿色工程。帕拉迪诺说，下一步是要设计出绿色社区，这样的社区要能自已自足，供应本身所需要的再生能源。 |
