Sustainable Design in Spokane Washington

Recent high-profile environmental disasters like Hurricanes Harvey and Irma have been a long-overdue wake-up call to climate change skeptics. As experts’ predictions of the dangers of human-created global climate change grow increasingly dire, we are all responsible for finding ways to mitigate the impact of increasing greenhouse gases – both immediately and in the long-term.  

As temperatures rise, one of the biggest threats facing Washington residents is the statewide water supply. Researchers from the Colorado River Research Group recently published a report that includes some eye-opening statistics about rising temperatures and their implications for the future. Hotter, drier climate conditions will undoubtedly increase the demand for water for everything from irrigation to manufacturing to power production.

Fortunately, thought leaders in many industries are committed to finding solutions to help guide humanity through the climate crisis, and sustainable design is one industry leading the charge.

What Is Sustainable Design?

The built environment is a major source of human-created greenhouse gases. Sustainable design, also known as green building, is a way to make our built environment more efficient by carefully considering how structures and their sites use available resources. Sustainable designers not only create structures planned around coping with the effects of climate change; they also incorporate techniques and technologies to reduce buildings’ energy use and decrease the energy needed to build them.

Sustainable building designers work with the goal of reducing the environmental impact for the entire lifecycle of a building. The practice of green building extends beyond the walls of structures to include site and land-use planning concerns, as well.

Why Is Green Building Important?

While community growth is positive for the economy, it has a negative effect on our environment. The manufacturing, design, construction, and operation of the buildings in which we live and work are responsible for consuming many of our finite natural resources.

According to the U.S. Green Building Council, buildings in the United States account for:

• 72 percent of electricity consumption,
• 39 percent of energy use,
• 38 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions,
• 40 percent of raw materials use,
• 30 percent of waste output (136 million tons annually) and
• 14 percent of potable water consumption.

LEED Certification and Sustainable Design Principles

LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, represents a highly practical shift in the way designers approach how they plan, construct and maintain buildings and communities. A building that earns LEED-certified status has, on average, 34 percent lower carbon dioxide emissions, consumes 25 percent less energy and 11 percent less water. Around the country, LEED-certified buildings have diverted more than 80 million tons of waste from landfills.

Using sustainable design principles encourages architects and land planners to make decisions that reduce the negative impact on the environment. The green building movement is a sensible and integrated approach that positively impacts all phases of a building’s lifecycle, from design to decommissioning. At Beautique Home, we strive to follow these principles and create sustainable designs that are both practical and stylish for all of our customer’s needs.