Eco concerns are near the top of everyone’s list right now, and the construction industry is no different. Buildings that prioritise energy efficiency and a lower carbon footprint are growing in popularity.
What Is a Green Building?
A green building is one that puts environmental quality first. From using sustainable materials to emphasising energy-efficient and eco-friendly practices throughout the building’s life cycle, green homes are, essentially, construction projects that seek to lessen the environmental impacts of a home or office block.
Sustainable Building Materials
If you’re designing a sustainable building, here are some green construction materials and natural resources that will lessen the negative impacts of building structures.
1. Recycled Metal Roofing
Made from recycled steel, aluminium, or copper, metal roofs are long-lasting, energy-efficient, and recyclable at the end of their life. This environmentally friendly option reduces waste and uses less energy during production to create a more sustainable building.
2. Green Roof Systems
Also known as a living roof, green roofs are sustainable buildings covered with vegetation, soil, and drainage systems. Plant life and greenery can improve indoor environmental quality and human health as these natural materials provide clean air and insulation, as well as reducing urban heat islands.
3. Solar Tiles
Including a passive solar design in your roofing can create energy savings throughout entire buildings. By integrating solar photovoltaic cells into roof tiles, homeowners can generate clean energy which works towards a greener future.
While solar panels aren’t a sustainable building material in itself, installing solar in your construction practices on office or residential buildings can be energy efficient and save money on bills.
4. Cool Roof Coatings
Applying reflecting coatings to existing roof structures can reflect sunlight and lessen heat gain, which can lower air conditioning costs used to cool the building and reduce CO2 emissions.
What’s more, roof coatings don’t require major renovations – it’s a sustainable and cost-effective option that produces less waste.
5. Clay Tiles
Clay tiles are made from natural resources. They’re extremely durable, fire retardant, recyclable, and require little maintenance.
6. Reclaimed Wood Shakes
Reclaimed wood is a sustainable material that reduces the demand for new lumber. By salvaging and reusing raw materials, reclaimed wood improves energy efficiency in construction projects.
7. Rubber Roofing (EPDM)
Like reclaimed wood, rubber roofing is made from recycled tyres and other products. It’s extremely durable, long-lasting, and made from post-consumer waste.
8. Bamboo Shingles
Bamboo shingles come from natural resources. Bamboo grows incredibly fast and is a renewable resource. This sustainable building material is a green alternative to traditional wood.
9. Recycled Plastic Shingles
Recycled plastic materials, like reclaimed wood and rubber, is a sustainable building material that reduces plastic waste and has a long lifespan. These shingles are usually made from recycled plastic materials, often mixed with other sustainable resources.
10. Cork Roofing
Cork roofing is made from the bark of cork oak trees, which regrow their bark after harvesting, making it a renewable resource. It’s also biodegradable and excellent for insulation.
11. Slate Roofing
Slate is a natural resource that is known for its durability and aesthetic appeal. The long lifespan of the slate reduces the need for replacement, meaning less waste.
12. Thatch Roofing
Thatched roofs may be traditional, but they’re a sustainable design. Made from dried vegetation, like straw bales or reeds, they’re biodegradable and renewable. Plus, they provide natural insulation.
13. Green Concrete Roof Tiles
Green concrete tiles are made from recycled materials like fly ash or slag. Using recycled concrete reduces the carbon footprint associated with traditional concrete production.
14. Recycled Asphalt Shingles
Recycled asphalt shingles are made from roofing waste, diverting rubbish from landfills and reducing the demand for new materials.
15. Fibre Cement Roof Panels
Fibre cement roof panels are made from a mix of cement, sand, and cellulose fibres. They’re highly durable, fire-resistant, and often contain recycled content – meaning a low environmental impact of construction.
16. Wood Wool Roofing Panels
Roofing panels made from wood shavings, sheep’s wool, cement, and water is a renewable resource. Not only are they environmentally friendly for your green building, but this roofing option offers excellent sound absorption and insulation properties.
17. Recycled Glass Roofing Tiles
Tiles made from recycled glass, often mixed with other materials, are sustainable building materials for your construction site that reduce waste and have a distinctive, attractive appearance.
18. Stone-Coated Steel Roofing
Stone-coated steel roofing uses metal materials coated with a layer of stone granules. This roofing option is long-lasting, recyclable, and energy-efficient.
19. Vegetal Fibre Roofing
Using natural resources and raw materials makes your roof biodegradable and renewable. They also provide good thermal insulation. Vegetal fibre roofing typically uses natural fibre from coconut husk or other plant-based materials.
20. Permeable Roofing Materials
While roofing materials typically seek to keep the water out, permeable roofing actually allows water to seep through, reducing runoff. This helps manage stormwater and reduces the environmental impact.
How to Choose Eco-Friendly Building Materials
Whether you’re building a new construction or making major renovations to your existing structures, it’s important you make the right choices for sustainability. However, the ‘right’ choice depends on the constraints of your construction project, the surrounding environment, and your goals.
For instance, if you live in an area prone to natural disasters or extreme temperatures, you’ll need to keep durability in mind as well as sustainable building materials. Or, if your main aim is to improve indoor air quality, this might inform your choice.
Building Sustainably
Constructing a new building or renovating other structures can be incredibly damaging to the environment if sustainable building materials and construction practices aren’t considered. Today, many options offer durability, cost-effectiveness, and energy efficiency, as well as sustainability.
FAQs
What Building Material Is Sustainable?
There are plenty of eco-friendly and sustainable building materials for green construction projects – from bamboo shingles to reclaimed wood and recycled steel. When choosing sustainable building materials, it’s best to consider cost effectiveness, durability, and suitability for your home.
What Is the Strongest Green Building Material?
Strong sustainable building materials range from bamboo to concrete. You can use recycled concrete tiles to reduce waste and promote a greener future.
How Do You Build a Sustainable Building?
Constructing a sustainable building requires using green materials that are renewable, recyclable, and long-lasting. These sustainable building materials should also enhance the quality of the building by improving energy efficiency and indoor air quality.
Are Roof Shingles Eco-Friendly?
Some types of roof shingles can be eco-friendly, depending on the materials used and the construction practices. For instance, reclaimed wood or recycled steel roof shingles are environmentally friendly, while asphalt and traditional wood aren’t as good for the planet.