See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/377757603

Challenges in Integrating Green Buildings into Everyday Life

Article in The Annals of “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati Fascicle IX Metallurgy and Materials Science · September 2023
DOI: 10.35219/mms.2023.3.05

CITATION READS

1 998

1 author:

Simona Stanca
Technical University of Cluj-Napoca
12 PUBLICATIONS 10 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE

All content following this page was uploaded by Simona Stanca on 12 March 2024.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

 THE ANNALS OF “DUNAREA DE JOS” UNIVERSITY OF GALATI
FASCICLE IX. METALLURGY AND MATERIALS SCIENCE
No. 3 - 2023, ISSN 2668-4748; e-ISSN 2668-4756
Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.35219/mms.2023.3.05

CHALLENGES IN INTEGRATING GREEN BUILDINGS INTO

EVERYDAY LIFE
Simona STANCA
Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Buildings and Management Department, Romania
e-mail: simona.stanca@ccm.utcluj.ro

ABSTRACT
In recent decades, problems related to climate change, pollution and resource
depletion have become increasingly urgent. Green architecture, also known as
green buildings or sustainable construction, is an innovative response to these
challenges. In this paper, the concept of green buildings, their benefits, and main
characteristics, as well as their role in promoting a sustainable future for
architecture and the environment will be explored.
Integrating the green buildings into everyday life is an importan t challenge,
but also an extremely necessary one in the context of climate change and concern
for environmental sustainability. Green buildings are structures designed to be
more environmentally friendly and generate less impact on natural resources.
Despite their obvious benefits, however, there are some significant challenges that
need to be overcome to promote their integration into everyday life.
While these challenges exist, efforts to integrate green buildings into everyday
life are still essential to ensure a more sustainable and greener future for future
generations. Over time, as technology advances, awareness grows, and regulations
improve, these challenges are expected to be overcome and green buildings to
become a regular part of the urban landscape.

KEYWORDS: green buildings, sustainability, environment, quality of life

1. Introduction
In recent decades, an increasingly present theme
in urban development is sustainability. An innovative
and promising approach to achieving this goal is
green or green buildings. In essence, the green
buildings are designed and constructed in such a way
as to minimize negative environmental impacts and
provide significant social and economic benefits.
From improving air quality to resource efficiency,
these structures are becoming increasingly popular in Fig. 1. Fundamental principles for green
major cities around the world. buildings [5]
The green buildings are thought of from a
holistic perspective, considering all aspects, from 2. Materials and technologies
design and construction to operation and demolition recommended and used in green buildings
[2].
The green building concept is based on four Green buildings, also known as green or
fundamental principles: efficiency, utility, durability, sustainable buildings, are constructions designed to
and comfort. By following these four principles, be energy efficient and environmentally friendly.
green buildings contribute to protecting the These buildings use a variety of specific materials and
environment, saving resources, and improving the technologies to reduce environmental impact and
quality of life of occupants and the communities in promote sustainable resource use [1].
which they are located (Fig. 1) [5].

- 39 -
 THE ANNALS OF “DUNAREA DE JOS” UNIVERSITY OF GALATI
FASCICLE IX. METALLURGY AND MATERIALS SCIENCE
No. 3 - 2023, ISSN 2668-4748; e-ISSN 2668-4756
Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.35219/mms.2023.3.05

Here are some materials and technologies

recommended and used in green buildings:
• Effective thermal insulation: Materials such as
polyurethane foam, mineral wool, cellulose, and
mineral wool can reduce heating and cooling
requirements, thereby minimizing energy
consumption (Fig. 2) [9].

Fig. 5. Green roofs [11]

Fig. 2. Insulating materials [9]
• Rainwater collection systems: These systems
collect rainwater for use in irrigation, toilets, and
• Geothermal systems use natural energy
other non-drinking needs, thus helping to save water
thermal from the earth for heating and cooling, being
a sustainable and energy-efficient option (Fig. 3) [19]. (Fig. 6) [4].

Fig. 6. Rainwater collection system [4]

Fig. 3. Geothermal heat pumps [19] • Recycled and renewable materials: Using
recycled materials, such as recycled wood or metal,
• Solar panels and photovoltaic cells: Green and renewable materials, such as bamboo or hemp,
buildings can be equipped with solar panels to help reduce environmental impact [2].
generate electricity or hot water. PV cell technology • Efficient lighting systems: Use LED lights or
can be integrated into roofs, windows, or walls to other energy-efficient lighting systems help reduce
maximize energy efficiency (Fig. 4) [12]. electricity consumption (Fig. 7) [18].

Fig. 4. Solar panels and photovoltaic cells [12]

• Green roofs: The systems green roofs involve Fig. 7. Efficient lighting systems [18]
planting vegetation on building roofs, which helps
reduce district heating, improve air quality, and
manage stormwater (Fig. 5) [11].

- 40 -
 THE ANNALS OF “DUNAREA DE JOS” UNIVERSITY OF GALATI
FASCICLE IX. METALLURGY AND MATERIALS SCIENCE
No. 3 - 2023, ISSN 2668-4748; e-ISSN 2668-4756
Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.35219/mms.2023.3.05

• Natural ventilation: Building design allow obtain or implement, especially in regions with
adequate natural ventilation reduces the need for air- limited resources.
conditioning systems. • Life cycle of buildings: It is important to
• Use of low-emission materials chemicals: The ensure that the green buildings are durable and can
green buildings seek to use materials with low withstand time. Proper management of the building,
emissions of volatile chemicals (VOCs) to ensure as well as of the materials and techniques used in its
better indoor air quality. construction, are essential to ensure that sustainable
• Green certifications: green buildings can seek benefits are realized in the long term.
to obtain green certifications such as LEED • Energy efficiency: green buildings must be
(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) or designed to be more energy efficient, but sometimes
BREEAM (Building Research Establishment there may be difficulties in achieving this goal due to
Environmental Assessment Method) certifications to the structural restrictions or high costs of green
demonstrate commitment to sustainability and technologies.
environmental performance. • Urban influence: Integrating green buildings in
These are just a few examples of materials and the urban context may involve adjusting
technologies used in the green buildings. The field of infrastructure, transport, and other aspects of cities,
sustainable construction is constantly evolving, and which can be logistically and financially challenging.
research and innovation continue to bring new Opportunities for integrating green buildings
solutions and options for environmentally friendly into everyday life:
buildings. • Positive impact on the environment: Buildings
Green can contribute significantly to reducing the
3. Challenges and opportunities carbon footprint, conserving energy, and sustainably
using natural resources.
The integration of the green buildings in • Long-term savings: Although costs Can
everyday life brings challenges, but also remarkable initially be higher, green buildings offer significant
opportunities for protecting the environment, energy and maintenance savings in the long term,
improving the quality of life, and promoting leading to increased financial efficiency.
sustainable development. • Improving Quality of Life: Using Eco-friendly
Challenges regarding the integration of green materials and smart design can improve indoor air
buildings in everyday life: quality, providing a healthier working and living
• High initial costs: In general, building a green environment.
building may involve higher upfront costs than • Competitive advantages: Properties with
traditional buildings. Higher upfront investments can Ecological certification can attract more customers
discourage developers from adopting sustainable and tenants, due to the growing concern for
solutions, even if they prove to be more economical sustainability and environmental protection.
and energy efficient in the long run. • Innovation and economic development: The
• Public awareness and education: The development and deployment of green technologies
integration of green buildings requires increased can generate new business opportunities and jobs in
public awareness of the importance of protecting the sustainability.
environment and the benefits of sustainable buildings. • Attraction for investors: Investing in Green
Education in this direction can lead people to support buildings can become more attractive to investors as
and demand the development of the green buildings. they reflect an environmentally oriented vision for the
• Inappropriate regulations and policies: Laws future.
and Building regulations are not always • Health benefits: Using Energy efficiency, as
environmentally friendly enough, which can make it well as the use of environmentally friendly materials,
difficult for green buildings to develop. Government can help reduce indoor pollution and thus improve the
policies must support and stimulate the adoption of health of green building occupants.
sustainable construction practices. • Encouraging technological innovation: The
• Resistance to change: In many cases, building development of green buildings stimulates research
developers and owners may be resistant to adopting and innovation in sustainable technologies, having a
new technologies and methods needed to transform positive impact on society.
traditional buildings into green buildings. It may be Overcoming challenges requires a collaborative
caused by lack of information or knowledge to make effort between developers, governments, research
such changes. institutions and the community to implement policies
• Implementing new technologies: Integration and support measures that encourage and facilitate the
green buildings often involve the use of innovative development of these buildings.
technologies and materials, which can be difficult to

- 41 -
 THE ANNALS OF “DUNAREA DE JOS” UNIVERSITY OF GALATI
FASCICLE IX. METALLURGY AND MATERIALS SCIENCE
No. 3 - 2023, ISSN 2668-4748; e-ISSN 2668-4756
Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.35219/mms.2023.3.05

4. Advantages and disadvantages of green The building automatically adjusts its lighting,
buildings heating, and cooling system to ensure maximum
energy efficiency (Fig. 8) [10].
Advantages of green buildings:
• Energy efficiency: green buildings use energy-
efficient systems and technologies such as solar
panels, superior thermal insulation, geothermal,
LEDs, sensor lighting systems, etc. This leads to
significant savings on utility bills.
• Resource efficiency: Buildings Greens reduce
water consumption and use sustainable and recyclable
materials, which reduces the impact on natural
resources.
• Indoor Air Quality: The Design and the
materials used in green buildings help reduce toxic
emissions and improve indoor air quality, leading to a
healthier environment for occupants.
Fig. 8. The Edge - Amsterdam, Netherlands [10]
• Low effect on the environment: Green building
has less impact on the environment as it reduces
• One Angel Square - Manchester, Sea United
carbon emissions and helps protect ecosystems.
Kingdom: The headquarters of Co-operative Group is
• Certifications and recognition: Green buildings
one of the most sustainable office buildings in the
can earn special certifications and recognition, such
world. It has a double glass façade for thermal
as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental
insulation and a cogeneration system that uses the
Design), which can enhance property value and bring
energy produced for heating and cooling (Fig. 9) [15].
tax benefits.
Disadvantages of green buildings:
• Higher upfront costs: Construction and the
design of green buildings can involve higher costs
compared to traditional buildings. The initial
investment can be a disadvantage for developers or
owners with limited budgets.
• New Technology and Materials:
Implementation Eco-friendly technologies and
materials may require additional learning and
adaptation for architects, engineers, and builders.
• Location limitations: Some technologies
greens may be more effective in certain geographies
than others. Thus, some regions may find it difficult
to adopt certain environmentally friendly solutions.
• Maintenance and operating costs: Some green
technologies require special maintenance and, in
some cases, higher operating costs in the long run.
• Life cycle of materials: Even if green buildings
use recyclable and sustainable materials; their
production and transport can still have a negative
impact on the environment.

5. Notable examples of green buildings

Today, the green buildings are becoming
increasingly popular in construction as they promote
energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.
Here are some examples of green buildings:
• The Edge - Amsterdam, Netherlands: It was
named "the smartest building in the world" due to its Fig. 9. One Angel Square - Manchester, Sea
extensive use of IoT (Internet of Things) technology.
United Kingdom [15]

- 42 -
 THE ANNALS OF “DUNAREA DE JOS” UNIVERSITY OF GALATI
FASCICLE IX. METALLURGY AND MATERIALS SCIENCE
No. 3 - 2023, ISSN 2668-4748; e-ISSN 2668-4756
Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.35219/mms.2023.3.05

• Pixel Building - Melbourne, Australia:

Australia's first office building with a maximum score
of six Green Star stars. It has green roofs, rainwater
collection systems and integrated solar panels for
power generation (Fig. 10) [14].

Fig. 11. The Bullitt Center - Seattle, SUA [16]

• Bahrain World Trade Center - Manama,

Bahrain: This is an impressive building with
integrated wind turbines, which contribute to the
partial production of the energy needed by the
building (Fig. 12) [13].

Fig. 10. Pixel Building - Melbourne, Australia

[14]

• The Bullitt Center - Seattle, SUA: An

outstanding example of a net-zero energy building
using solar panels and advanced energy efficiency
technologies. It focuses on environmentally friendly
and sustainable materials (Fig. 11) [16].

Fig. 12. Bahrain World Trade Center –

Manama, Bahrain [13]

• Stuttgart City Library – Stuttgart, Germany: It

was designed with a glass façade and natural
ventilation system to maximize natural light and
reduce electricity consumption (Fig. 13) [17].

- 43 -
 THE ANNALS OF “DUNAREA DE JOS” UNIVERSITY OF GALATI
FASCICLE IX. METALLURGY AND MATERIALS SCIENCE
No. 3 - 2023, ISSN 2668-4748; e-ISSN 2668-4756
Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.35219/mms.2023.3.05

• residential complex WINGS Cluj Napoca: the

first EDGE certified project in Romania (Fig. 16)
[20].

Fig. 13. Stuttgart City Library – Stuttgart,

Germany [17]

• The Crystal - London, United Kingdom: A

sustainability centre showcasing innovative
technologies and solutions to make cities more
Fig. 16. Residential complex WINGS Cluj
sustainable. The building itself is an example of eco-
Napoca [20]
friendly and energy-efficient design. (Fig. 14) [6].
• Residential complex SEASONS in Cluj
Napoca: a spectacular concept of urban vertical forest
(Fig. 17) [20].

Fig. 14. The Crystal - London, United Kingdom

[6]

In Romania, there is a significant increase in

interest in the construction and certification of green
buildings. These are some examples of notable green
buildings in the country:
• Crystal Tower – Bucharest, a building in
Romania BREEAM Certified at excellent level (Fig.
15) [7, 8].

Fig. 17. Residential complex SEASONS Cluj

Napoca [20]

• City Business Centre, Timisoara: CBC is

designed to ensure maximum comfort, efficiency, and
access to all utilities (Fig. 18) [21].
Fig. 15. Crystal Tower – Bucharest [7, 8]

- 44 -
 THE ANNALS OF “DUNAREA DE JOS” UNIVERSITY OF GALATI
FASCICLE IX. METALLURGY AND MATERIALS SCIENCE
No. 3 - 2023, ISSN 2668-4748; e-ISSN 2668-4756
Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.35219/mms.2023.3.05

[3]. Stanca S., Sustainability in construction, The Annals of

“Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati Fascicle IX Metallurgy and
Materials Science, ISSN 2668-4748 (Print), 2668-4756 (Online)
Journal volume & issue, vol. 46, no. 1 p. 10-15, 2023.
[4]. ***, https://casepractice.ro/colectarea-apei-de-ploaie/, accessed
in 3.07.2023.
[5]. ***, https://despre-energie.ro/cum-sa-gandesti-o-cladire-verde-
pentru-a-obtine-certificare-internationala/, accessed in 3.07.2023.
[6]. ***, https://effisus.com/en/effisusportfolio/europe/the-crystal-
london/, accessed in 6.07.2023.
[7]. ***, https://green-report.ro/romania -are-65-de-cladiri-
verzi/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwk96lBhDHARIsAEKO4xalYr4sZYmobC7
eb7Eo-2JqZpjz0G0Uxgev-sMOGCWFliMTOB-
Lh5gaAssQEALw_wcB, accessed in 7.07.2023.
[8]. ***, https://instalfocus.ro/top-5-cele-mai-verzi-cladiri-din-
romania/, accessed in 7.07.2023.
[9]. ***, https://isoterm.ro/noutati/izolatie-termica-cum-izolam-
Fig. 18. City Business Centre, Timisoara [21] eficient-si-ce-materiale-alegem/, accessed in 12.07.2023.
[10]. ***, https://plparchitecture.com/the-edge/, accessed in
The green building industry continues to 12.07.2023.
develop and grow as concern for the environment and [11]. ***, https://proiect-casa.ro/acoperis-verde-avantaje-
energy efficiency becomes an increasing priority. dezavantaje/, accessed in 12.07.2023.
[12]. ***, https://servelect.ro/panouri-fotovoltaice-vs-panouri-
solare-termice-ce-alegem, accessed in 12.07.2023.
6. Conclusions [13]. ***, https://www.arch2o.com/bahrain-world-trade-center-
killa-design/arch2o-bahrain-world-trade-center-killa-design-12,
accessed in 14.07.2023.
Integrating green buildings into everyday life is [14]. ***, https://www.archdaily.com/190779/pixel-
an important but necessary challenge for sustainable studio505/5016faf728ba0d235b0007c0-pixel-studio505-phot,
urban development [3]. Through awareness, accessed in 14.07.2023.
education, proper regulation and collaboration [15]. ***, https://www.archdaily.com/337430/1-angel-square-3d-
reid/512e54ccb3fc4bd78b00027b-1-angel-square-3d-reid-section,
between the public and private sectors, these accessed in 14.07.2023.
challenges can be overcome. Finally, green buildings [16]. ***, https://www.archdaily.com/363007/the-world-s-
can make a significant difference in quality of life and greenest-commercial-building-opens-in-seattle-
environmental protection, making our cities greener, today/5161f2d6b3fc4bc526000245-the-world-s-greenest-
commercial-building-opens-in-seattle-today-photo, accessed in
healthier, and more resilient to climate change. 14.07.2023.
[17]. ***, https://www.architectural-review.com/today/stuttgart-
References city-library-by-yi-architects, accessed in 17.07.2023.
[18]. ***, https://www.eorion.ro/blog/corpuri-de-iluminat-cu-led-
eficienta -energetica, accessed in 17.07.2023.
[1]. Stanca S., Refurbishment of Decommissioned Buildings in the [19]. ***, https://www.idm-energie.at/ro/terra/, accessed in
Context of Sustainable Development, Bul. Inst. Polit. Iași, 62 (66), 20.07.2023.
1, p. 61-71, ISSN: 1224-3884 (p), ISSN: 2068-4762 (e), 2016. [20]. ***, https://www.studiumgreen.ro/seasons-ro/, accessed in
[2]. Stanca S., The Potential of Reconverting Functions for 20.07.2023.
Buildings in Romania, Bul. Inst. Polit. din Iasi, 64 (68), 3, p. 83-90. [21]. ***, https://www.uar-bna.ro/2016/proiecte/165/, accessed in
ISSN: 1224-3884(p), ISSN: 2068-4762 (e), Fascicolul 3, 2018. 20.07.2023.

- 45 -

View publication stats