World Green Building week launches with a breath of fresh air

Making sustainability sexy is a tall order. Look up the topic “green building” and you’ll invariably come across in depth descriptions of energy saving schemes and achieving a BREEAM rating. All these considerations are of course very important, but they make it difficult to engage building occupants. With the theme “Greener buildings, better places, healthier people”, World Green Building Week, which begins today (16-20 September), should do just that, by concentrating on the tangible benefits to building occupants of a green office. Paul King, Chief Executive of UK-GBC, said: “We often hear about the environmental and financial benefits of green buildings, but less attention is paid to the impact on those who live and work in them.”

As the UK-GBC explains, green offices are designed and constructed to save energy, water and money. The hallmarks of a green office are natural light, fresh air, low toxins and views to the outdoors. This makes them healthier and more productive places to work. Organizations around the world are recognizing that just small improvements in workplace productivity can mean big savings.

Says King: “Whether it’s improved productivity in offices, faster recovery rates in hospitals or better exam results in schools, sustainable buildings don’t just deliver important benefits for planet and profit. World Green Building Week aims to highlight how green buildings greatly enhance the lives of their occupants – the people who they are designed for in the first place.”

For details on all the events being held during Green Building Week, click here and UK-GBC is also hosting its own event ‘Greener Buildings, Better Places, Healthier People’ on Wednesday 18 September at the Wellcome Trust.

You can also join in the discussions on twitter throughout the week using the hashtag #WGBW2013.