subject: Timber Frame Construction - The Green Alternative [print this page] Timber has traditionally been used for many things over the centuries, including houses, offices, animal shelters, business premises, and other structures in the construction industry. With the population constantly growing at increasing rates, the need for timber has grown exponentially. This in turn has led to the destruction of our forests, having disastrous effects on our environment. Pollution, as well as operational and maintenance costs, have also gone up. More eco-friendly technologies are being discovered and applied all the time, though. One such technology is green building.
Today, the practice of using environmentally friendly and resource efficient processes in construction has come to be known as green building. The construction process typically involves identifying the right building site, designing and constructing the structure, as well as operation, maintenance and renovation needs. Even demolition in some instances. Green building, also known as green construction or sustainable building, provides an eco-friendly alternative to using timber frame construction. Instead of competing with or replacing regular building designs, it improves it by addressing the concerns involved with such methods-cost cutting, durability, utility , and comfort.
Regardless of what technology used, green building is a construction method that seeks to ensure the structures erected are both environmentally friendly and safe for humans to live. It aims at reaching several goals: ensuring resources like water and energy are being used efficiently, protecting the health of the inhabitants of the house, improving the workers productivity, and minimizing pollution, waste, and the destruction of the environment.
Natural building is another concept closely linked to green building. Like green construction, it also aims to use sustainable methods in construction. It emphasizes using natural, locally available materials such as clay, water, and straw, instead of using other materials like timber in the timber frame industry. These materials, when mixed together, form clay bricks known as adobe or cob. The difference is that, whereas green building utilizes technology, natural building is a small-scale practice that takes advantage of human labor.
Green building has many advantages to using in the construction world. Construction materials used in green building are not only made in an environmentally friendly way, but they are also stronger and more durable and cheaper than materials used in conventional building methods. Since they're also made in a safe manner, they help contribute enormously to healthy living environment for those living in or using the structures built. Apart from that, using green products helps to save and maintain our environment from constant destruction. This in turn helps to ensure a healthier society and more lively economy in the long run. Structures built using green building materials and methods are also more aesthetic than those built with traditional building materials. On top of that, they are less costly to maintain and offer more comfort to those who use it.
