Green buildings

Green Buildings and Productivity

Healthier space need not be new space. In fact, some new buildings are extremely unhealthy as chemicals leach out into the air from glues, carpets, concrete and paint. There is no reason this must be the case. The cost to provide healthier environments is modest compared to the benefits. Healthier buildings reduce sick time and increase productivity, making it easier to recruit and retain emplo...

Sustainable Development and Green Buildings

Global sustainability goals have led to the development of the green building movement. The Green Building Program, stemming from the movement, has had unprecedented success as it provides a quantifi able metric to people’s efforts towards sustainable development. Sustainable development and green buildings are often used interchangeably. Although, sustainable development and green buildings ar...

Green Buildings, Organizational Success, and Occupant Productivity

Green buildings: A niche becomes mainstream

Several compelling factors drive spread of green buildings. Growing tenant demand due to lower operating costs, higher worker productivity and reputational issues forces the real estate sector to adopt efficient building techniques. Overall, operating costs for leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified buildings are 8-9% lower than for regular buildings. Over the life cycle...

The Productivity Paradox in Green Buildings

In this paper we challenge the notion that “green” buildings can achieve greater productivity than buildings that are not accredited as “green”. For nearly two decades, research has produced apparent evidence which indicates that the design of a “green” building can enhance the productivity of its occupants. This relationship between building design and productivity is claimed to be achieved th...