Iniciativas Green Building Rumo à Construção Inteligente da Sustentabilidade Global

Abstract

The green building movement was consolidated by the last decades, in Brazil and over the world, within the engagement of the construction supply chain, which involves builders, architects and other suppliers of products and services. Certifications are tools of market transformation and ways of measuring the initiatives – public and private – that have been adopting sustainable, high-quality and high-performance buildings. Economic viability is a question to be overcomed by those interested in green buildings. The cost of construction is usually higher, but the cost of operating a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building is lower than the traditional ones. Besides the reduced operational costs, the improvement of life quality represents a huge benefit for those who choose buildings with sustainability certification. On the other hand, the valuation of the property, the reduction of the consumption of water and energy, and the improvement in safety and health of workers and residents, are other qualities to be considered through the green buildings.