GREEN BUILDING

Green building:

living our commitment to zero waste

The field of green building has grown rapidly during the last decade, with increasing examples in existence at all levels of our lives. From the largest government and commercial enterprises, to the smallest scale residential construction and remodeling projects, green building policies, techniques, and materials have become an accepted part of the construction business.

What is Green Building?

Green or sustainable building is the practice of creating healthier and more resource-efficient models of construction, renovation, operation, maintenance, and demolition. The many elements of green building include:

Energy: Designing and operating buildings to use energy efficiently and to use renewable sources of energy, including solar, wind, and biomass.

Water: Designing and operating buildings to use water efficiently.

Materials: Using building materials that, in comparison to competing brands, have a reduced effect on the environment throughout their life cycle (e.g. recycled content, low toxicity, energy efficiency, biodegradability, and/or durability).

Waste: Reducing the waste from construction, remodeling, and demolition.

Indoor Environment: Designing and operating buildings that are healthy for their occupants.

To find out what EPA is doing to make its own buildings greener, see the EPA's Green Buildings page.

Zero Waste

planning

policies

programs

resources

CRRA
Home Page

Examples of model green building programs

Sustainable (Green) Building Case Studies - California Green Buildings: Sorted by Type

CIWMB Green Building Case Studies

You are not alone when you embark on creating a sustainable building. Green building features have already been incorporated into numerous construction and renovation projects in California. The projects identified below highlight some of the most innovative applications of sustainable building technologies, equipment, and systems. They also offer ideas, lessons, and inspiration!

This page lists the case studies by type of building/institution. You may find the same case studies listed by location, and alphabetically by name.

Select a building type...