Creating sustainable buildings

Green buildings are designed to increase energy, water and materials efficiency, as well as reduce harmful impacts on the environment across the entire lifecycle of a structure, from design and construction to operations, maintenance and demolition.

Sustainable buildings can also improve employees’ physical and mental health. Studies show that people who work in green buildings have higher levels of perceived wellbeing compared to those working in buildings that are not ecofriendly. The happiness levels of employees were also found to be 23% higher if the building they were working in had natural lighting and biophilic attributes that connect workers to nature. This is especially critical given that an increasing number of employees have stated they were struggling with mental health challenges due to the pandemic. A survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 40.9% of the 5,470 respondents reported experiencing a mental or behavioral health condition associated with the outbreak of the virus, such as depression or anxiety.

A wide variety of green building certification programs exist around the world, and these certifications help building owners and project managers set clear goals and metrics early in the design phase of a facility to achieve and prioritise sustainability and wellness goals. At Wood, we partner with our clients to develop sustainable and energy efficient buildings that achieve LEED Silver, Gold and Platinum certification for various structures across the globe.