There is a lot of buzz these days regarding green building. Many consumers of the building industry, commercial and residential, would do well to understand some of the basic terms used by those policy makers who are implementing the movement.
We have, therefore, taken on the task of creating a glossary of terms, by no means exhaustive, for our readers to upgrade your level of understanding of the green building movement.
Included in this glossary are terms we feel are important to the green movement.
Building Density: the total floor area, in square feet, of a proposed building, or an existing building, divided by the total area, in square feet, of the building site.
Community: an interactive group of people living in a specified area.
Development Footprint: http://www.scribd.com/doc/13031/Sustainable-Development the area of a proposed building site which will be impacted by the development activity.
Ecosystem: the basic unit of nature that includes a community of living and their non-living environment linked by biological, chemical and physical interaction.
Endangered species: plants and animals in danger of becoming extinct because of human or natural factors.
Erosion: a combination of processes in which materials of the earth’s surface are loosened, dissolved or worn away, and transported from one place to another by natural means such as water, wind and/or gravity.
Greenfields: proposed building sites that have not been previously built upon. These sites typically could support open spaces, wildlife and agriculture. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenfield_land
Pedestrian Access: refers to the degree with which pedestrians have walk-up access to a proposed building site without such barriers as walls, freeways, or natural barriers.
Previously Developed Sites: proposed building sites containing buildings roadways, parking lots, or were graded or altered by human activity.
Property area: the total area contained within the property boundaries of a proposed building site. It includes all areas of the proposed building site including the area of construction and the areas of non-construction.
Sedimentation: the addition of soils and decomposed matter to water bodies by natural and human intervention. Over time, sedimentation tends to decrease water quality and reduce the longevity of lakes, rivers and streams.
Wetland Vegetation: plants and trees that require or tolerate saturated soils for their existence.
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