Green buildings are gaining popularity. Modern architects are designing buildings that not only save energy but they also bring us close to nature.

We all love being close to nature, don’t we? Most of us would love to have a house close to a lake or a forest, but not everyone is so lucky. The city where I live in, most houses don’t even have a front or backyard.

“The proper use of science is not to conquer nature but to live in it.”  – Barry Commoner.

Lucky for us, modern green building designs are becoming more efficient and are also designed to bring us close to nature. Buildings with gardens don’t need to have a backyard or front lawn. There are buildings with vertical gardens, tower gardens, rooftop fish farms and indoor vegetable gardens that are gaining popularity worldwide.

“Poorly conceived design visibly divided us in urban areas from our wilds and contributed to our recent ability to see nature as something isolated from us.” – The Nature of Cities

Why we must connect with nature?

Today, most people have become so hooked on modern gadgets and technology that we are losing our connection with nature. If we lose our connection with nature, would that affect our lives and our planet?

Kim Marshall McLean, a PhD and a NOAA biologist has researched on how exposure and the lessons learned in nature shape our intelligence. Kim has found that when it comes to sustainability, it is important that our future leaders recognize the importance of nature.

A concern and care for the Earth develops at an early age when children experience the grandness and amazement found in nature.

Cory Vanderpoo of TriplePundit has emphasized that losing our connection with nature might pose a sustainability risk. “Our passion for preservation and dedication to sustainability stems from a desire to continue enjoying what nature has to offer,” said Cory.

The natural world benefits our health and also our intelligence. It has an effect on our emotions, and eases our anxiety and stress, so we become healthier, happier and smarter when connected with nature.

Green home designs

A green home design serves multiple purposes. It is meant to conserve natural resources, use less energy and utilize sustainable methods of construction. Green homes are designed to maximize efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts.

Green buildings are also important for producing food and additional income when a garden is added to it. Many of the urban designs include indoor tower gardens used for growing a number of different crops in different levels of a building. Offices such as Sky Green in Singapore and indoor gardens in countries like Japan, where they have been growing fruits and vegetables right inside their office buildings, are perfect examples of urban farming.

Green building designs would help the environment and also the economy by reducing environmental impacts, conserving natural resources, and producing food all at the same time. We should try to grow plants any way we can, either in vertical gardens or on rooftops, if we are living in a city where we don’t have enough space for a front lawn or backyard garden.

Thinking of starting an urban agriculture project? We can help. Please contact our office at 303-495-3705 or Click Here to book a meeting with us.

We would love to hear your thoughts on this article. Please leave a comment below in the comment box or on our Facebook page . It would greatly inspire us.

Watch replay of Biweekly Huddle Hangout with Glenn Meyers

Watch the webinar with Glenn Meyers, CEO of Green Building Elements and Green Street Media, as our huddle guest. Glenn is a writer, producer, director and a contributor to CleanTechnica, and founder of Green Streets MediaTrain.
 

Video Source: Ecolonomics

Source: Institute of Ecolonomics

Related articles and resources:

• Green Buildings – What Makes Them Green? | Institute of Ecolonomics
• Green Buildings – The Future Of Sustainable Construction | Institute of Ecolonomics
• Rooftop Fish Farms & Vegetable Gardens to Fight Global Hunger | Institute of Ecolonomics
• Nature in View, Nature in Design: Reconnecting People with Nature through Design | The Nature of Cities
• Green Home | Green Architect | Modern Home Design | Modern Architect | Zero Energy Homes
• Green Home Plans – Green Home Designs from HomePlans.com
• NOAA – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• Losing Our Connection to Nature: Is Sustainability at Risk?
• 6 Sustainable Urban Agriculture Ideas Around the Globe | Institute of Ecolonomics