We’ve been talking about construction waste management and green building practices for the past few weeks here at Perimeter. Why? Because like our mission states, we believe in operating in clean conditions, even if the work sometimes isn’t so pretty itself.

The effect on the environment of sustainable building and conserving energy and materials is easy to see – less construction waste disposed of improperly means less waste landfill space and fewer contaminants seeping into the ground. 

But what about the effect on people? 

You might have to peek in a window, but the more sustainable construction we commit ourselves to, the more happy and healthy places we’ll have to live and work in the future. 

Home Builders & Home Owners 

Not only does a commitment to green building practices endure home builders to potential customers based on the prestige of living in a green building, it’s simply a healthier alternative to traditional building practices. Your reputation is tested every day a family lives in a home you’ve built. 

Through sophisticated designs and technologies created to improve living conditions, green built homes let homeowners:

• cut their utility bills by conserving heat and water
• experience greater air quality
• improve longterm resale value
• improve durability of key systems

Learn more about LEED Canada and the benefits for home owners and home builders.

The Office Job

How many of you spend almost as much time in the office as you do in your home? While you’re awake, you probably spend more time at work then you do in your home. That’s why it’s crucial for the construction industry to pay close attention to the health benefits of green building practices when it comes to building commercial and industrial spaces. 

Just like building green homes, the same benefits apply – improved utility consideration, improved air quality and durability of internal components. 

Imagine being a fly on the wall during a job interview. It’s a lot easier for both interviewer and interviewee to see a fit if the office is obviously a healthy and comfortable place to work. Green building can therefore have a huge impact on recruitment and productivity, because who wants to work in a stuffy, dark office? 

No one, that’s who.

Did you know, according to the Green Canada Building Council, that workers with access to daylight and operable windows can show up to an 18% boost to their productivity? 

It makes sense. 

Breathing in Healthy Building Practices

“Imagine working in a space that was specifically designed to provide fresh air and more access to natural daylight, all while helping to sustain the environment. That’s what it’s like to work in a LEED building.”

That’s straight from the CGBC website. 

Whether you’re at home or at the office, living and breathing clean air, the origin of which you know and trust, is a valuable element that’s stressed heavily in green building practices. Natural light, open windows, sustainable materials – these are all aspects of green buildings we’ve considered luxuries in the past.

Well, that’s changing. Believe us, we don’t get extra business from green built homes and office buildings – if anything we get less because there’s less waste. But the point is that we can all contribute to a healthier environment, and you can’t out a price on your health.