Taperman articles

The Green movement has seen a considerable evolution since the early 70s. In those halcyon days of the Peace Movement, Vietnam War and the winding down of counter culture, building ‘Green was in its infancy. Many concept homes were designed in those early years which looked more like cave dwellings or ant hills and one really wondered whether people were actually serious about living in such homes.

The concept of living with the nature, environmentally friendly initiatives was very much a part then, but was the preserve of some people. That has changed to Green buildings being built by large construction companies with considerable support from the government. So what started out as a popular cultural idea in the 70s, has now gained the stamp of international approval.

In the 70s there was no real professional effort at building Green homes. Designs mimicked natural designs of indigenous people without really trying to incorporate the wishes and aspirations of modern day living. A scientific effort at building Green home designs was more or less absent in the 70s. Today, Green home designs follow strict certification processes in countries the world over. In the US, The Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) is an initiative that sets standards for Green Home designs. Countries the world over, from the West to the East have incorporated the LEED standard and in some cases their own standards. In the 70s, Green home designs tended to concentrate on ‘stand alone projects. Present day evolution looks at Green Home designs as a full fledged eco system. Now, factors such as recycling, indigenous practices, environment and architecture are examined holistically.

Science too has played an important role in the evolution of Green home designs. Computers with their enormous computing powers of today were just not available in the 70s. Computer Aided Designs (CAD) with wind flow computations and solar capture calculations make designing Green homes far more efficient than the 70s. Even ‘greening of construction materials has received an impetus thanks to advances in science. Nature friendly, recycled products, made possible by advances in science are regularly used by construction companies. A typical example is of Fly ash, a waste product which can as well be used in mixed cement with same qualities. As our environmental challenges increase and more and more countries recognize that it is our responsibility to conserve our resources, building Green homes has become an internationally recognized initiative. Designing Green homes has thus traveled from the 70s niche market to the more regular world today.

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