GREEN BUILDING DESIGN
COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE 2026
FULL QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
◍ building codes.
Answer: a set of rules that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety
for constructed objects such as buildings and non-building structures.
Building codes protect public health, safety and general welfare as they
relate to the construction and occupancy of buildings and structures.
Building codes are applied by contractors and architects and enforced by the
issuing authority, such as city inspectors.
◍ built environment.
Answer: The human-made surroundings that provide the setting for human
activity, ranging in scale from personal shelter and buildings to
neighborhoods and cities.
◍ carbon neutrality.
Answer: Achieving net zero carbon emissions by balancing the carbon
footprint with an equivalent amount of sequestered or offset greenhouse
gases.
◍ What percentage of global carbon emissions come from buildings?.
Answer: 39% (28% operational + 11% materials & construction)
◍ How do building emissions compare to transportation?.
Answer: Buildings: 39% vs. Cars: 10% vs. Aviation: 3%
◍ What does "sustainable" mean?.
Answer: Able to be maintained at a certain rate or level
, ◍ closed system.
Answer: A system with a closed loop, and is thought of as more sustainable.
For example, plants growing in a field, grow, produce oxygen, take in water,
then die and decay which helps plants grow. Closed systems can be linked
so one system uses byproducts of another.
◍ What are two key interpretations of sustainability in architecture?.
Answer: Ecological (environmental impact) and sociological (human
well-being)
◍ conventional design.
Answer: Specialists usually work in isolation, focusing on their separate area
of project expertise and interacting and working together ONLY when
absolutely necessary.
◍ externalities.
Answer: Side effects or consequences of an industrial or commercial activity
that affects other parties without this being reflected in the price of the
goods or services involved (i.e. the pollution created in power generation for
one state blown over another state)
◍ Name 5 sustainable design strategies..
Answer: Passive design, technology/materials, adaptive reuse,
modularity/prefabrication, biophilic design
◍ What is adaptive reuse?.
Answer: Repurposing existing buildings instead of constructing new ones
◍ hard costs.
Answer: Purchase price of a hard asset such as masonry, wood, steel, carpet,
tile, mechanical systems, roofing, etc.
◍ What is biophilic design?.
Answer: Incorporating nature to improve health and well-being
◍ What is passive heating?.
Answer: Using building design to naturally capture and retain heat
COMPREHENSIVE STUDY GUIDE 2026
FULL QUESTIONS AND SOLUTIONS
GRADED A+
◍ building codes.
Answer: a set of rules that specify the minimum acceptable level of safety
for constructed objects such as buildings and non-building structures.
Building codes protect public health, safety and general welfare as they
relate to the construction and occupancy of buildings and structures.
Building codes are applied by contractors and architects and enforced by the
issuing authority, such as city inspectors.
◍ built environment.
Answer: The human-made surroundings that provide the setting for human
activity, ranging in scale from personal shelter and buildings to
neighborhoods and cities.
◍ carbon neutrality.
Answer: Achieving net zero carbon emissions by balancing the carbon
footprint with an equivalent amount of sequestered or offset greenhouse
gases.
◍ What percentage of global carbon emissions come from buildings?.
Answer: 39% (28% operational + 11% materials & construction)
◍ How do building emissions compare to transportation?.
Answer: Buildings: 39% vs. Cars: 10% vs. Aviation: 3%
◍ What does "sustainable" mean?.
Answer: Able to be maintained at a certain rate or level
, ◍ closed system.
Answer: A system with a closed loop, and is thought of as more sustainable.
For example, plants growing in a field, grow, produce oxygen, take in water,
then die and decay which helps plants grow. Closed systems can be linked
so one system uses byproducts of another.
◍ What are two key interpretations of sustainability in architecture?.
Answer: Ecological (environmental impact) and sociological (human
well-being)
◍ conventional design.
Answer: Specialists usually work in isolation, focusing on their separate area
of project expertise and interacting and working together ONLY when
absolutely necessary.
◍ externalities.
Answer: Side effects or consequences of an industrial or commercial activity
that affects other parties without this being reflected in the price of the
goods or services involved (i.e. the pollution created in power generation for
one state blown over another state)
◍ Name 5 sustainable design strategies..
Answer: Passive design, technology/materials, adaptive reuse,
modularity/prefabrication, biophilic design
◍ What is adaptive reuse?.
Answer: Repurposing existing buildings instead of constructing new ones
◍ hard costs.
Answer: Purchase price of a hard asset such as masonry, wood, steel, carpet,
tile, mechanical systems, roofing, etc.
◍ What is biophilic design?.
Answer: Incorporating nature to improve health and well-being
◍ What is passive heating?.
Answer: Using building design to naturally capture and retain heat
