Green Buildings: Definition, Examples, Rating Systems, and Future

Task 1 Think and share

Task 1 Think and share

Think about the question and type a short answer into the chat box.

1.What is a ‘green building’?

2.Who decides ‘what’ makes a building ‘green’?

3.Can you think of any examples of green buildings?

Task 2 Video

We are going to watch a short video entitled ‘When Trees Meet Buildings’ by The B1M.

1.What do you think the video content might be? What kind of information do you think might be given? What words might you hear?

2.Imagine you are writing a report about ‘green buildings’. Watch the video and take some brief and useful notes.

Task 3 Pre-reading discussion

1.What environmental impacts do large buildings or complexes have?

2.How can the environmental impacts of (large) buildings be measured?

3.What solutions exist or should be devised to reduce the environmental impact of large buildings?

4.To what extent is it possible to design and build ‘green’ buildings? – What about after they are built?

Task 4 Reading and comprehension

Read the article: ‘Inside Shanghai Tower: China's tallest skyscraper claims to be world's greenest’, by Helen Roxburgh and answer the following questions.

1.What is meant in the article by ‘green’? What does ‘green skyscraper’ mean? Are there any definitions in the article?

2.Are there any criteria used in the article to judge ‘greenness’? What are they? Are they effective?

3.What does the article say about green buildings now? Make a brief note (examples?):

a.Positives

b.Negatives

4.What do you think the term ‘greenwashing’ means?

5.What does the article say about the future?

6.What do you think?: How green are ‘green skyscrapers’? Are they the buildings of the future?

Looking at a report

Example: International Facility Management Association Green Building Rating Systems:

Inside Shanghai Tower: China's tallest skyscraper claims to be world's greenest

The Shanghai Tower is another in a long list of ambitious skyscrapers competing fiercely for sustainability credentials as well as height. But how ‘green’ are these buildings – and is environmentalism really the motivation?

Twisting high above Shanghai’s financial district, China’s tallest tower – and the second tallest in the world – is preparing to officially open its substantial doors to the public next month. The Shanghai Tower, reaching 632 metres, is the third “supertall” tower on the city’s iconic skyline. Looking out from the 119th floor, the city lies below like a toy model, a densely packed mass of streets and high-rise buildings.

China loves a world record, and its new building boasts plenty, including the world’s fastest elevators, highest hotel and restaurant, and tallest viewing platform. Reassuringly, it also required the largest ever cement pouring for the foundations. But most importantly, the 128-storey tower also claims to be the world’s greenest skyscraper. Awarded the top green rating, LEED Platinum, the government is hailing the tower as a sign of China’s growing green credentials.