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.
Environment, ecology and living with the nature were very much a concept then, but was the domain of few people. What has changed from the 70s to the present day is that building Green homes has very much become an enterprise being seriously attempted by reputed builders and encouraged by various governments. 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. There was no concerted effort at scientifically arriving at Green home designs. Modern day avatars of Green home designs follow a rigid certification code in many counties in the world. 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. Today, designers approach Green home designs as full-fledged eco systems. All aspects of the environment, architecture and every avenue for using indigenous methods and recycled materials is explored in a holistic manner.
An important role in the evolution of Green home design has been brought by Science. In the 70s powerful computers were not available. 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. Construction companies now regularly use recycled products, which are closer to nature thanks to advances of science. For example, cement an important ingredient in any construction today can be mixed with Fly ash, a waste product, which is just as efficient as original cement. 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. Thus Green home designs have traveled from a ‘niche’ specialization in the 70s to the mainstream of the construction business today.