The Science of
Sustainability

Web Exhibits - Special Collections Research Center The University of Chicago Library
  • Introduction and About the Exhibit
  • Rights and Reproductions
  • Leed Building Certification
  • LEED Categories
  • LEED Certification Levels
  • LEED Buildings at the University of Chicago
  • Sustainable Building Materials
  • Reused Materials
  • Locally Sourced Materials
  • Rapidly Renewable Resources
  • Conservation: Energy and Water
  • Renewable Energy
  • Energy Efficiency
  • Water Conservation
  • Green Roofs
  • Kinds of Green Roofs and Benefits
  • Urban Heat Islands
  • Construction Components of Green Roofs
  • Cool Roof
  • Bibliography

Sustainable Building Materials

What makes building materials sustainable?

 Choosing what materials a structure is built with, what goes inside it and where the materials come from is the first step in designing and building sustainably.  The highest priorities are minimizing both the resources used and the structure’s ecological impact.

Poster for Exhibit Case Poster from Exhibit Case: Renovated Searle Chemistry Laboratory and countertops made from recycled glass at 6045 South Kenwood, photo by Cheryl Rusnak.  A bamboo plant from:Seethalakshmi, K.K. and M.S. Muktesh Kumar, Bamboos of India (Kerala, India: Kerala Forest Research Institute), 187 Crerar:QK495.G74S497 1998 
The Science of Sustainability: The Design and Technology of Green Buildings
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