What is sustainable building

This is something I wrote a little while ago but am posting it because I still like it:

What is sustainable?

The “green” building movement is maturing quickly and has created a tremendous amount of dialog. People of many disciplines and backgrounds are engaging with what green building means.
With this in mind, it seems good to go back to some basic principles, before jumping into what sometimes may seem like the latest craze.
Buildings consume resources. Human, space, material, energy, and financial. By examining how each of these play in a building we can create buildings that become the legacy of how we live in the future.
Human energy is at the center of any project. We spend a great deal of our time building, maintaining, and paying for what we live and work in. At best, all this effort results in a quality of life that is both good and sustainable. Our buildings need to reflect both our personal needs and the needs of a changing planet.
We begin by choosing a place to put a building or reflecting on the space a existing building is on. By relating to the environment surrounding the structure we have a unique opportunity for the building to be in sync with its surroundings.
The physical structure of a building both encompasses the idea of the space, and the reality of a safe, functional and comfortable form. Working with sustainablity in mind, size is often the first consideration. As the project become more defined, the quality and quantity of the applied materials take precedent. An enormous amount of information about building practices and material are now available. Often in conflict with either larger principles or design constraints, the design of a space and materials usage is a dynamic, complex relationship.
The reality of a modern building is that it is not a static form. It takes energy and other resources to run. Along with the inherent energy of the structure, operating it for years to come is a central concern in sustainable building. Lighting alone can use 50% of a buildings energy. Heating, cooling, and appliances all create a substantial, often invisible energy demand. Too often we rely on technology to help solve these problems. By stepping back and looking at how to first use passive approaches, we can greatly improve comfort and productivity. Then, by applying appropriate technologies, we can reduce energy and water consumption to the point where sustainability or “green” building truly means something.
Money. What else can be said, it is the bottom line. The best way to effectively save money is through good design. A well conceived project will use resources efficiently and provide a building that is both easy to maintain and affordable to run.