Further step beyond green - From distractive, to balance, towards restorative built environment

Abstract

This main concern of the paper is to elaborate developing strategies and trends which strive for achieving sustainability in building and urban design to create sustainable built environment. Also discuss how far the conventional building practicing and construction activities lead to many serious negative impacts on our natural environment. The main goals of establishing green agenda, in the 2nd half of last century, were to minimize these distractive impacts and seek out a balance between built and natural environment. By the millennium end was discovered that, more pleasing and enjoyable human built environment is not only guaranteed by reducing the harm that stems from constructions and creating buildings which provided protection with the benefits of natural elements. “For some, green architecture is a black and white definition, set by LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards.”Many new movements, like biophilic design, have recently gained much momentum within the building community, which provide further step beyond green to restore beneficial contacts between people and natural environment. While the green movement has often focused on the means, biophilic design tends toward emphasizing the end results, establishing natural-based habitats for humans to live and work. Biophilic Design incorporates green building ideas, but considers that true sustainability must include quality of life issues involving human physiological & psychological-healthand well-being. So, Biophilic design incorporates elements derived from nature in order to maximize human functioning and health.