The very concept of “property development” seems opposed to sustainability. After all, property development entails the cutting down of existing trees, removal of vegetation and displacement of all existing flora and fauna on a given piece of land. But land development is an inevitable part of civilization since shelter is one of man’s basic needs.
Reconciling development with sustainability
It seems an intractable position – human beings need dwelling and office spaces to live and to work in, whereas the impact human dwellings have on the ecology is inimical. So how do we reconcile the seemingly diametrically opposite requirements – those of development on the one hand and those of preserving the environment on the other?
This is possible by making sustainable and eco friendly choice in terms of architectural design and type of building materials used as well as by insulating buildings, making them energy efficient and equipping them with rain water harvesting capabilities. Perhaps they are responding to a demand for sustainable development, but many property developers and contractors are now making a conscious choice to incorporate eco friendly practices for design and building of new edifices.
Finding sustainable housing and property developers
It behooves every right thinking citizen to do their homework and find developers who use sustainable practices. As sustainable housing is gaining more popularity, it is becoming easier to find environment conscious developers in most of the countries.
While researching property developers and their building practices, look at the following aspects:
- What is the developer’s overall vision for developing sustainable communities that help minimize waste and pollution?
- What systems do they have in place for conserving water on site?
- Is the proposed building equipped with water saving or harvesting capabilities?
- What do they do to reduce their reliance on polluting, carbon fuels?
- Do they plan to incorporate renewable energy appliances such as solar panels or windmills to at least partly meet the energy needs of the building?
- Are there any special methods of recycling or garbage disposal that they aim to put in place for the new building or buildings?
- What are the measures that will help protect local flora and fauna and what are they doing to ensure that the building(s) will minimize environmental impacts in the future?
