Technological advancements have provided the world with the means to both track our carbon emissions more accurately and predict what their effects will be decades into the future. Fortunately, these advancements have also resulted in more ways for us to reduce our carbon footprint, granting us countless opportunities to mitigate the harmful effects we have on the environment while making our daily lives easier. “Green” buildings are among the best examples of this technology in action. By designing homes around sustainable practices, residents can live more efficiently while enjoying a dramatically improved quality of life.

One common misconception about environmentally conscious living is that it must come at the expense of comfort. This is a result of the broader understanding that more efficient living requires work. However, green buildings are actually designed to automate certain functions to maximize efficiency. This includes turning off lights in unoccupied rooms, dynamically modulating air conditioning, and setting water to precise temperatures. Until recently, these basic tasks would require human presence and upkeep; today, green buildings can automate these tasks in ways that are economically viable and help to cut down on emissions. Additionally, these tasks require far less resources than ever before due to green buildings’ use of renewable energy.

The benefits of these sustainable buildings extend beyond economics and sustainability; from a practical standpoint, green buildings are also among the most modern, affordable, and comfortable places to live. This is due in part to the recent proliferation of green buildings themselves.

Today’s green buildings represent some of the world’s most resident-friendly and secure housing developments, taking advantage of decades of research and architectural best practices. This, in conjunction with the ease of living those green buildings provide, means that renters and homeowners alike have everything to gain and nothing to lose by choosing an environmentally conscious building as their home.​​

This ease of living also results in better health for residents of these buildings. For example, due to the advanced air filtration and ventilation systems in place, air quality in green buildings is among the best that any residence has to offer. Research from the International Well Building Institute (IWBI) shows that residents of green buildings enjoy several psychological and social benefits as a direct result of their living space, such as higher levels of productivity, a greater sense of community, lower stress levels, and better overall mental health, leading residents to embrace them more than ever.

Green buildings are ultimately one of the greatest modern additions to the real estate industry. With innumerable benefits, they represent a societal commitment to environmental consciousness and collective responsibility. The benefits they provide are far reaching, improving their neighborhoods as well as the residents within them, and they are a vital tool in reaching the world’s sustainability goals.

By continuing to embrace environmentally friendly construction and developments, apartment dwellers and homeowners can live comfortably knowing that they are actively improving both their own lives and the world around them.

Stay tuned for some of the green initiatives Alfred is spearheading at one of our partner buildings, The Waypointe.