Sustainable Design and Green Building Flashcards

Which LEED credit category most directly addresses the selection of interior finishes and materials for their environmental performance?

Answer: Materials and Resources (MR)

LEED's Materials and Resources (MR) category awards credits for using recycled content materials, regionally sourced materials, certified wood, products with EPDs, and materials free of hazardous chemicals — all directly relevant to interior finish specification.

What does 'cradle-to-cradle' (C2C) design mean as applied to interior materials specification?

Answer: Materials are designed so all components can be either safely returned to biological cycles or continuously recycled in technical cycles, eliminating waste

Cradle-to-cradle (William McDonough and Michael Braungart, 2002) redefines sustainable design: instead of 'cradle to grave' (extract, use, dispose), materials are designed to continuously circulate — as either biological nutrients (safely decompose) or technical nutrients (infinitely recycled).

The concept of 'daylighting' in sustainable interior design specifically aims to achieve which outcome?

Answer: Introducing natural sunlight into interior spaces to reduce electric lighting energy use and support occupant health

Daylighting is the deliberate design of a building's fenestration, interior surfaces, and layout to introduce natural daylight deep into occupied spaces, reducing dependence on electric lighting and providing health benefits associated with natural light exposure.

Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification for wood products used in interior design verifies which claim?

Answer: The wood was harvested from forests managed according to environmental, social, and economic standards

FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification verifies that wood products originate from forests managed to maintain biodiversity, worker rights, and community relations — it provides chain-of-custody documentation from forest to finished product.

What is the primary environmental concern associated with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) as an interior material?

Answer: PVC production involves chlorine chemistry and plasticizers (phthalates) that are persistent environmental and health hazards, and PVC releases toxic dioxins when incinerated

PVC (vinyl) production uses chlorine gas and often adds phthalate plasticizers (associated with endocrine disruption); at end of life, PVC incineration produces dioxins and furans, among the most toxic persistent organic pollutants known.

The WELL Building Standard's 'Thermal Comfort' concept is primarily based on which comfort standard?

Answer: ASHRAE 55 (thermal environmental conditions for human occupancy)

ASHRAE Standard 55 (Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy) defines the conditions under which at least 80% of occupants will find the thermal environment acceptable, based on air temperature, radiant temperature, air velocity, humidity, clothing, and activity level.