It used to be that individuals and business leaders planning new construction considered such items as materials, the look of the structure and building costs. A Carbondale architect says that while all of those are still important, planning for construction in today's world also involves a long-term, green mindset.

Brad Klein, architect with Carbondale-based White and Borgognoni Architects, said there is a growing trend toward what he calls "sustainable or green building," and choosing to build in this manner has both ecological and economical benefits.

"Green building can lead to benefits, including reduced operating costs, by increasing productivity and using less energy and water," he said.

He said buildings have a huge impact on the environment; in the U.S., they account for more than 1/3 of all energy use and are responsible for 30 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions.

Klein, who also teaches courses in energy and environment at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, said in designing new buildings, environmental impact must be a focus from the beginning.

"It's important to start from conception with a green goal," he said. "This will impact all of the other decisions in the process, and you can't very well tack on environmental concerns at the end of the project."

"There are also a lot of intangible things that have to do with construction that impact our environment," he explained. "For example, in choosing materials for new buildings, we need to consider what is called embodied energy - that is the amount of energy resources needed to produce the actual building materials themselves," he said.

Klein explained that sustainable buildings often can have both lower construction costs and lower energy costs over their entire lifetimes.

"There are several beneficial cost-savings in terms of the life cycle of the building. It is estimated that only 1/9 of the total cost of owning and operating a building during its lifetime is the cost of initial construction."

He said considerations as simple as how the building is orientated on a site, or its basic shape, can have a tremendous impact on energy use.

"The same size building can use 40 percent more energy if it's spread out in a one-story arrangement than if it was designed as a more compact, two-story structure," he said. This different design would result in less outside surface area of the building and would take advantage of some of the natural physics of heating and cooling, he said.

"Making the building envelope - the roof, walls and windows - as highly-efficient as possible is key," he said.

Klein pointed to examples of green buildings, including a new residence hall at Illinois College in Jacksonville, Frieze Harley-Davidson in O'Fallon, the Neighborhood Co-op Grocery in Carbondale and the new Hospice of Southern Illinois building in Marion as cost-effective, environmentally conscious construction.

"By using highly efficient materials and equipment, including geo-thermal heat, the hospice building has a structural envelope that is nearly 40 percent more efficient than required by building codes," he said.

The residence hall and motorcycle dealership have both been recognized for their energy efficiency through certification from LEED.

"LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and is a green building rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council," Klein said.

Klein said anyone considering new construction should keep environmental aspects in mind, and there are some very simple things that can be done to increase efficiency.

"One of the biggest things is to pay attention to the roof," he said. "Make sure to use plenty of roof insulation and consider using a reflective roof to reduce summer cooling costs."

It takes more money and energy to cool a building than to heat it, he said.

"The size of heating and cooling ducts is often based upon the air-conditioning loads, so by making the cooling more efficient, you may be able to use smaller duct work, which could potentially reduce your up-front costs," he said.

Klein also said the use of natural light and passive solar energy in the winter can be very advantageous in keeping down ongoing energy consumption. He advocates the use of radiant-heat floors and solar-powered water heating.

Landscaping also should be carefully planned, Klein said. Deciduous trees can be planted to provide shade in the summer yet allow for sunlight in the winter.

Even existing homes and commercial buildings can be greener, he said.

"There are lots of things to make buildings more efficient," he said. "Make sure you have adequate insulation, seal cracks around windows and doors and invest in good storm windows and doors."

Additionally, Klein advocates the use of drapes at night for their insulation factor and recommends all homeowners make sure their furnaces are well-maintained.

"In 2007, the average household used $5,100 worth of energy, about half of that for heating and cooling," he explained. "So if most of our energy is used there, that's a great place to start looking for savings."