Survey of Sustainable Building Design Practices in North America, Europe, and Asia

Sustainable design should be applied in all phases of the life cycle of a building, including programming, design, building construction, building operation, and finally demolition. This paper compares and contrasts sustainable design programs based on the life cycle of a building in North America, Europe, and Asia. Tables comparing programs from these three regions are provided for each phase in the life cycle of a building. These tables can be used by building design professionals as a reference guide to sustainable design around the world. The tables also highlight specific requirements or concerns that are applicable in a particular region. The similarities between different programs and regions can be taken into consideration during the planning of sustainable design work, regardless of the region of construction. Finally, references to more detailed program documents are provided so that interested readers can determine specific requirements that apply in a region of interest.