Every new building has an effect on the environment that can be negative. A lot can be done, however, to reduce the impact on the environment, to make the building ‘tread lightly on the planet’.

Is the building made from sustainable or recycled materials, for example? And did the materials come from local suppliers or did they have to be carried a long way (burning oil to get them here)?

What has been done to make the building fuel efficient, such as insulation, double glazing, or use of solar panels? Can water be recycled? Are there any innovative features such as a green roof (a roof covered in plants)?

And can the building itself be recycled? Is it flexible enough to adapt to future uses? Remember, it is nearly always more environmentally sustainable to re-use a building than to pull it down and build a new one.