Public awareness about green buildings is growing. One of the strongest points of green buildings is that they can be built with materials that could be recycled, are renewable and emit much lower levels of greenhouse gases.

But when so many people seem desperate to secure such materials, there is a need to take time off and think clearly whether they suit the architecture and aesthetics of the house you have planned.

There are many green products in the market. But the concept of assessing green building tools is rather new for manufacturers, which could lead to false information.

Though green building designs are not meant to be "assessment-oriented", they guide and encourage a lot of designers. But the accuracy and depth of information on materials for green designs is very important. Therefore, manufacturers and designers have to make sure the labels or statements on catalogues of green building materials are not trying to fool consumers and raise false hopes.

K.W. Ng, via e-mail

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(China Daily 09/01/2011 page9)