GREEN DESIGN AND EDUCATION OF STUDENTS AT UNIVERSITIES IN THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC

"Buildings represent a sector with huge energy consumption. It is necessary to reduce this consumption, therefore green buildings have become a global trend in recent years. Green Building Councils in various countries, which are members of World Green Building Council global network, develop and administer many of the world’s ratings tools. World Green Building Council was founded in 1998. There are four predominate ranking systems: LED, BREEAM, GREEN STAR and CASBEE. Slovak Green Building Council was established in November 2010. The first green building in the Slovak Republic received LEED certification in 2012. In the paper it is referred to about 17 new and in-use green buildings in Slovakia which received in period 2012-2019 LEED or BREEAM certifications. In fact, there are more green buildings in Slovakia, where there is still the huge potential in applying a green concept in the sector of existing residential buildings and the public buildings sector. There is a lack of legislative and financial support instruments for green buildings in Slovakia, which are under the consideration and do not exist in practice. The BBC 1 Plus – Offices in Bratislava, the first certified green office building in Slovakia, which received in 2012 the second-highest certification – LEED Gold, is described and analysed in details. The necessity of improving the education process in the green design and sustainable architecture of students at Faculties of Civil Engineering and Faculties of Architecture is outlined. The plans for how it is possible to achieve it are presented."