Green Building
EEWH, the 4 Pillars & Taiwan's Standard
A green building uses the least possible earth resources and creates the least possible waste across its full life cycle. Here is what that means in practice — Taiwan's EEWH certification, its 4 pillars, 9 categories and 5 ratings — and how Layana's EEWH-Gold–certified factory turns the standard into measurable, day-to-day numbers.
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Key Takeaways
- A green building uses the least possible earth resources and creates the least possible waste across its full life cycle — renovation, planning, construction, operation and demolition.
- Taiwan's standard is EEWH (Ecology, Energy Saving, Waste Reduction, Health), established in 1999 and tailored to Taiwan's climate and high rainfall.
- EEWH is structured as 4 pillars → 9 categories → 5 rating levels (Diamond, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Passed).
- Layana's headquarters is certified EEWH-Gold (2018) in the green building factory category — with 37.8% greenery, ~7,900 tons of recycled rainwater per year, and energy-efficient HVAC with energy-recovery ventilation (ERV).
- Green buildings deliver lower energy and maintenance costs, healthier workspaces, and a measurable green premium in property value.
What Is a Green Building?
A green building is a building designed and operated to use the least possible earth resources and create the least possible waste across its entire life cycle — from renovation and planning through construction, daily operation and eventual demolition. Each country defines its own green building standard according to its geography and climate, but the underlying purpose is the same.
The concept first appeared in the 1960s — Japan's environmental symbiosis housing and the United States' ecological building were early attempts to lower the environmental impact of buildings.
In 1990, the United Kingdom issued the world's first formal green building standard (BREEAM). A wave of national standards followed — including LEED in the US, WELL globally, and EEWH in Taiwan (1999) — each adapted to its country's geographical and climatic conditions.
A Brief History of the Green Building Standard
The idea of a "green" building is older than the formal certifications. The timeline below shows the key milestones from the first concepts to today's Taiwan EEWH program — and to Layana's own certification.
Environmental symbiosis & ecological building
The earliest green building concepts emerge — environmental symbiosis housing in Japan and ecological building in the United States — both focused on reducing a building's impact on its surroundings.
BREEAM — the world's first green building standard (UK)
The United Kingdom issues BREEAM, the first formal standard for green buildings. Its purpose: use the least earth resources and create the least waste across the full life cycle of a building.
EEWH — Taiwan's certification system established
The Taiwanese government establishes EEWH (Ecology, Energy Saving, Waste Reduction, Health) — issued right after LEED in the US — tailored to Taiwan's subtropical climate and high rainfall.
Layana certified EEWH-Gold (green building factory)
Layana's headquarters earns the EEWH-Gold rating in the green building factory category — with 37.8% greenery, a basement rainwater-recycling system saving ~7,900 tons of water per year, and high-efficiency HVAC with ERV.
EEWH — Taiwan's Green Building Certification System
In 1999 the Taiwanese government established EEWH, the country's national green building certification system, right after LEED in the US. The four letters stand for Taiwan's four main green building pillars — and the assessment manual breaks them down into nine concrete categories that any project can be scored against.
EEWH works for the full range of project types and offers five application categories: basic, residential, eco-community, industrial, and building renovation. Layana's certification was issued under the green building factory path, which sits inside the industrial category.
The system is also the foundation of Taiwan's broader Green Factory recognition: a Green Factory must satisfy both a green building and cleaner production evaluation — one without the other does not qualify.
The 4 Pillars: E · E · W · H
EEWH organizes every green building evaluation around four equally weighted pillars. Together they form the acronym — and every one of the nine assessment categories maps cleanly to one of them.
Ecology
Biodiversity, the level of greenery, and soil-moisture conservation.
Energy Saving
Building shell, air-conditioning and lighting energy efficiency.
Waste Reduction
CO2 reduction in materials and construction waste control.
Health
Indoor environment, water resources, sewage & garbage handling.
The 9 EEWH Assessment Categories
The EEWH Green Building Assessment Manual divides the four pillars into nine assessment categories. Each one is scored against specific quantitative or design criteria. Below is the full list, grouped by pillar — the structure auditors actually use.
Biodiversity
Area of biological habitats and activities — vegetation, soils, light pollution, biological movement barriers. Applies to sites larger than one hectare.
Level of Greenery
Quantity and quality of planting, with a required soil depth of 0.3–3.5 m. Includes multi-layer plantings, trees, shrubs, perennial vines, flowerbeds, meadows and old trees.
Soil Moisture Conservation
Water content capability plus storage and infiltration of rainwater — calculated from green-area, garden-soil volume, permeable paving and special retention designs.
Energy Saving (Shell · HVAC · Lighting)
Building shell with ventilation and roof insulation; high-efficiency air-conditioning with CO2 detection; daylight-friendly windows and energy-saving lamps with automatic dimming.
CO2 Reduction
Embodied CO2 of bricks, tiles, rebar and glass — scored on structure rationalization, lightweight construction, durability, seismic resistance and recycled materials.
Construction Waste Reduction
Pollution control during construction — dust-proof nets, dust-proof plastic cloths, wastewater treatment systems, balance earthwork and recycled building materials.
Indoor Environment
Low-pollution, low-fugitive, recyclable materials across four sub-areas: light environment, sound environment, ventilation and indoor building materials.
Water Resources
Use of water-saving labelled faucets, toilets and hydrants; rainwater recovery systems (Taiwan's >2,500 mm/year rainfall makes this especially impactful).
Sewage & Garbage Improvement
Domestic miscellaneous water connected to sewage pipes and treatment; sufficient space for garbage storage and transport; recycling and food-waste systems.
The 5-Level EEWH Rating System
A green building's final score is mapped to one of five ratings. Diamond is the highest, Passed is the entry level. Layana's headquarters is certified at the Gold level.
Global Green Building Standards Compared
EEWH is one of several national or international green building systems. They share the same goal — minimizing the building's impact — but differ in origin, scope and the climates they were designed for.
| Standard | Origin | Year | Primary Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| BREEAM | United Kingdom | 1990 | The world's first green building standard — broad environmental performance across the life cycle. |
| LEED | United States | 1998 | Widely adopted internationally — energy, water, materials, indoor environmental quality. |
| EEWH | Taiwan | 1999 | Tailored to Taiwan's subtropical climate and high rainfall — 4 pillars, 9 categories, 5 ratings. |
| WELL | International | 2014 | Occupant health & wellbeing — often combined with one of the above environmental standards. |
How Layana Designed Its EEWH-Gold Green Building
Layana was certified EEWH-Gold in 2018 in the green building factory category. From early plant planning, the design pursued all four pillars together — and the result is a working factory with concrete, measurable green performance.
What Layana built into the design
Level of greenery — 4,780 m² of planting
Gardens, planting and green space across the site bring the greenery ratio to 37.8%.
Soil moisture conservation — ZQi = 328.37
Permeable paving, garden-area sizing and soil volume combine to retain rainwater on-site.
Energy from the shell
Wide window sills shield direct sunlight; rooftop heat-insulation reduces the heat transfer rate.
Energy-efficient HVAC + ERV
Air-conditioning chosen for energy saving, with air purification and energy-recovery ventilation (ERV).
Rainwater recycling — ~7,900 t/year
A raft foundation stores rainwater in the basement (see also our commercial rainwater collection system).
CO2 reduction
Recycling, regular cleaning and disciplined construction-waste management cut embodied and operational carbon.
Benefits of a Green Building
A green building can cost more to build than a conventional one, but the long-term economics — energy, maintenance, occupant productivity and property value — make the case in its favor.
Lower Energy Costs
Construction costs may be higher up front, but operating energy costs drop substantially over the building's life thanks to the EEWH energy-saving requirements.
Lower Maintenance
If the architecture is properly planned up front, the building is easier to maintain than a non-green equivalent — lower lifecycle cost, fewer surprises.
Healthier Workplace
A healthy, comfortable, sustainable indoor environment improves occupant physical and mental wellbeing; CO2 detectors monitor indoor air quality.
Higher Property Value
In Taiwan there is a measurable green premium between green and non-green buildings, and it persists over time — green buildings tend to gain value while non-green ones lag.
Reduced Environmental Impact
Lower carbon emissions, less waste, protected biodiversity and responsible use of local natural resources.
Credible ESG Story
Government-issued certification is third-party verification — concrete proof for customers, partners and investors that the sustainability claims are real.
How to Plan a Green Building Project — 8 Steps
A practical, project-manager–level roadmap for taking a new build or renovation through to green building certification.
Choose the project type
New construction or renovation? Which EEWH category fits best — residential, commercial/industrial, eco-community, or building renovation?
Set a certification target
Pick a target rating (Diamond → Passed) and design against the 9 EEWH categories. For renovations, start with a strengths/weaknesses analysis.
Create a multidisciplinary task force
A competent, actively-involved team with quality, accounting, facility management and procurement representation.
Pick the right architect
One who shares the owner's values and is genuinely committed to delivering the green building goals.
Choose suppliers wisely
Vet contractors and hardware suppliers by demonstrated capability — visit physical examples of their previous work where possible.
Monitor construction quality continuously
Validate materials, generators and HVAC; arrange external audits throughout the construction period.
Run formal acceptance of work
Inspect and accept the work phase by phase; secure approvals from external auditors so quality stays consistent.
Execute the contract & final facility test
Use commercial incentives for on-time, on-quality delivery; validate the finished facility with real production runs.
The definition of green architecture today goes beyond appearance — it covers materials, construction methods and how the building is operated. The goal is "environmental prosperity" and "health and wellbeing" through energy-efficient, low-carbon, sustainable operation.