The notion of Green building varies depending on the specialist. For eco-builders, it means a clean building, using natural materials. They consider that a building must above all adapt to humans, the well-being of its occupants being capital. These partisans of green building condemn the use of toxic substances in the industrial manufacture of construction materials. Experts in energy savings aim to limit the negative impact of human habitat on the environment through ultra-modern technologies and to reduce the amount of energy consumed by buildings, houses and apartments. They recommend enhanced thermal insulation and leading-edge construction techniques. Eco-builders consider a building over its whole lifetime. Not only do they integrate energy savings, they also take into consideration the origin of the materials used and their management (elimination, recuperation) at the end of their life.

Eco-construction, also referred to as sustainable construction or green building, proposes various possibilities of reducing the environmental impact of buildings. Green building is not a specific construction method, but it brings together a set of techniques, materials and technologies which when suitably integrated in a construction project, contribute to enhancing its environmental performance. In an ideal world, eco-construction optimises energy efficiency, limits water consumption, makes maximum use of recycled, recyclable and non-toxic materials. It also generates as little waste as possible during the construction process and subsequent occupation.

In a green building, the structural creation processes respect the environment and make efficient use of resources. This practice is growing and complements the conventional concerns of designing buildings that are economical in energy, sustainable and comfortable. A green building is a clean, sustainable building, designed with natural materials, uses little energy and renewable ones at that, is easy to maintain and available at a reasonable cost.

A green building is designed to reduce the overall impact of the built-up environment on human health and the natural environment, through: 
•    The efficient use of energy, water and other resources
•    Protecting occupant health and improving employee productivity
•    Reducing waste, pollution and harm to the environment.

Effectively, a green building can incorporate sustainable materials (reused, recycled, recyclable, or from renewable resources) in its construction, create a healthy interior environment with a minimum of pollutants and functional landscape planning that requires less water (using indigenous greenery that thrives without additional watering).