Sustainable Home Design

It is estimated that buildings, their construction, operation and disposal, account for over 40% of the total energy consumption. This causes the depletion of natural resources and for the production of pollution leading to problems such as global warming and acid rain.

EMBODIED ENERGY

Buildings take energy to construct them. This is called ‘embodied’ energy, which is all the energy required to extract, manufacture and transport a building’s materials as well as that required to construct and ‘finish’ it. As buildings become increasingly energy efficient, the energy required to create them becomes proportionately more significant in relation to that required to run them. Some modern materials, such as aluminium, consume vast amounts of energy in their manufacture. The common building material with least embodied energy is wood. Brick is the material with the next lowest amount of embodied energy, (4 times that of wood). From the perspective of embodied energy, every building, no matter what its condition, has a large amount of energy locked into it. This is yet another factor in favour of conserving and restoring old buildings, and for designing long life, loose fit buildings that easily accommodate change. Also, because the energy used in transporting its materials becomes part a building’s embodied energy, this is a motivation to use local materials.

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

Smaller is better: Optimize use of interior space. Be energy-efficient: Use high levels of insulation, high-performance windows and tight construction. Use renewable energy: passive solar heating, day lighting and natural cooling. Design water-efficient, low-maintenance landscaping and grey water from sinks, showers etc. can be recycled for irrigation.

Spread the environmental impacts of a building over as long a period as possible to improve durability. Make sure the structure is adaptable to other uses, and choose materials and components that can be reused or recycled in the future.

SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS

Because manufacturing is very energy-intensive, a product that lasts longer or requires less maintenance usually saves energy. Where possible, select building materials that will require little maintenance or whose maintenance will have minimal environmental impact. Choose building materials with low embodied energy. Heavily processed or manufactured products and materials are usually more energy-intensive. Locally produced building materials cuts transportation costs, and thus reducing pollution.

Building products made from recycled materials cut energy consumption in manufacturing and save on natural resources. Solvent-based finishes, adhesives, etc. release toxic compounds into the air and should be used to a minimum. Products with excessive packaging, is an energy waste and should be avoided.

CONCLUSION

It surprises a lot of people to learn that a state-of-the-art, energy-efficient, passive-solar house built today may consume less heating and cooling energy over 30 or even 50 years of operation than was required to build it. To effectively reduce energy use, we will need to focus on embodied energy as well as operating energy.

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What is a Healthy Home?

Your home is where you relax, rejuvenate and sleep. What effect does your home have on the health of your family? Everything from the walls, ceiling and floor to furnishings and accessories play a part. What you build, renovate or bring into the home could be a long term health hazard. Looking at the whole interior and understanding the materials used, you can reduce exposure to known pollutants and protect your health. This is a holistic approach to home design and is often overlooked.

We spend around 90% of our time inside. Building materials and products used in interior design contain chemicals and toxic additives. These are hazardous to humans as over time they release vapours causing indoor air pollution. We are exposed to these unseen toxic enemies through skin and inhalation. One exception is that new plastic smell often experienced with a shower curtain or new furniture.

Your home becomes polluted through tobacco smoke, the use of space heaters, electrical equipment, appliances and chemical cleaning supplies. You may develop health conditions such as multiple chemical sensitivities, sick building syndrome, building related illness, respiratory conditions, asthma, allergies and there are associations with cancer. With a steep rise in symptoms, industrialisation has created a toxic monster – namely constructions. Traditional homes were built in healthier ways, without the need for excessive modern materials such as plastic, resins, finishes, treatments etc. Returning to these old fashioned ways would help lessen the demand on mass production and improve our air quality and health.

When we suffer ill health, most look to medicine whether Western or complimentary to treat the cause and relieve the symptoms. Analysing your external environment whether at home or work is an important aspect to consider. Elimination diets that cut out certain foods are a great way to find out what you are intolerant to internally. The same theory can be applied to your surroundings. In a nutshell, avoid mass produced products, chemical based materials, plastic and opt for 100% natural, chemical free and organic products. This takes time to investigate, where does it come from and what does it contain? Are you ready for the challenge to create a healthier home?

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Inspiring Home Designs

So when you redesign your home, what exactly should you do to it? If you’re short on inspiration, here are a few ideas to get you started.

The place where many people like to really go to town with their design ideas is in babies’ and children’s rooms – you can paint them bright colours, do imaginative pictures of fantasy environments, draw pictures of the child’s favourite characters from books and TV, and so much more besides. If you do this, why not let the child join in with the painting and show you what they want, with you just being there to help make their decoration dreams come true. However, one thing to be careful of is to keep redecorating their room as they get older – you don’t want them to be embarrassed to bring around friends when they’re a teenager because of their babyishly coloured room.

Another idea could be to make an ‘outdoors’ house, taking inspiration from your garden in how to design your home. This means lots of greens and blues, lots of plants, outdoor fragrances, lots of windows – a real outdoor feel indoors.

Indeed, the best way to design a home yourself is often to just pick a theme and take it as far as it will go. I know a couple with a ‘space house’, complete with portraits of rockets and black ceilings with painted stars – it sounds silly, but it’s really interesting to look at. Whatever you’re passionate about, make your house show it.

Don’t forget, though, that redecorating doesn’t have to be all about tearing things down and buying new stuff. You can get a long way with a few posters, ornaments, or just reorganising or repainting your furniture. You really don’t need to break the bank and hire a handyman to get your ideal home, as a little work can go a long way.

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