Custom Your Way Home Design

What is Green Building?

Have you ever been to a party where you were introduced to the term 'Green Building' or 'Built Green'? Many people have heard these terms and have some ideas about what they means, but some may not really know. Allow me to give a brief description of what this concept, or movement, or new way of thinking means in simple terms. The Green Building movement is a collective effort by builders, homeowners, and suppliers to build homes that are less impactive to the environment. Less impactive, how so? Well, There are many levels to report, however, I will limit this to four areas of concern as follows: Site Development, Material and Resource Usage, Energy Usage and emissions, and Deconstruction. There are many other aspects of green building, but these are, in my opinion, the most important considerations. Why, because they have the greatest impact on planet earth. The hope is that by being user friendly to the planet in h0w we live we will be able to live in harmony with it.

Site Development: This is extremely important to the Green Builder because the way you place your home and how you develop the site is a large portion of the project and can have a huge impact on the environment if not considered properly. Green Builders say that by building the home in a way that uses less heavy equipment and limits the amount of excavation and removal of native plants then you have emitted fewer emissions and made less of an impact on nature. This is the first step along with planning for accomplishing your goal of being more user friendly with the earth.

Also, by carefully selecting the placement of your home you can take advantage of natural passive solar heat from the sun. For example, if you place your home in a way that allows sunshine to enter the home in the morning and throughout the day through windows naturally you will use less heating resources and this will be better for the environment. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west so if you place your home so that the longest stretch of the house is facing North / South you will have more sunlight entering windows. This will provide natural heat. Yes, a simple and effective approach that will make a big difference on your heating bill.

Since water conservation is important this is something that needs to be considered in your site development. Figure a way that conserves water usage and limits water erosion and runoff. Slope the soil from your home a minimum of 6 inches in 10 feet of distance in most building situations. Build your landscaping, driveways, and walkways in a way that limit the amount of water that collects. The best-case scenario is that the water falls on native soil and plants, the worst-case scenario is that the water falls on concrete everywhere and does not drain into the soil. This is a big concern in areas that have less rainfall, yet important for all Built Green homes.

Material and Resource usage: This may be the area that the builder has the most control; therefore, this is where a lot of attention is given. The short of it is this: Build with less material (Google: Optimal Value Engineering), build with recyclable materials, and build with recycled materials. Also, it is important to select materials that are naturally sustainable. Bamboo flooring is a good example because it is naturally grown and it grows fast so that it is reasonably sustainable. Engineered wood products are another popular product. These are wood products that are made from smaller bits of wood that may have been otherwise discarded. OSB sheathing boards are one example of this. Another thing that is important in this regard is quality. It is like this, if you do it right the first time then it won’t need to be replaced for a long time, which brings better environmental results. I could spend a lot of time on this, but you get the idea.

Energy Usage and emissions: This is probably the most considered in Green Building because it makes since, build a house that uses less energy. This can be accomplished in numerous ways; here are some simple and effective ways. Use insulation with a high U-value (The way that they rate insulation) and don’t allow air leakage other than the proper ventilation systems that must be in place to prevent mold. It is recommended to seal all penetrations to your wall assemblies such as at wall plates, electrical boxes, and mechanical intrusions. Installing a good heating system is very important. Many people favor natural gas or propane. Another popular choice is a high efficiency electrical furnace system. When a heating system is installed instead of electrical wall heaters it is critical that the ducts are sealed very well. You don’t want to have air leakage here. Finally, the choice of appliances and fixtures is of high importance. One sure way to choose good appliances is to use ones that have been rated Energy Star compliant. The most popular light fixture is the CFL (Compact Florescent Light bulb). This bulb uses far less energy than the more popular incandescent bulb. By using certain products it is understood that fewer emissions will be produced by your homes operations, especially over the lifespan of your home.

Deconstruction: This may be sad to think about, but even homes that are built new today will wear out and need to be torn down. The concern here is that when its time to tear the home down, it should have less of an impact on the environment. How is this accomplished? Like the other points above, there are several ways; only a few will be talked about here. One is to use products that can be recycled when deconstruction takes place. Okay maybe that is an obvious one. Another thing to be concerned about is emissions and energy usage during deconstruction. By using less materials and products that are easy to take apart you can help in both these areas. The idea is that you want to have very little energy usage, waist, or garbage at the end of deconstruction.

As you can see there is nothing but good intensions behind the Green Building Movement, at least on the part of the Builder, and homeowner. This is a simple and incomplete summary of Green Building, If you are interested then please explore this subject to the full.

I am a Residential Designer in the Northwest and have been certified by the NAHB as a ‘Green Building Professional’ I am also certified by the International Code Council and a Residential Inspector. If you have any questions about Residential Design, Consulting, Green Building, Building feel free to contact me at customyourway@hotmail.com Please visit my website for more information at www.customyourway.com