5 Eco Friendly Design Tips | Design a Home That's Good for the Planet and Good for Your Budget | Resources for Log Homes |
5 Eco-Friendly Design Tips
Our top five tips for designing a home that’s good for the planet—and good for your budget..by: Cheryl Kenny |
Want a home that's good for your budget and good for the planet? Then read on for our top 5 tips for eco-friendly designs:
1. Be Passive. Place your home on your property so that its longer sides face south or north. This will help you take advantage of passive cooling/heating, reducing your reliance on supplemental energy sources. To reduce afternoon sun exposure, minimize west-facing windows and maximize those that look to the south. Shade east-, south- and west-facing windows in the summer with overhangs properly sized by using a sun angle calculator. (You can find one at the Society of Building Science Educator’s web site).
2. Breeze Through Design.
Use the direction of prevailing local wind patterns (check local airports’ web sites for information) to determine where to position windows for maximum cooling. For two-story homes, place interior staircases opposite the breeze, (that is, on the northwest side where breezes blow from southeast) to create a thermal siphoning tower that draws heat out.
3. Learn the Lay of the Land.
Build your home just over the crest of a hill rather than on its peak. This will both reduce the visual mark on the natural landscape and reduce energy usage by minimizing your home’s exposure to the elements. Use trees and shrubs as natural buffers to add further protection.
4. Remain Detached.
When it comes to your garage’s location, think about keeping it detached from your home. An attached garage can be unhealthy, since gas fumes from cars, ATVs and lawn mowers can penetrate the walls. Also minimize infiltration of outside air from basements or attics by sealing air ducts and reducing use of recessed canister lighting. Doing so will make your home more energy-efficient, comfortable and healthy.
5. Let’s Vent.
All homes should have some properly placed mechanical ventilation, even if only via bathroom and kitchen fans. Balanced ventilation, where separate fans exhaust stale or moist air and bring in fresh, will enhance indoor-air quality.
More: Eco-Friendly Home Design Tips
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By keith ojala on Aug 21, 2008
I disagree with the suggestion to consider detached garages. Here in the UP of Michigan, an attached garage is valuable for minimizing exposure to the elements. It. is especially valuable after a deep snow in that you can just open the door and, start up your snow blower and start blowing. It also makes it more convenient for garbage and recycle storage and access to a garage workshop. Don't chintz on the size of garage either.