Building a Sustainable Home

Things to Consider

By Mike Reynolds

A high performance, energy-efficient home may include features like geothermal heating, wind power, and solar panels, but these are not the defining features of green living. They come in second, and some you can even do without. A green home starts with being well designed, well insulated, and if possible, it will have glazing oriented to the south for passive heat gain.

Energy Efficiency, Insulation, and Orientation

An efficient and resilient home is one that uses minimal energy to heat, cool, light, and run appliances. The biggest draw is almost always climate control, so reducing heating and cooling requirements is the best way to reduce operational costs.

Depending upon whether you desire the climate in your home to be warmer or cooler will play a big role in window placement when designing your home, as careful window placement can reduce heating or cooling requirements by as much as 25% for virtually no cost.

A well-insulated, well-sealed, building envelope is imperative to the performance of your home. Windows and walls that leak heat, air, and moisture can quickly negate the positive effects and financial savings of the green, sustainable upgrades you make in your homes design.

A Reasonably Sized House

A smaller house is a more efficient house its that simple. A smaller house means less land to excavate, less materials to manufacture and ship, less space to heat, less space to cool, less taxes to pay, less to clean, and less money to buy or build.

According to Mark J. Perrys article on AEI.org, The average new house in the U.S. is getting larger in size at the same time that American households are getting smaller, the square footage of living space per person in a new U.S. house has increased from 507 to 971 square feet using the median size house, and from 551 to 1,058 square feet using the average size house. In percentage terms, thats a 92% increase for both the median or average house size per person. This square foot average per person can easily be reduced and still allow you to live quite comfortably.

A Flexible House

Your family size will change throughout your life, and a flexible house is one that has been designed to accommodate that change with as little cost and disruption as possible. You can reduce both the financial and environmental costs of a big renovation by anticipating and designing for these changes.

Think about potential layout changes, such as where a future granny suite would be, and during your build, you can run the necessary plumbing and wiring along with framing future door openings. So, when the time comes, rather than a major disruptive renovation, you already have the infrastructure in place to create a new bathroom and kitchen.

Using Reclaimed and Local Materials

By re-using existing building materials and buying locally, you just became part of the green building trend. Knowing what materials you will use ahead of time can save you some headaches, since you can make any necessary adjustments right away. For example, if you have plans to use old doors or a specific flooring material, you many need to adjust framing or floor heights. Old doors dont always meet the standard openings, and its best to know the exact sizes before you start building.

Mechanical Systems

Sadly, a typical sacrifice in home construction is quality mechanical systems. Purchase and installation usually come towards the end of construction, and if you're over budget, there is a strong temptation to look towards downgrades when you really shouldn't. Your heating and cooling equipment is your comfort delivery system, this is not the place to try and save a dollar, and doing so will also probably cost you more in the long run by being less efficient, and your family being less comfortable.

Appliances and Electrical

Don't underestimate the amount of energy that will be consumed by appliances, electronics, and lighting. Read the tags on appliances to see what they consume, and look for those that are ENERGY STAR certified. LED lights will save electricity and money, and they will also help keep your house cooler in the summer. Incandescent bulbs convert 80% of their energy to heat, so turning on eight 100-watt bulbs is like turning on an 800-watt heater.

Who Will Draw Your Plans?

Architects
An architect will provide you with full professional services, meaning design, contract bidding, taking care of all contract documents, and getting all permits and approvals. However, they arent cheap, so plan on spending approximately 10-12% of your total construction cost. Before signing on with someone, make sure you have either a good understanding of what you are looking for, or that there is a good working relationship where you are involved in the process.

Architectural Technologists or Designers
This route can be a lot more affordable than hiring an architect. You will probably pay $5,000-$10,000 depending on size and complexity, and the plans will still comply with municipal regulations. This can be a nice option for smaller projects or renovations. A technologist or designer may approach a project more mechanically than an architect. Once the plans are drawn, they will often relinquish responsibility, and the ball is then in your court.

Purchasing Pre-Drawn Plans
This can be useful if you are looking for a standard house. It's a much quicker process, and it is certainly an affordable option. On the downside, you likely wont find plans that match your vision perfectly, and any changes to the existing plan means the price will be higher than you originally thought.

Drawing Your Own Plans
This can be quite fun and rewarding, and if you do your research, you can get a great product that suits your lifestyle and needs quite well. Keep in mind it will be quite time consuming, and there might be a hefty learning curve if youre new to it.

Some municipalities arent too keen on plans drawn by owners, so check what their requirements are before getting too deep into it. In addition, you may forget some key points, so it can cost you a lot in the long run if you arent really careful in your planning.

Whatever options you choose, take time to do your research to ensure a final product you can be really satisfied with.