One of the biggest challenges that has faced architects over the last 20 years or so has been to find the most environmental friendly ways to build. Regarding both the design of the building and the actual building of it, environmental challenges are something which keeps many architects awake at night as they seek to design the most eco-friendly buildings that they can. Environmental awareness is a hot topic on many lips and not only are governments keen to build more eco-friendly buildings, consumers too are looking for properties with green credentials.
When it come stop making homes more eco-friendly, there are lots of basic design ideas which can be applied to achieve this result and today we are going to take a look at a few ways that you can design a great eco-home.
Solar Power
Installing solar panels in your eco-home is a great way to reduce energy costs for the buyer and also to provide a greener method of producing electricity. The cost of solar panels have come down drastically as more and more people look to install them at home. The beauty of solar panels is that they don’t require sunshine, just sunlight which makes them accessible to many homes all over the World.
Maximum Light
Many techniques don’t require you to reinvent the wheel and the installation of more glass on a home can add more heat and more natural light to the property. More natural light means less electricity being used and studies have shown that the more natural light exposure that we have, the happier we are.
Natural Water
Adding a water filter system into a home which is built in areas of high rainfall is a great way to re-use the natural water that falls from the skies. Whilst a little pricey to install, the filter will more than pay for itself over the years thanks to reduced water bills.
Heating With Fire
There are some great new techniques when it comes to using a fireplace and many hot water systems can be partially powered whilst the fire rages and warms a room. This low-cost, low-energy method is sure to be a hit with any eco-conscious property buyer.
Size
If you want to achieve a truly sustainable house then it is important that you scale the project down, a bigger house means far more challenges when it comes to sustainability and in truth, most people who are looking for an eco-home are after efficiency, not size.
Small Touches
Much of the devil is in the detail when it comes to building a green home and things like LED lights and carefully placed windows can really be the difference in building a beautiful home with green credentials. It is important that you revisit the plans time and again in search of tweaks which you can make to achieve your goal.