GREEN DESIGN - WHAT THE HECK DOES IT MEAN?
There's a lot of buzz about building green and LEED certification going on right now. Sounds great, but beyond installing a digital thermostat, WHAT THE HECK DOES GREEN BUILDING AND RENOVATION REALLY MEAN??? If you are asking this question, don't fret, it's really tough to keep up with all of the new technology out there.
There are a lot of eco-friendly projects floating around the Houzz site and I wanted to highlight a few of them. In the comments below there is a list of eco-friendly design moves that help deem the projects "sustainable." Memorize a few of them and you'll be able to throw them around if you get stuck in a conversation with a green know-it-all. In a nutshell:
1) Make as little impact on the site as possible. How?Try to keep non-permeable surfaces like roofs, driveways, even lawns to a minimum; collect rainwater from gutters; make sure that if there is runoff water it is properly cleansed via plants and retention ponds.
2. Keep toxins out of the house. How? Use VOC-free paint and stains, use woods harvested via sustainable forestry methods, invest in beautiful recycled materials like recycled glass tiles, and buy organic furniture and housewares.
3. Nature is your friend. How? It provides natural light, cross-ventilation, sun for heat and energy, and winds and shade for cooling.
4. Reduce energy use by buying energy efficient appliances, investing in radiant heat for your floors, installing solar panels or perhaps even a windmill, and recycling gray water.
Personally, I'm all for eco-friendly design, but I do tend to get a bit lazy. Thus, I am totally enjoying The Lazy Environmentalist's new show on the Sundance Channel. If you are too lazy to catch the schedule, it's available On Demand. I tend to pick up great tips on how to be greener without having to exert any effort whatsoever from Josh all the time.
These countertops are made of recycled glass and concrete. Aren't they gorgeous?
A green living roof and lots of natural light via windows that block harmful ultraviolet light.
Controlled Natural Light, Shared Light and Cross-Ventilation, Air Filtering Plants, Harvested Wood, Radiant Heated Floor, and some other stuff that is over my head...
The roof structure here was designed for maximum cross ventilation to help cool the house in the summer.
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