An ecological or green home is a house that consumes the minimum number of resources and has a minimum impact on the environment. Certain factors require special attention before designing a house to achieve an environment-friendly home.
Here are some key aspects to think about:
Site Evaluation
It is therefore encouraged that before planning an ecological house, one should make an equitable analysis of the site to be used.
Consider the following:
Orientation: Position the house to get as much sun in the winter and as little as possible in the summer months. Have more windows on the south side than on the north side. Use natural airflow and wind.
Landscape: Check on the current vegetation level, trees, slope, and the like; take away the least of the plants, and incorporate the natural landscape into your design.
Sun patterns: Monitor sunlight during different months of the year so you can orient and position the windows and suits appropriately to maximize natural light and sun’s heat.
Rainwater harvesting potential: Assess what opportunities can be provided for water collection via rainwater catchment systems and be used again.
Efficient Resource Use
Minimizing the use of some resources is the very core of a green building. Consider options to:
Reduce consumption: Use the Water-saving devices/ Water-saving fixtures. Purchase appliances that have an Energy Star rating.
Reuse materials: Think of waste or scrap material be recycled on the construction site for the new construction? Try and use some of the construction materials from other structures.
Use green materials: Buy environmentally friendly, low-toxic building materials made from recycled materials with little environmental impact. Do not use plastics and products that contain PVC.
Incorporate renewable energy: Go solar or wind to get power by erecting solar PV panels or wind turbines. Buy solar water heaters and geothermal heat pumps.
Waste Management
Planning: Properly plan for systems for dealing with waste – just for the construction phase and on the house once it is occupied.
Construction waste: Separate and stage wood, metals, bricks, and concrete waste on-site for reuse or recycling.
Occupancy waste: Promote improved facilities for access to recycling and composting. Filtrate greywater in filtration systems for nonportable uses such as irrigation.
Eco-Friendly Design Elements
Incorporate various environmentally friendly design elements:
Passive solar: Allow solar heat gain from the southern exposure to curtail the quantity of heating required in winter. Overhangs protect structures from the hot summer climate.
Natural ventilation: Make sure the appropriate windows are open, and do not use a lot of air conditioning.
Green roof: Pouring a portion of the roof with soil, plants, and grass insulates the room, absorbs rainwater, and reduces pollutants.
Thoughtful landscaping: Plant Indigenous water-wise plants that require little or no watering once planted. This is evidenced by the fact that their root structures are extremely developed, which diminishes soil erosion.
Rain gardens: Depressional areas that are developed on native vegetation can effectively harvest and infiltrate areas of roofs, drives, and yards.
Permeable pavements: Permit storm water to drain directly into the ground through Pervious concrete, porous asphalt, grass pavers, and brick strips for drives and pathways.
Daylighting design: Regulate natural lighting with skylights, light tubes, light shelves, and transom windows to cut out the use of electricity.
Adaptability for the Future: Conceptualize a structure that can be adjusted later to accommodate new needs and green technologies during its useful life.
Construction Practices
Employ sustainable construction practices on-site, including:
Erosion control: To avoid soil erosion, employ silt fencing earth dikes and sediment basins, especially during the rainy seasons. The next step for successful stormwater management is to replant vegetation as soon as possible.
Dust control: Surface protection from blowing dust and exposing bare ground. It is also important to check vehicle tires to help keep from tracking contamination offsite. Additionally, demolition activities should be done carefully.
Noise control: Have loud work during weekdays only because of noise; pollution during the weekend could wake people up from their sleep. You can inform neighbors upfront that there will be noise disruptions throughout some time. Erect temporary soundproof walls.
Site supervision: Conform site environmental laws and standards of every worker, activity. Additional green building training, if needed, should also be provided.
Careful Planning is Key
The planning of an ecological home begins with preparatory studies until home construction and during home management processes. It is essential to note views on environmental interaction at the different project life cycle stages using resources and enforcing non-generation and utilization of wastes besides using natural forces for heating, cooling, lighting, and ventilation. The efforts invested into turning it green are paid off in equal proportion several years down the line concerning the health of the residents, energy usage as well as the carbon footprint of the building.
