Many professionals involved with the housing market like real estate agents, architects, and builders can attest to the fact that one of the hottest trends in housing right now is sustainability and environmentally friendly building practices. Sustainability creates structures that protect the environment by using easily renewable building materials and reducing the carbon footprint, or emissions of natural gasses, of a structure. Many architectural firms, including the Dean Robert Camlin and Associates, Inc. firm in Maryland are using sustainable practices in their designs. According to architect Dean Camlin, owner of the firm, “I have the training and qualifications to assist clients who want to build sustainably. This starts at the beginning of a project.” The practice of sustainable design and building is beneficial to both the homeowner and environment, and in the long run saves both money and energy. If you are considering a home building project and you would like to make sustainable choices, speak with your architect about the following:
Size
First, consider the size of your building. It may seem like a great idea to spread out into the largest home you can afford. While this gives you and your family plenty of room for storage, fun, and entertaining, it is usually not the best choice for the environment. During the building process, larger homes will require more building materials. Once you move in, it will require more energy for heating, cooling, and lighting. When determining how large your home should be, speak with your architect about the most efficient ways to maximize the size of the space. A talented architect who understands sustainable design will be able to create a home that meets your needs in the smallest space possible.
Materials
Once you have determined the best size for your home, consider the materials you can use that will not damage the earth. The closer to the building site you get your materials, the less it will cost and the better it is for the environment. This is also a great design technique and it helps the home “fit into” the environment. In addition to local materials, try to use as many natural materials as possible. This not only has environmental benefits but health benefits too. Less pollution is associated with natural materials and daily living in your home will remind you of your responsible, natural choices. There are also ways to use recycled materials in the design of your home. Anytime a material can be repurposed, it saves the waste and energy of creating something new. Speak with your architect about the best way to use local, natural, or recycled materials in your home design.
Design to Conserve
As you are designing the home, it is important to think about how the home can help you live a sustainable lifestyle in the long run. Speak with your architect about the most efficient ways to heat and cool the home. Camlin works with clients who “… want passive solar heating and placement of (exterior) overhangs and plantings to create shade….” He also recommends techniques to reduce water consumption, improve insulation, and evaluate the heating and lighting system. The architect can also help you determine if geothermal heat pumps, solar water heaters, and windmills are justified.
Your plans for living efficiently will start at the very beginning of the project when choosing the location and how the home will be situated on the property. Just by having a home whose windows face the rising sun can save on energy use. Certain building materials like UV-protected windows also reduce heating and cooling costs. Your architect will be able to explain even more ways to design a home that will be environmentally friendly, like digging further into the earth for insulation benefits.
In addition to conserving heating and cooling energy, design to conserve water use. It is possible to live comfortably using nearly half of the water the average American home uses. While small changes can help, like choosing energy-efficient appliances and monitoring your water consumption, you and your architect can also do more drastic things when designing the home. Speak with your architect about diverting gray (used) water from laundry and bathing for the garden, creating a method for catching rain water and using it indoors, and devising a landscape that features indigenous plants which are drought tolerant and do not require daily watering.
If you are looking for a qualified architect who has experience with sustainable designs and building, contact Dean Robert Camlin and Associates, Inc.
