Here's How To Work Nature Into Your Design For A Sustainable Home

Making your home more sustainable is a contribution you make to the environment. Home sustainability is not only a healthy choice for the environment, it is also a healthier choice for your family. Living in a sustainable home can save energy and water, and lower your maintenance costs on all your home systems and appliances.

So what exactly is a sustainable home? It begins with being an efficient home that is built (or retrofitted) in a way that respects resources, optimizes water and energy use, and, if well-planned, works in harmony with the environment.

Sustainable homes use low-impact, high-performance materials that are environmentally friendly from manufacture through installation. Because they are constructed using high-quality materials, materials, and systems break less, last longer, and create less waste.

Sustainable Home Building Goals

Creating a sustainable home starts with understanding your options and planning. Here are some priorities and considerations when designing, planning, and setting building goals for sustainability.

Minimizing Environmental Impacts

It would be best if you made sure that all materials and systems have the lowest possible impact on the environment and ecosystems during manufacture and shipping.

Embodied Energy and Carbon Footprint

Choose the lowest embodied-energy product options and shoot for a carbon-neutral building.

Improved Indoor Air Quality

Indoor air quality and pollution are important considerations for sustainability and your family's health. Make sure all interior products are free from any questionable chemicals.

Waste Generation

When building, strive for less than 25% of the typical landfill waste for a construction project. Sustainability is about creating less waste. Reuse and recycle whenever possible, as much as possible.

Energy Efficiency

Sustainable home construction should far exceed the code requirements for energy efficiency and should strive to achieve net-zero energy use.

Durability and Maintenance

A sustainable home should be simple to operate and not require any more effort for the homeowner to maintain and keep functional than a traditional home.

Whether you're building a new sustainable house or retrofitting your current home, these are all attainable goals with proper planning and execution.

Should You Build New or Retrofit Your Existing Home?

Building a new structure does put costs on the environment. However, new buildings can include the latest technology and approaches that will benefit the environment over the long haul. While a new build gives you a fresh start, there are other considerations such as cost, location, and life disruption.

Sometimes, it may make more sense to invest in retrofitting your existing home to make it more sustainable. Here are a few ideas that will increase sustainability, whether you're retrofitting your home or building from the ground up.

Install High-Performance Windows

Windows can account for 50% or more of lost energy in the home. High-performance windows can keep your home warmer in winter and cooler in summer. New technology includes double glazing, special coatings, non-conductive framing, and higher-quality, airtight construction.

Invest in Energy Efficient Appliances

After your home’s HVAC, appliances consume the most energy in your home. They have two prices attached: the cost of purchasing them and their ongoing operational costs. When you buy the most energy-efficient options available, you can dramatically reduce operating costs.

Use Eco Paint

Eco paints emit fewer toxins and reduce indoor air pollution, and they are far less toxic to manufacture.

Install a "Cool Roof"

Cool roof technology reflects the sun's heat rather than absorbing it into your home. This can have a tremendous effect on the cost and amount of energy used to cool your home.

These are more areas to consider when designing for sustainability. To make your home genuinely sustainable, consider every detail, including:

• Build materials and methods

• Decorating choices

• Windows

• Insulation

• HVAC

• Lighting

• Appliances

• Plumbing Fixtures

• Using Smart Systems for lighting, temperature, security, and more

Working With Nature

You can enhance sustainability and lower your home's operating costs by working in harmony with nature. For example, selecting local native plant life for your landscaping and interior design not only makes your home look beautiful, but indoor plants also act as natural air purifiers. Native, drought-resistant flora can also minimize water use while maintaining aesthetic value.

If you're building a new home, there are several steps you can take to improve sustainability; for example, the orientation of your home can play a significant role in heating and cooling. The passive solar home design uses energy from sunlight to aid in heating and cooling. Orienting your home to maximize the amount of sun it receives can significantly lower your energy needs. Using no mechanical or electric equipment, passive solar works with and relies on building materials that reflect, transmit, or absorb the sun's energy. Inside spaces are designed to move this heated air without the use of fans. As a result, you use less energy to heat and cool your home.

Keeping your yard healthy and green isn't just about aesthetics. Vegetation can help to keep your home cooler, serve as a windbreak, and contribute to cleaner air. While native, drought-resistant plants can help to improve sustainability, if you need to keep your yard watered, you'll quickly lose any benefits. Drip irrigation is a great alternative. A drip irrigation system uses water collected using rain barrels and gravity to deliver water directly to plant roots, keeping them healthy. You'll not only save electricity by eliminating pumps, but you'll minimize waste through evaporation, and you'll keep your yard healthy and contribute to your home's sustainability.

With some planning and thought, sustainability is an achievable goal. Whether buying new or retrofitting your current environment, with some quick changes and smart investments, you can make your house sustainable. High-quality materials, natural elements, and sustainability will pay you back with energy savings, lower costs, as well as improved comfort.

With In Green Living, Joni Keefe shares nature-based design choices for urban greenspaces and Interior Design. Her interests follow sustainable agriculture, eco-friendly building products, and the latest trends in green design. She is a published writer with horticultural design work featured in national publications.