- 2 Bedrooms

- 1 Bathroom

- Picture Windows Open to Patio

- Radiant Heat

- Polished Concrete Floors

The Design

Simple, uncluttered design and nearly room-height windows make this small home feel large and spacious, inviting in views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and surrounding forests. The industrial style uses glass, polished concrete, and metal, all of which keep costs low while creating a sleek, modern look.

Building a new, energy efficient or green home can be a confusing process given the numerous options offered in magazines and on web sites. Knowing how to prioritize these choices can be helpful in deciding which are most appropriate for you.

Historically, many of our firm's clients have shared common concerns. With this experience, we've developed a brief guide that prioritizes how to evaluate options that come along in the design process:

1. Healthy indoor air quality
2. Building envelope and energy efficiency
3. Local conditions
4. Renewable energy
5. Green materials

Healthy Home, Healthy You

Attention to the quality of indoor air is important for the health of the home's occupants. Conscious choices during the planning and construction of your home regarding both materials and systems can yield a healthy environment for years to come.

Wood or polished concrete floors help maintain indoor air quality since, unlike carpet, they don't trap dust and dirt in your home. If you prefer carpet, then be sure to install with a non-toxic, low emitting VOC (volatile organic compound) adhesive.  Another carpet option is to use an organic (pesticide-free) fiber carpet.

VOCs have traditionally been included in other building products, such as fiberglass insulation, paint, and particleboard.  Today, many low or no-VOC alternatives are available for each of these materials categories.

Indoor air quality is a major concern, especially when a home has a tight, energy efficient building envelope (discussed in the next section).  With a tight building, adequate mechanical ventilation and filtering is necessary to purge any naturally occurring indoor air pollutants such as smoke, air-borne bacteria, odors, and dust.

Building Envelope and Energy Efficiency

Next in priority is to ensure that the building envelope and appliances are as energy efficient as possible.  (For the tech fans, don't worry--the high-tech things, like solar panels, are discussed later.)

Building envelope efficiency can be improved via low-cost enhancements such as better insulation, insulating window shades, high efficiency windows, and house orientation.

Beyond the envelope, efficiency in the home's appliances (via Energy Star rating) make a large impact in how much energy is drawn to operate them.  The home's HVAC system should be properly sized by an engineer to ensure it is not too big or too small for your needs and operates at peak efficiency.  Lastly, efficient lighting such as CFLs use substantially less energy than conventional incandescent bulbs.

Look to Local

The next step in planning a new home is to think local. Most areas have unique local needs that differ from the rest of the country. Tailoring a design to the attributes of a specific location can be very important.

In areas prone to hurricanes, additional construction measures, such as steel reinforcements (left) or construction methods like insulated concrete forms (below), can make the house more resilient to high winds and flying debris.

For those areas where water is scarce such as the Southwest, low-flow water fixtures, "grey water" recovery systems, and rain water capture can all be considered.

Lastly, construction materials from a nearby source can make a home more "green". Many areas have architectural vernaculars that are strongly influenced by the local materials; well-known examples are the field stone houses of Pennsylvania, adobe ranches in the Southwest, and log cabins of the North.

Energy Production

Only after optimizing the energy performance of a building's envelope does it make financial sense to consider a renewable energy technology.

Solar electric and thermal systems capture energy from the sun, reducing reliance on electric and gas utilities and their associated utility bills. Wind-powered turbines can provide electricity, but only work well in locations with steady winds year round; they also face maintenance issues due to the mechanically-intensive nature of the technology. Ground source heat pumps can provide space conditioning in any location and are typically economical.

Green Finish Materials

Rapidly renewable or recycled materials can also be used during construction. Bamboo floors, for instance, are both a beautiful and sustainable material. Natural fiber or bamboo window treatments add style without compromising health. Recycled glass can be used for tile backsplashes as well as tub and shower finishes.

In Closing

For those who have had difficulty deciding where to start during the process of building a new home, we hope the suggestions above have been helpful. Priorities can be a very personal thing, and these are meant to serve as guidelines when identifying what is important to you.