How To Build a Sustainable Home
19 October 2023
Sustainability is more than a buzzword in the modern world; it’s a way of life. When it comes to your home, creating a sustainable living space benefits the environment and offers numerous advantages for you and your family.
Our expert team at ecoHaus are here to share their insights on creating a sustainable home design that is eco-friendly, comfortable, energy-efficient, and cost-effective!
The Sustainable Home Blueprint
Before diving into the details, let’s create a blueprint for building your sustainable home. Below are the top considerations you need to include when constructing your sustainable home design:
1. Sustainable Home Design
The foundation of a sustainable home lies in its design. Work with architects and designers who focus on sustainable and eco-friendly designs. They can help you create a home that uses natural light, improves airflow, and saves energy. This will, in turn, help reduce your carbon footprint in the long run!
2. Energy Efficiency
Maximising energy efficiency in homes is a cornerstone of sustainability. This includes choosing energy-efficient appliances, LED lighting, and renewable energy sources like solar panels or wind turbines. Additionally, you can increase energy efficiency by properly insulating your home to prevent heat loss.
3. Sustainable Building Materials
Select eco-friendly, non-toxic, and renewable building materials. To reduce your environmental impact, consider using reclaimed wood, bamboo, recycled metal, and low-volatile organic compound (VOC) paints.
4. Water Conservation
Install low-flow faucets, dual-flush toilets, and rainwater harvesting systems to reduce water waste. Also, consider xeriscaping your outdoor space to minimise water consumption in landscaping.
5. Waste Reduction
Plan for waste reduction by incorporating a recycling centre and composting system into your home. Choose appliances and materials that are easy to recycle. This helps reduce carbon emissions and lets you do your part for the environment.
6. Healthy Indoor Air Quality
Prioritise indoor air quality by choosing non-toxic materials and installing a robust ventilation system. In this instance though, there is a prime opportunity to leverage nature in your favour. This can be done as simply as getting an indoor plant to help bring fresh air into your home and soak up VOCs that might be floating in the air.
Top Tip: Indoor plants can also help purify the air.
These are all vital factors that need to be considered when building a sustainable home, each providing a unique set of ecological and personal advantages.
Sustainable Design and Architecture
Now that we have our sustainability blueprint in place, it’s time to discuss the design and architectural features you can incorporate into your home.
1. Passive Solar Design
Sustainable homes often incorporate passive solar design principles, maximising natural heat and light from the sun to reduce the need for artificial heating and lighting.
2. Compact Design
Smaller, well-planned homes require less energy to heat, cool, and maintain temperatures, also allowing for more efficient use of space.
3. High-Performance Insulation
Quality insulation is a must for maintaining consistent indoor temperatures and reducing energy bills. Consider options like spray foam insulation or structural insulated panels (SIPs).
Energy Efficiency
As mentioned above, energy usage and efficiency are critical to a well-thought-out and sustainable home design. Below, we have outlined some top energy-efficient implementations you can include to improve the sustainability of your home:
1. Properly Insulated Doors & Windows
Installing properly insulated doors and windows is a tried-and-true way to improve your home’s energy efficiency. This will help prevent wasted heat from escaping.
At ecoHaus, we offer a wide range of energy-efficient doors and windows. Our team of expert installers helps ensure that valuable heat is trapped in your home in the winter and cool air is contained in the summer. Insulation is a key feature of an eco-friendly home and it should always start at the windows and doors before looking at other insulation pain points, such as the loft.
2. Solar Power
You can try investing in solar panels to generate your electricity. Not only will you reduce your energy bills, but you can also sell excess energy back to the grid, making it a financially sound choice.
3. High-Efficiency Appliances
How about choosing ENERGY STAR-rated appliances, designed to consume less energy while performing at peak efficiency? As the heading of this section suggests, high-efficiency appliances are implemented to improve efficiency.
4. LED Lighting
Replace incandescent bulbs with LED lighting, which uses significantly less energy, lasts longer, and is available in various colour temperatures to suit your preferences.
5. Smart Home Systems
Think about installing a smart home system that allows you to control your home’s lighting, heating, and cooling remotely. This reduces energy waste when you’re away.
Water Conservation
A potentially overlooked sustainability method is water conservation. The average person uses around 150L of water per day which is a lot of waste water! The practice of water conservation helps to reduce excess water waste by utilising water-efficient fixtures and technologies, including:
1. Low-Flow Fixtures
Swap out traditional faucets and shower heads with low-flow, high-efficiency fixtures, useful for reducing water usage without sacrificing performance.
2. Rainwater Harvesting
Start collecting rainwater for outdoor use, such as watering your garden or flushing toilets. It’s a sustainable way to minimise water waste.
3. Greywater Recycling
Consider a greywater recycling system, which reuses water from sinks, showers, and laundry for irrigation or toilet flushing.
Sustainable Materials
One of the most obvious factors in creating a truly sustainable home design is to utilise sustainable materials, including recycled materials, renewable resources, and much more:
1. Recycled Materials
Utilise recycled building materials, like reclaimed wood and metal, for flooring, cabinetry, and other architectural elements.
2. Renewable Resources
Choose renewable resources like bamboo for flooring, as it grows rapidly and is a sustainable alternative to hardwood.
3. Low VOC Paints
Use low VOC paints and finishes to minimise indoor air pollution and improve the overall indoor air quality.
There are multiple ways to implement sustainable materials throughout your home, from choosing reliable and trusted brands when choosing doors and windows and reputable building contractors to working with experts in the sustainable building industry to incorporate recycled materials and renewable resources throughout your home’s design.
Waste Reduction
A common feature throughout this guide is the importance of reducing waste wherever possible, which can be extended further into:
1. Recycling Centre
Incorporating a dedicated recycling centre in your home makes it easier to separate and recycle materials.
2. Composting
Implement a composting system in your garden to reduce kitchen waste and create nutrient-rich soil for landscaping.
Healthy Indoor Air Quality
A major factor that can improve the quality of life and everyday living for you and your family is to encourage improved indoor air quality by investing in the right features and technologies, such as:
1. Ventilation System
Install a high-quality mechanical ventilation system to ensure fresh air circulation and reduce indoor air pollutants.
2. Window Openings
Implementing high-quality windows provides more opportunities to open up the inside of your home to the outside world, which will allow for sufficient air circulation.
When working with a trusted window supplier and installer like ecoHaus, you will benefit from premium products and an extensive range of capabilities. We have a range of window styles to suit all properties, including a selection of opening types, allowing us to cater to properties of all sizes and implement more openings to improve indoor air quality in your home.
3. Indoor Plants
Bringing indoor plants into your home naturally purifies the air and adds a touch of greenery to your living spaces.
Conclusion
Building a sustainable home is more than just a trend, it’s a smart, future-proof investment. By choosing energy-efficient designs, reducing waste, and opting for eco-friendly materials, you create a home that’s comfortable, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible.
Now is the time to make a change. Choose sustainability and contribute to a greener, brighter future.