Globally, about one-quarter of greenhouse gas emissions are building related. And that figure is even higher in developed nations. With this massive opportunity to cut GHGs, the non-profit Architecture 2030 has created the 2030 Challenge, an initiative that asks the […]
When dust and debris from construction sites get blown into the air they can cause respiratory problems and property damage. It’s a big problem, particularly in populated cities with numerous construction projects. Wherever possible, prefab homes could be an answer
1. Working with contractors – Know the vocabulary. You’ll have a better chance of negotiating successfully with builders if you know about breaker boxes, water pressure tanks, load-bearing walls and other such construction anatomy. A good way to learn is
The New Ecological Home: A Complete Guide to Green Building Options Dan Chiras [Chelsea Green Publishing, 336 pages] THE QUANTITY OF BOOKS ON GREEN and sustainable home design grows by the day. Many of them cover similar material in similar
It’s a buyers’ market, and here are the four things that today’s buyers are looking for: Modest floor plans So long, McMansions! Surveys show that Americans are considering smaller homes. Organization and comfort A National Association of Builders survey identified
If you’re thinking that building or remodelling your home in an eco-friendly manner means spending more, think again. In fact, I urge architects, designers and builders—not to mention the homeowners who hire them—that building green doesn’t necessarily mean spending a
I like tiny homes—homes that are generally no larger than about 500 square feet. In fact, I lived in a 264 square foot home in the mountains of Taos, NM, for five years. And yes, I had an indoor toilet.
Recently, I overheard two people arguing about the relative efficiency of an old, small, inefficient, cold climate home in the Northeast versus a newly constructed large Southern California home using energy efficient methods. At first I guessed that because of
Try This Solar Decathlon Net-Zero Energy Home on for Size: the Chip House (via http://greenbuildingelements.com) For those sustainability designers and innovators wanting a net-zero product, take a look at the Chip House, a 2011 entry in the DoE’s Solar Decathlon,
Seven Sexy Solar Homes: a Slideshow (via sustainablog) Image credit: Jeremy Levine Design at Flickr under a Creative Commons license Editor’s note: Hey, everyone’s doing the slideshow thing, right? To move through the pages, simply click on the page numbers
