Sustainable House Design

Sustainable homes are also called green architecture, and come in a many styles and sizes.

Sustainable house design translates into a home that is built with the environment in mind. A green home takes full advantage or partial advantage of renewable energy sources such as solar or water in order to power the home. Recycled materials are utilized to the fullest in the construction of the home. Flooring and finishes inside the home are made from recycled materials as well.

Types of Sustainable Homes

1. Glass houses – these homes are constructed using virtually all glass walls supported by a steel framework, along with solar cells on the roof that will power the home during nighttime hours. The glass walls allow plenty of natural sunlight and heat into the home.

   There have been homeowners who design their sustainable home to incorporate a tree growing right up through the house so that the branches eventually spread out over the roof of the home.

2. Green roof homes - This is another green architectural design that seems to be gaining popularity in recent times. These buildings feature roofs that include lots of green vegetation in the way of vegetables, flowers, and even fruits, along with simply greenery. The vegetation naturally provides insulation for the home and regulates the temperature of the home’s interior throughout the year.

3. Wood homes – this eco-friendly house design is constructed carefully to blend into the surrounding wooded area. Glass expanses are included as well to allow light into the home. Oak is a favorite exterior for these creatively constructed homes. This is one sustainable house design that can most resemble a conventional home if that is important to you.

4. Underground home – take a traditionally constructed home and place most of the structure under the ground and you have an environmentally friendly home. These homes utilize geo-thermal energy, which is the heat naturally emitted from inside the Earth.

   Moss is trained and encouraged to grow on the roof so the house can blend in from the outside and be well insulated. Yes, there are windows strategically placed around the open part of the home so the homeowners can enjoy plenty of natural sunlight.

5. Houseboats – do you like the idea of living on the water without the high cost? You can do that and live in a green sustainable house design in the form of a houseboat! If you’re not opposed to a smaller living space and enjoy living on the water, a houseboat may be just the answer for you. These floating homes utilize solar energy and hydropower for generating heat and electricity.

Sustainable homes are also constructed from natural building materials such as cob (a mixture of earth and straw), straw bales or earth bags (recycled paper and concrete). Sustainable homes can be just about any shape including rectangular, dome-shaped, or a combination of building styles.

Think of this new trend of building sustainable homes is one that takes as little from the Earth as possible, but returns much more back to the homeowner in the way of renewable, natural, clean energy sources that won’t hurt the environment or impact our health in a negative manner.

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