green homes

You are currently browsing articles tagged green homes.

Maison IDEKIT Container Home

June 25, 2009 in Green Building by Jennifer | No comments

Canadian architect, Bernard Morin and his wife Joyce Labelle have the most luscious container homes I’ve seen in a while. The house, Maison Idekit Home was a quick build, with the containers being installed into the foundation in just half a day and the rest of the home was completed in 10 months.

Amazingly, this 3,000-square-foot dream home cost just $175,000. According to a piece in the CTV, this home is the first of its kind in Quebec.

The house is comprised of shipping containers (as you may have gleamed from the post title). The steel containers are six meters high and 2.5 meters wide and are arranged in a super unconventional design that takes advantage of the natural sloping plot of land the house sits on. It’s awesome to see because most shipping container structures around are cube-like or rectangular in design.

You can learn more about this beautiful house at CVT or at the Mason IDEKIT website.

Ten eco-friendly green building tips

May 28, 2009 in Green Building by Jennifer | No comments

Building a green home is a huge step in a healthy direction. If you’re considering this option for your family consider these ten important green building tips. Each of these tips should be part of your green building plan.

  1. Small is best: The best green homes have just enough space and no more. If you can’t build small, at the very least build smaller by optimizing the space you have and by building up when possible, not spread out.
  2. Figure in renewable energy: Make sure your home is designed to utilize passive solar, daylighting, and other renewable energy techniques.
  3. Plan for recycling and nature: Plan your home so that recycling and composting spaces are already incorporated. Make sure to include outdoor living spaces. Have large windows that bring nature inside.
  4. Design strong: Durability is one of the greenest impacts. A home with a long life is a green home naturally. Talk to different architects and contractors and make sure they have a durability plan.
  5. Choose materials that are easily recycled and / or reused: It’s fine to assume you’ll live in your home forever, but if remodeling or deconstruction are ever an issue, it’s best to have recycled and recyclable materials in place in the first place.
  6. Build your home where it will benefit from the site: I.e. if you’ve got shade trees already in place, why build far away on the plot? Hedges are great for blocking cold, so build near, not away from them. Take a look at the existing vegetation, then make your home plans around it.
  7. Choose eco-friendly and local materials that actually work in your area: Not all earth-friendly materials work the same or as well for different sites. Do you homework before choosing your building material.
  8. Have a recycling plan in place for the building process: There’s no reason to waste any building materials you use.
  9. Pay attention to the roof: You roofing choices do have a large impact on the energy efficiency of your home. Take a look at Three Eco Roof Additions and green roof options.
  10. Look for responsible wood: Lots of people build with wood, which might seem bad due to all those tree, but you can go with wood, so long as you look for sustainable wood companies.

Learn more about green home building.

Cons of Building or Buying a New Green Home

May 21, 2009 in Green Building by Jennifer | No comments

This month we’ve been sorting out which is better: remodeling green or buying or building a new green home. So far we’ve looked at…

Today the last part of our series – the cons of building or buying new. However, stay tuned because soon I’ll post some resources that will help you out, no matter your final decision.

CONS OF BUILDING OR BUYING A NEW GREEN HOME:

The obvious first con of going with a new green home is cost. Green homes can cost more at the start than conventional. In the long run a green home will save you money, but start-up costs can stop some people cold. According to CNN Money, if you went as green as possible, a green home might cost you 20-30% more than a traditional home, but don’t forget there are shades of green in-between as well. You’ll also get tax credits. Green Prefab can also be an affordable way to build or buy green.

Side note: I built a green home and the costs were not more than a traditional home – but keep in mind that we built small as well (also a green feature). Additionally a piece at Ecomii notes that green costing more is a myth. According to this piece; “The chief complaint most people have with green building is cost… This is not true — but it’s a common misconception promoted by ignorant architects and contractors who are afraid of building in a different way. Good architects and contractors know how to save their clients money. The client sets the budget, and a project should come in at or below that budget. With a clear direction of budget, there is no reason you can’t build a green building for the same price as, or less than, a traditional building.” Read more.

OTHER CONS:

Read the rest of this entry »

Green homes of the future

April 28, 2009 in Green Building by Jennifer | No comments

The Wall Street Journal is currently running a super fun piece – The Green House of the Future- and while it’s not entirely realistic (for now) it’s still a cool read.

Wall Street staff asked architects to draw up plans for the most energy-efficient houses they could imagine and it got a little wacky (and a lot green) from there. For example, architect William McDonough of the Charlottesville, Va. dreamed up a leaf-like exterior design that absorbs sun, much like solar panels, but embedded in the actual exterior.

Another firm, Cook + Fox created a home with a “biomorphic” skin that reacts to the weather. Like a solar chameleon, this home turns dark in in the sun to insulate the house from heat and when the weather is cloudy or stormy the home turns clear to absorb the maximum amount of energy. Plus this home features a facade that captures rain and condensation (enough to meet the home’s water needs).

And that’s not all either. If you’re interested in some dreamy (perhaps soon to be possible) green home designs, including images, check out the full piece – The Green House of the Future.

For some more realistic green home tips you can try right now, read: Green homes save long term money.

Is There an Ideal Sustainable Home?

January 30, 2009 in Sustainable Building by Jennifer | No comments

Sustainable housing is not a new idea, but there are many different ideas surrounding the term sustainable building, some of them always changing (think LEED). People have varied sustainable plans when designing a house, but in reality you can narrow sustainability down to some basic ideas.

The best sustainable housing is…

Sustainable at each level. From choosing a site and clearing the land. Your choice of materials and your building ethics (i.e. recycling waste). Your energy system and landscaping. At each level of the planning and building process there are sustainable aspects you can consider.

A sustainable home has a light footprint and takes up less space. You can sort of build a green McMansion but that majorly defeats the true purpose of sustainable design.

The best sustainable materials are locally acquired, efficient, and recyclable. You can go further by choosing materials that have been reclaimed and by using only what you need. For example, two sinks in the bath, may be overkill.

Sustainable housing requires less fuel to heat or cool and maximizes natural vs. non-renewable resources for energy. Wind, solar, proper landscaping, window quality, and more are all ideas surrounding sustainable energy for housing.

Sustainable housing makes the most of water use with things like water efficient appliances, rainwater systems, and low-water landscaping.

Interior design is also a consideration. Non-toxic paints, clean air techniques, reclaimed floors, sustainable furniture, and more all contribute to overall sustainable design.

In my opinion, sustainable design also adds to the land integrity instead of claiming aesthetics from said land. This is not an across the board idea, but it makes little sense to overtake nature with design.

To learn more about sustainable design read:

Green Home Book of the Week: Off the Grid

November 12, 2008 in Books by Jennifer | 4 comments

A couple of weeks ago I posted a review of Off the Grid Homes. I recently received a copy of another book by Lori Ryker, Off The Grid Modern Homes + Alternative Energy, and it’s just as good, but in a different way.

Off the Grid Homes was like delicious but useful eye candy for green home lovers. This second book, Off the Grid offers a more in-depth look at home case studies. Don’t think you won’t see yummy homes in this one though; there are plenty of beautiful images to delight your eyes.

Pros:

  1. The thing I liked best about Off the Grid was the surprising variety of projects Ryker looks at, such as a  bungalow remodel, rural house on a pond, a lovely grassland homestead, and more. 10 projects in all, and each stunningly unique with the off grid component in place. No matter what your idea of off grid living is, this book will allow you to consider different possibilities.
  2. There’s a great projects at a glance section at the end of the book. Something I think too many green home books lack. Lately, I’ve been seeing this trait enacted more and more (thankfully) because when you do have an idea in your head, such as I’d like to see how a home that uses solar, wind, and gray water might work out, you can find it quickly with a project glance page.
  3. Each off grid project chapter also has a quick guide at the start. For example, home size, energy use, and materials, among other things is covered.
  4. The images – beautiful! There’s a nice combo of photography and diagrams. While I’m a sucker for house images; diagrams serve a way useful position, in that they allow you a look at the inner workings of say, a home ventilation system or how a geothermal cooling and heating system works.

Cons:

As with Off the Grid Homes, I honestly could not find any cons. If you’re interested in off grid living, green homes, or simply beautiful architecture, both books belong in your collection. Check Off the Grid out at your library first if you like, but I’m betting that you’ll want to own this one.

Green Home Book of the Week: Off the Grid Homes

October 18, 2008 in Books by Jennifer | 1 comment

I read a massive amount of green home books, so I’ve decided to offer a green home book selection each week – one I like, that I think you’ll like too.

This week, I’m obsessed with this book I recently got from the library – Off The Grid Homes by Lori Ryker.

Pros:

  1. Best luscious images ever. Every single home in this book is utterly beautiful.
  2. I thought it offered a nice balance of advanced information along with text that newbies to off-grid living would understand as well.
  3. Covers some very cool ideas that home owners can incorporate into their own homes, even if you’re not totally off-grid. Issues covered run from alternative energy to gray water to recycled materials and more.
  4. Handy resource section with architects, designers, and builders.
  5. Something nice about this green home book is that different area homes were discussed; it wasn’t all say desert homes, or NW homes, there was a nice variety. Often green home books seem to have a narrow location focus (not all of them – don’t jump me, but many).

Cons:

  1. I don’t own it yet (sadness).

When you get this book open to page 60 stat! That’s my favorite house. You’ll adore this book. Check it out at your library, or get it for the green home lover on your holiday gift list.

Where To Find New Green Homes for Sale

October 3, 2008 in Green Your Home, Sustainable Building by Jennifer | 3 comments

If you’re looking to buy a new or existing green home, rather than build or remodel green, it can seem frustrating. As mainstream as green living has become, there’s still not a ton of publicity about green homes and where to find them. Still, with the right help, you can find what you’re looking for.

A really fun way to find green homes is to take part in one of the many green home shows or tours popping up all over the country. Not all states have green home shows or tours, but many do. At a green home show, you can meet builders and merchants of green homes and green home goods. If you attend a green home tour it’s even more fun, because you get to see some beautiful homes and learn about green home options. Check with your local chamber to learn about green home events in your area.

For an eclectic collection of killer green homes for sale visit Green Homes for Sale. This is one of my favorite drool worthy sites on the web. You can search by location (U.S. (all the states), Canada, Nicaragua  and Puerto Rico), ID number, or watch fun slide shows. These are lovely homes and stats about their green attributes are listed.

Look for green communities in your area. Usually these are all new developments in a walkable area and green spaces. One downside of green communities is that the homes tend to be clustered closely together, but there are still perks, like energy savings and non-toxic materials.

Other ways to find a green home to purchase include:

Questions for A Green Home Remodel

September 29, 2008 in Sustainable Building by Jennifer | 1 comment

If you’re thinking of a green remodel for your house, there are some basic questions to consider.

General home questions:

What don’t you like about your current home?

What do you adore about your current home?

Do you have enough space? Too much space?

How efficient is your current insulation solution – is your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer without having to use huge energy drains?

Is there mold in your home? Other problems? Before a remodel, you do need to plan for the costs of taking care of current problematic issues.

What sort of alternative energy options appeal to you – how much work are you willing to put into alternative energy upkeep?

Window questions:

How much natural light does each room receive?

Is energy efficient glass used for all your windows?

Is it even feasible to change window placement if you choose – can skylights or solar lighting be implemented?

Are windows properly placed with roof overhang, or other sun blockers?

Outdoor living:

How can you bring more of the outside environment indoors?

Can you green renovate your landscaping during your remodel?

Money issues:

How much can you afford to spend on green renovations?

How are you spending now on utilities?

Will green renovations cost as much to build a new green home or relocate to a green home? If so, which choice is best for you?

How much money will green renovations save you in the long run – and how long until you recoup your costs.

What eco-benefits will a green remodel have and does that increase the worth of the remodel to you?

This is just a start. These questions will get you thinking, but the best thing to do if you’re considering a remodel is to speak with a green remodeling professional or a builder who has green know-how.