TIPS FOR THE ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS DESIGNER/RENOVATOR

• Save big money and fossil fuels for you or your client. Ensure that all cavity spaces are used to best effect. Boost insulation to minimize the need for heating simply and inexpensively;
  
  
• Minimize energy consumption. Use natural light as much as possible by placing windows on all four sides of the building. Use heating and cooling systems which offer maximum efficiency. Do you honestly need to install air conditioning if the real summer heat only lasts 2 or 3 weeks? Consider the use of ceiling, floor and table fans thereby further reducing fossil fuel use. Similarly, if you plan for smaller windows on the cooler side of the home/ less exposed glass, use thermally insulating drapes at the windows, and doors so that areas can be closed off for ease of heating, you will minimize any need for central heating. Use louvers to control air flow and light to reduce the need for fans;
  
  
• Use thick brick or concrete walls and floors where possible, as they will absorb heat given off by the sun during the day. Slate flooring over concrete has an even greater thermal effect. (People in the home give off heat too - you'll know this if you share your bed with a dog, cat or partner!) Insulated floors and walls then release the heat at night, when it is needed most;
  
  
• Do not use any tropical hardwoods such as teak, mahogany; (even so-called tropical plantation timbers have a negative impact on the environment as the natural rainforest is cleared to make way for the plantation. Think about homes for Orangutans, a reduction in erosion from land clearance and therefore reduced siltation of the waterways ensuring the viability of the freshwater ecosystem. Support ecotourism ventures to ensure a viable economy for the people rather than logging);
  
  
• Choose timber materials for structural strength rather than steel as this locks up atmospheric carbon (only by burning the trees would the carbon be released back into the atmosphere to contribute to global warming);
  
  
• Save time and money. Use materials, which are durable and therefore will require minimal maintenance. This saves everybody's resources;
  
  
• Consider using locally produced materials to boost regional employment and reduce demands on transport systems (thus reducing pollutants and fossil fuel use). With increased demand local artisans can generally rise to the challenge to meet supply. Exotic client tastes need not center on foreign imported goods.
  
  
• Use bamboo for flooring, furniture, in fact anywhere you would otherwise choose a hardwood. The wood is denser, lighter, inexpensive and from a totally renewable resource. Bamboo grows a meter (1 yd)/ day and matures fully within 3-4 years, grows just about anywhere from temperate to tropical regions and is the new smart choice in building materials.
  
  
• Use water permeable crushed rock for your paving rather than asphalt to allow water to percolate down to the water table. Over-paved urban areas frequently have problems with polluted run-off from streets polluting rivers and beaches.
  
  
• Discover the quick and easy way to learn how you too can achieve excellence in your life. Read The Smart Design Guide

Tips: Spring-Summer | Fall/Autumn-Winter | Environmental | Home Buyers