Sustainable homes are becoming more common, with homeowners looking to incorporate green design features into their residences. From recycled shipping containers to solar energy integration, there are many ways for you to add eco-conscious elements to your home.
For example, using flooring materials like bamboo and cork reduces your carbon footprint and gives new life to a material that might otherwise be discarded. Another way to reduce environmental impact is avoiding chemicals like Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC).
Biophilic Design
Incorporating natural elements into buildings helps humans connect with nature and reduces the building’s environmental impact. This design trend is based on the theory of biophilia, which is our innate human tendency to seek connections with nature.
Biophilic designs incorporate natural materials that mirror the landscape. This is a great way to help your Audubon Lake home become more eco-friendly because the materials used in these designs don’t emit harmful chemicals into the environment.
Adding plants and greenery to your home is another easy way to embrace the biophilic design concept. These plants aren’t just aesthetically pleasing, but they also help filter pollutants and provide fresher air.
Another easy way to create a more eco-friendly space is by installing large windows that look out toward your natural outdoor spaces. You may reduce the amount of artificial lighting you need and your energy usage by letting sunshine naturally into your home. This also helps to reduce carbon emissions, which is good for the environment.
Green Building Materials
Whether designing a new home or updating your existing house, plenty of eco-friendly materials exist. These innovative construction materials can reduce your carbon footprint and energy usage and protect you from natural disasters.
Some green building materials include reclaimed wood, bamboo, and hempcrete. Reusing repurposed materials is a great way to reduce waste and conserve natural resources. Reclaimed wood is an excellent choice because it reduces the need to harvest more timber and adds character and charm to a space.
Another green building material that is gaining popularity is cork. It’s often used in European buildings but is making its way to the United States for use in insulation. This sustainable material comes from the bark of a cork oak tree and doesn’t require killing the tree to harvest.
Another innovative green material is cross-laminated timber (CLT). This is a robust, durable, and versatile alternative to concrete and steel. It can be prefabricated off-site and is highly resistant to earthquakes.
Recycled Shipping Containers
Shipping container architecture is a relatively new building trend that uses recycled containers to create homes, office buildings, and other structures. This eco-friendly construction approach reduces the need for heavy cement and can be less costly than traditional building methods.
Another popular eco-friendly shipping container feature is a green roof, which can help to insulate a home and lower utility costs. This roofing also helps reduce stormwater runoff and increase oxygen levels in the air.
A growing number of people are choosing to live in shipping container homes. These sustainable living spaces are usually self-sufficient, allowing residents to live off the grid with features like solar panels and rainwater collection systems. They can also be designed to make the most of sunlight, reducing energy needs. This is the perfect solution for those who wish to have as little of an impact on the environment as possible while enjoying the conveniences of a modern house. This home style can be constructed with either new or used shipping containers, although it’s typically best to use one-trip containers that have yet to travel too far in the first place.
Active Sustainable Design
To reduce energy and water consumption, eco-friendly homes often feature efficiency-geared utilities. These include solar panels, water reclamation systems, and heat pump water heaters. These are an excellent complement to any interior design because they benefit the environment and save you money on monthly energy bills.
Another way to conserve resources is by reusing materials throughout a home’s construction. This can be done using recycled wood and other materials that would otherwise be discarded. Another option is to use prefabricated building materials to reduce the waste created during construction and transportation.
And, of course, there’s always the option to build a green home entirely from recycled shipping containers, known as cargotecture. This eco-friendly house design offers fantastic durability, security, and relocation benefits.
Meg is an author at Cinnamon Hollow. She writes on a variety of topics sharing tips and ideas for daily life.