Looking for sustainable home designs to spruce up your Santa Cruz project?
Did you know that each year Americans toss out over 1,200 pounds of organic compounds that can be reused?
Help the environment by creating green home designs to lessen the environmental impact.
Here are five ideas for sustainable home designs to try out right now.
1. Install Proper Insulation
When remodeling your current home to become eco-friendly, keep in mind the location of the place you live.
Climate conditions vary in one state versus another. For example, a northern home will experience more snow storms during the harsh winters than a home in Florida.
During the colder months, a well-insulated building is necessary.
Make sure you work with an architect who is familiar with the zone of your house to install the proper insulation that is up to code and meets the right R-values for insulation efficiency. Having appropriate insulation is one of the key ways to live a greener life.
2. Find Recycled Materials
Another approach to sustainable home designs includes finding recycled materials to use to build your home.
You can save both money and the environment by using recycled resources. Disposable items can be brought back to life as a great building material.
Aluminum cans are made out of powerful steel that will secure your home. Recycle this metal product for constructing a well-built home. Reclaimed wood can also be a beautiful material to work into your eco home design concept.
3. Buy Efficient Appliances
One more way to promote sustainable living is to purchase the right efficient appliances for your home.
Look for the best refrigerators and stovetops that save the most energy. For example, stovetops with induction elements can use half the energy of a regular electric stove.
Today’s manufacturers continue to consider future generations while they develop high-quality appliances that not only promote eco-friendly living but save hundreds of dollars in energy bills.
4. Consider the Size of Your Home
Although people dream of owning massive homes with more than four bedrooms, it’s important to realize that smaller homes are less wasteful.
If you want to reduce material and overall energy use, a smaller home is a great option. You’ll need less energy for heating and cooling throughout the year, which will also reduce your electricity bills.
An experienced architect can help you can create a custom home design with a smaller floor plan that meets all of your expectations.
5. Use a Rain Water Collection System
Make use of all of the rainwater that collects down from your roof in a smart storage system.
The rainwater will flow into large tanks for reusable circulation. This rainwater is drinkable, if you purify it, or can be used for flushing your toilets.
Rainwater harvesting is an innovative idea to reduce run-off.
Need Assistance Designing Your Sustainable Dream Home?
Talk to us at Michael Helm & Associates and see how together, we’ll work to bring your vision of a dream home to life!
Michael Helm is a recognized leader in the architectural design and consultation fields. He has more than twenty-four years experience and more than 200 projects to his credit. He has extensive experience with demanding projects and enjoys a high level of success and comfort working with clients, design and construction teams.