Tips on Designing a Greener Home

Considering on building a new house? Consider designing it to be a "green  house" or a "green building."

Below are some tips on going about it.

1. Extend or renovate instead of demolishing and rebuilding, if there are no compelling reasons to do so. We minimize wastes and the need for new resources. One may, instead, spend the savings on renewable energy implements like solar cells, which have high initial costs but in the long term more than pays for it.

2. Elevate instead of spread: floor areas are better stacked into several storeys than sprawled into a bungalow. Doing so is less costly and has less impact on surroundings. Lately, the flooding we have experienced have added more reasons to build higher.

3. Select non-toxic materials (paints, adhesives, carpeting and wallpaper material, etc.)

4. Select recycled or recyclable materials.

5. For the exterior, choose material that needs no repainting. Painted exteriors prove costly across the years you want to maintain the good looks.

6. Opt for a smaller house. Aside from lower initial costs, one needs less resources to light, cool (airconditioning), and maintain it. Be creative in function designing: a home office can double as a guest room.

7. Design for rainwater harvesting. The Philippines generally have high rain fall volume. Utilize stored water for flushing toilets, and watering the plants, among others.

8. Have your architect design using standard sizes of materials. This will mean less wastage through cuttings to make them fit the custom designs. One also can save a lot in labor costs as adjusting for sizes take much time.

9. Consider installation of solar panels, or if wind speeds are consistently on the high side in your area, wind turbines.

10. Use low-flow flush for toilets.

11. Let the light and air in. Design adequately-sized and well-positioned windows and roof openings. Consider having air and light wells around the center of the house.

12. Buy only energy-efficient light bulbs and other electrical appliances. Consider installing power usage monitors.

13. Buy durable materials. Repair and replacement costs include material, labor and “our attention” costs.

14. Paint your roof with white or light color shades. It should bounce of heat and not absorb it.

Do you have any more tips to add? Just fill up the comment box below.

Thank you.

Let’s advance green architecture and green building in the Philippines.

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WORD FROM THE SPONSOR

By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. Proverbs 24:3-4

Comments

[Dennis Morada]

Hi Tin,

Sounds like a model green house. Invite me when the doors open. I had my own house built 2 years ago, and since I wasn't as educated in green architecture as I am now, I only have a few elements in. I'll remodel when maintenance is already called for, and I'd make it greener as well, yes!

[tin2]

batch,
I'm designing my own house right now... I'm picturing lots of windows, ventanilla, air and light shafts to make air flow all around. kitchen also needs big windows for the heat and smoke to exit.
There's also the idea of which sides to put your windows so to let in the maximum light but not too much heat (north and south). Made so many research on this already.. hehe.. siempre, when building one's own house, have to be really good.

thanks,
tin2

[Engr. Gerard Vengco]

Hi,

Additional tip: Look for an experienced GREEN ARCHITECT. Not all architects are knowledgeable in "green architecture." Standards, especially in the Philippines, aren't established yet. LEED and equivalent rating systems have been created abroad; but even now, even abroad, practice of "green building" is young.

Avoid rework costs. Your investment in the professional consultants might turn out to be your "best" investment. They'd help you find the most efficient and most practical and affordable design options.

Thanks for promoting "green architecture" in the Philippines.