Sustainable Architecture

Today’s bywords in many things are bywords in architecture as well, sustainable, eco-friendly, green, hi-tech, recyclable, modern.  All of the actual phenomena these bywords represent are shaping residential architecture.  Sustainability is a word that has replaced durability in the new millennium.  In the 20^th century, the emphasis was on building structures that would last forever.  We now know that this is unwise, the bottom line is that nobody can predict the future, and if you build something that will last forever, how will it be disposed of if and when it is no longer useful?  Will the materials used to build it simply go to waste?  What kind of costs will be involved in making what can be salvaged useable again? It is still important that a building be built to last, but when we talk of sustainability more foresight needs to be applied.

The main reason sustainability is so important is because of the environment,  we now all know that we live in a world of finite resources, and that we need to conserve.  An even more immediate concern than building materials is the design of home.  An eco-friendly sustainable home is one that is designed in such a way as to reduce the consumption of energy and other resources.  Some homes have innovative plumbing that takes waste water, treats it a bit, and then pumps it into the pipes used for water for plants, or for washing the car.  Photo electric cells are now being used to store energy to supplement electrical consumption in houses.

An eco-friendly house need not have such hi tech innovations, old fashioned solutions like high ceilings, insulation, large windows, can save on air conditioning costs in the summer and heating costs during colder months.  There are also less obvious ways that a home’s design saves energy.  Today’s homes are more “complete” than homes of the 20^th century; the primary reason is that today’s technology has given rise to telecommuting.  Telecommuting is extremely eco-friendly, rather than burn non-renewable energy to get to work everyday, many people can work in the comfort of their own home.  Naturally, this means that homes need to be designed to accommodate some dedicated office space.  Hi tech appliances like LED televisions, home theater systems and game consoles must also be reckoned for in building today’s more self contained homes.