Dan, Amya and I went on a "Green Home Tour" this weekend. The houses all exemplified different techniques to cut down on green house emissions and energy saving designs. It was very inspiring!
All the wood used in this house, including all the kitchen and bathroom cabinets, was reclaimed from an old loading dock nearby. The iron used for the chandelier, curtain holders and stair rail was reclaimed from a railroad track. The floor is stained concrete, so there is no need for wood, tile or carpet. The entire house was made from straw bale infill! Straw is a waste product from hay and virtually free! It insulates better than conventional homes and it is non-toxic, biodegradable and renewable to boot! This insulation combined with the clay in the walls acts as a thermal mass that retains heat in the house in the winter and absorbs heat in the summer, therefore needing very minimal indoor climate control year round.
This is a peek-through to the straw-bale insulation.
These townhouses are powered with photovoltaic solar panels. Each unit needs an average of $40 a month of electricity from the power company, plus they have an amazing view of the river ! :)
In this house they are installing a masonry heater wood stove. Two hours of fire will heat the house for 24 hours! The insulation in this home is aerated autoclaved concrete block...it basically looks like styrofoam, but it is super energy efficient, fire resistant and moisture resistant. The house also has a rain water catchment cistern for landscape irrigation.
"Better not bigger" was one theme incorporated on the tour. Essentially, the smaller the space, the less energy used, the more cost efficient the property. There were many designs that incorporated multi functional uses and purposeful spaces, without sacrificing aesthetics.
Many of the houses had "living roofs." The structure was designed to hold the additional weight that a "garden" would add to a roof. A "living roof" helps keep the indoor temperature consistant, and reduces the amout of heat reflected back into the atmosphere.
This elevated shower was designed to catch the "grey water" for irrigation purposes.
The placement of windows and overhanging eves in this straw-bale house was designed to receive the most of the optimal winter sun and shade the harsh summer sunlight. The tiles on the roof were made from recycled car tires!
Amya just had fun running around in other people's houses!
4 comments:
I really like the idea of a "green" home. I always say quality not quantity. I prefer a smaller house, less to clean! The breakfast nook is fantastic. Are you guys thinking of purchasing one of these homes? ~kt
No. Most of these homes are not for sale (the ones that are are too expensive for us!). It is really just to get ideas about what you can do to your own house or ideas for building a new house. We would love to build someday down the road. Who knows when though!............c.
Oh Those homes are GREAT!
I was watching Discovery and they featured these green home builders it was great to watch how they were building it.. Ashley Tisdale from Disney's High School musical, her dad builds homes like these and she is paying her dad to build her one. They showed the process it was great!
Its great that those homes are green but I also love that a lot of that stuff adds character to your house. One day I hope to have a green home with lots of character.
Post a Comment