JULY 16, 2009 ISSUE
everGREEN Tips
Building Design #1: The Many Shades of Green
As an architect, I am often asked by clients to design them a green home. My first task is to determine their goals, or their shade of green. I say this because there are many reasons to be green and many paths to get there. Some folks want to protect the natural environment, some want to reduce their dependence on oil or the electric company, some want to improve their indoor air quality for improved family health, some want to improve the durability of their home so that they don’t spend their weekends doing home maintenance, and some want all of the above and more.
A list of green goals for a building might include these: energy efficient, healthy and safe, durable, water efficient, space efficient, environmentally responsible and sustainable community.
You could start on the path to green when you make choices in updating your home or business. Replacing wall-to-wall carpeting with hard surface flooring like wood or tile could improve your indoor air quality because carpet traps and holds contaminants that can aggravate allergies and asthma. Using compact fluorescent light bulbs can reduce your electric bills. Living in town where you can walk or bike to work, school and shopping can reduce your dependency on a car and gasoline. All of these things can make you more green.
Is a building green just because it is an improvement over some other building in one or more of the above categories? There are several rating systems that you can use to help make decisions about how to green your new or existing building. Energy Star is a U.S. government program that promotes energy-efficient products and buildings. To earn the Energy Star, a home must meet strict guidelines and be at least 15 percent more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 IRC residential building code. The North Carolina HealthyBuilt Homes Program promotes energy efficiency as well as affordability, water efficiency, indoor air quality, durability and protection of the environment. The U.S. Green Building Council has an internationally recognized certification process called LEED that measures how well a building or community performs in all areas of green including design, construction and operations. You can find more information and very useful checklists for each of these programs on the Internet. Each of these programs represents different intensities, or shades of green.
So what motivates you to be green? To get the green building you want, you need to determine your goals, then research ways to achieve these goals, and integrate your choices into the design. Professionals with experience in green design and construction can help you determine your shade of green and how to achieve your goals for the best possible place for you to live or work.
everGREEN Tips—Courtesy of the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce
EverGREEN Tips is sponsored and produced by the Boone Area Chamber of Commerce everGREEN Committee. EverGREEN was chartered in January 2009 with a mission to promote the adoption and practice of sustainable development principles which foster economic prosperity while preserving the environment for future generations.
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