Eco-friendly and sustainable design, LEED-certification, and carbon footprint are terms that have become prevalent in contemporary architecture, which has been evolving toward a more environmentally conscious practice. In some cases, this evolution has been encouraged by government regulations in an effort to reduce the negative impact of construction on the environment. Diminishing natural resources, pollution, and climate change are among the consequences of indiscriminate building policies, which affect not only the environment but also the economy and public health. Adhering to sustainable methods in the planning of a house can provide healthy, beneficial results for the occupants.
The minimization of energy consumption and maximization of energy efficiency, the reuse of salvaged construction materials, and the incorporation of ancestral style building methods offer a wide array of design opportunities, balancing environmental, economic, and societal goals.
Before we approach the concept of eco-friendly and sustainable architecture, and point out representative examples, we need to understand the ramifications of the carbon footprint. Basically, this term refers to a building’s CO2 emissions. We also need to understand that electrical energy generated through fossil fuels—such as crude oil, natural gas, and coal—is the cause of enormous amounts of CO2 emissions.
One would think that reducing the consumption of electricity would mitigate the problem, and reasonably so. But how would we go about heating and cooling our homes? How would we light them up at night? And how would we power our kitchen appliances?
The projects featured in this book demonstrate that renewable energy—mainly from the sun and wind—is an attractive alternative for those of us, who don’t mind going a little out of our way to improve the environment. That means not only minimizing fossil fuel energy consumption but also maximizing energy efficiency. The goal is to minimize the use of high energy—consuming devices.
The location, orientation, and layout of a house—open plan and courtyard house typology—are key to achieving this goal. Passive design principles make the most of sun exposure, natural ventilation, thermal mass, and glazing, contributing to thermal comfort.
When it comes to conserving natural resources, there are also many opportunities to ensure sustainable practices through the reuse of salvaged construction materials and demolition waste. The benefits of reusing waste are considerable. For instance, in the production of concrete, a large percentage of natural aggregate can be replaced with recycled waste. This would reduce the use of a nonrenewable resource, the destruction of natural habitats, and the emission of air pollutants.
With construction methods moving in a more sustainable direction, we observe a symbiosis of nature and architecture. For example, some structures demonstrate how ancestral vernacular design solutions—such as the earth-bermed house—can be used in contemporary architecture in combination with current technologies.
All these new design principles are changing the way we plan, build, and operate our homes. Balancing aesthetic and environmental measures can, in most cases, result in important economic savings over the lifetime of a home, but even more important, provide beneficial results aimed at the creation of healthy and pleasant homes.