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Everyone’s on a kick to save the environment. You see recycling centers more often as well as a variety of other ways to go green. When it comes to architecture, you have the opportunity to go green as well. It is simply learning about all of your options – green architecture is a trend that is picking up speed quickly for residential and commercial applications. There are a variety of components you can take advantage of with green architecture. You may not want to go completely green simply because it may be too cost prohibitive. Take the time to sit down with an architect and go over what you do and don’t want. Sustainable materials One of the first aspects of green architecture that needs to be taken into consideration is all of the materials that the home or building is being built with. You can ask for all of the materials to be sustainable. Additionally, you can use timber and other items that don’t have a negative impact on the forests. Learn about all of the ways that you can integrate sustainable materials. It may be available within the frame of your home, in the floors, the countertops, the cabinets and much more. Ask about where all of the materials are coming from to ensure that you are focusing on sustainability at all times. Depending upon where you live and what materials you are using, you may qualify for government credits for going green as well – helping to offset some of the costs that you may otherwise have to incur. Sky Lights A great way to avoid having to use lights in your home when it’s light outside is by integrating sunlights throughout the kitchen and great rooms of your home. This will ensure natural light streams in from up above, ensuring you never have to turn on a light in the middle of the day. If you are going to use sunlights, make sure that your architect knows where to incorporate them. If the area you live in is prone to a lot of rain, then you want to make sure the skylights are at least 10 feet up – otherwise you are going to hear a cacophony of sounds each time it rains. Solar Panels From the moment you begin talking about your home or building with an architect, you want to find out about how solar panels can be integrated into the green architecture plans. After all, solar panels are going to absorb a lot of the heat from the sun and ensure you pay less on your power bill. Water-Saving Components Whether it’s toilets, showers, sinks or anything else in your home, you want to make sure they are saving as much water as possible. Green architecture plans need to encompass these fixtures early on if it’s something that’s important to you. They can be expensive, but there are usually government tax credits to help offset the costs. Explore your options with a green architect. Duane Bradshaw Architects has been considering the environment and practicing green architecture techniques long before it was glamorous to do so. Not only are adaptive reuse architecture a good way to preserve the environment but previously existing spaces tend to have a character of their own.
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green architecture, adaptive reuse architecture,
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