green homes green home design green architects eco homes eco architects earth-friendly homes

Save Energy: The Best Home Cooling Systems

jchait — Wed, 21 May 2008 01:47:25 -0400

Now that summer is right here upon us, many of us are thinking about home cooling. Sadly, when summer arrives is not the time to think about this major issue. It's actually best to consider home cooling needs when you build (or remodel).

If you're planning a home, here's what you should focus on if you want worry-free cooling during the hot months.

Passive heating and cooling: We've discussed this before here, but it's always worth repeating. The same issues, orientation, proximity to other structures and trees, and so fourth that keep your home warm in winter, also work to keep your home cool in the summer. Prevention of heat is a far better tactic than trying to get rid of the heat once it arrives.

Proper weatherization: People often think of weatherization as a warming method, but again, if it works to keep heat in, it'll work to keep heat and humidity out.

White roofing is a great, fairly simple, technique for keeping your home cool.

Super windows and insulation! Windows and insulation are very important both are actually weatherization techniques, but are big enough influences to deserve their own consideration. Windows and insulation with higher R-value are best. Windows (south facing) with the right awnings or that are place under sufficient roof overhangs can do double duty when it comes to keeping heat out.

Ventilation plays a big part when it comes to cooling your home. Heat trapped in say, your attic is going to go somewhere. One inexpensive and green option for proper ventilation is to use solar powered vent fans.

One extremely impressive passive and efficient cooling website to check out is at Build It Solar. I love this guide, it covers all kinds of things you know, and then tosses in some new ideas. An excellent read if you're thinking about cooling.

Building A Cordwood House -- Great Use of Recycled Wood

jchait — Wed, 21 May 2008 01:16:20 -0400

Cordwood is one sustainable option to consider for your green home. There are different sorts of cordwood houses you can build, but that would be a much longer post. Following are some of the basic pros of cordwood homes overall.

Cordwood is a pretty inexpensive option when compared to other home building methods. If built in the right area, and if you can manage some hands on time, a cordwood home can cost well under a traditionally built house.

Cordwood is a great option if you happen to have wood around. For example, a cordwood home can be built with discarded wood from fences and other homes, waste from sawmills or plywood companies, or other would be, wood wasted material. Obviously, if you live in the middle of the desert, cordwood becomes a less sustainable, almost impossible material choice.

Cordwood is easy to work with once you get going. If you know basic home building methods, cordwood is simple. It's also a lightweight material, making it nicer on your back.

It's pretty - or at least most people find cordwood aesthetically pleasing.

Cordwood provides enough mass to act as a natural insulator. It's not the most energy efficient building material, but it's also no where near bad. When properly built and situated, cordwood can provide a sort of passive cooling and heating for your home.

If you're looking to learn more about cordwood homes check out the following resources:

[image of cordwood house via Earthwood Building School - see more great pictures!]

16 Plus Earth-Friendly Architects

jchait — Wed, 21 May 2008 00:52:50 -0400

There are green architects, builders, and home designers all over the globe. Some more extreme than others; but all listed have done at least some great green work, some more suited to personal taste than others, and some in your actual area.

Following is a sampling of some of the best of the best green minded architects around. Or at least, some of my favorites. It's a good idea to browse different eco minded architects, when you're considering building, to snag some ideas.

At the end I'll post a resource for self searching.

Graeme North - New Zealand

Barley & Pfeiffer Architects - Austin

Olson Sundberg Kundig Allen Architects - Seattle

KieranTimberlake Associates - Philadelphia

Robert Harvey Oshatz - Pacific Northwest

Leger Wanaselja Architecture - Berkeley, CA

Cobworks - Mayne Island, BC, Canada

Paul Morgan Architects - Melbourne

Specht Harpman - New York & Austin

Tumbleweed Tiny House Company - an anywhere sort of situation.

Upwall Architects - San Francisco, CA