Environmental responsibility is a priority when it comes to building design. When selecting a building design studio, you need to check whether they incorporate sustainable solutions into the design. Energy efficient solutions can help reduce the operating costs of your home.
When it comes to maintaining
The sustainability of your home design, you have to start with site selection. Some of the factors that have to be considered when selecting a site are sun exposure or sun path, natural vegetation on the site and prevailing winds. You will be able to reduce energy consumption by selecting a site where you don’t need to invest in excessive artificial cooling or heating. You will be able to use natural resources of the site to your benefit and ensure a higher level of energy efficiency. Make sure to select home designers Sydney before you select a site so that they will be able to weigh in during this stage.
They can use their prior experience and expertise in the industry to select a site that maximises natural advantages. You can also ask whether they can incorporate passive solar design into the home. This is something that has to be considered during the design phase. Here, the designers will orient the home so that sunlight and heat can be obtained in the winter sufficiently while minimising exposure to heat during the warmer months. This is something that can be done by placing windows in strategic locations and deciding the size of the windows carefully.
The designers will also select thermal mass materials that will store and release heat
Some examples of these materials are stone and concrete. You will be able to reduce costs related to heating and cooling when you have a carefully designed passive solar home. The building envelope has a big role to play with regard to sustainability. This includes the walls, windows, roof and insulation. You need to select insulation materials that have high performance. Look for energy efficient windows that come with low U-values so that heat transfer is minimised. You need to ensure the building envelope is properly insulated and sealed so that heat gain in warmer months and heat loss in colder months are reduced.
You can also select sustainable building materials to ensure to eco-friendliness of the home
This means going for materials that are renewable, sourced responsibly or have a low impact on the environment. Some materials you can use are recycled metal roofing, bamboo flooring and reclaimed wood. Make sure to select low VOC finishes and paint. You will be able to reduce your carbon footprint by selecting sustainable materials. Look for energy efficient cooling and heating systems. These will consume less energy which will help save you money in the long run. You can also use renewable energy for the home by installing solar panels. These will generate electricity so that you are less reliant on fossil fuel generated electricity. You can also select energy efficient appliances and lighting.
