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Sustainable Designs
Combining the wisdom of past with the brilliant technology of today, we will come up with the best sustainable designs for the future
Sustainable Designs in the Good Old Days - - Reviving the Best
In the past, sustainable designs were inherent in all buildings, and were determined by the climate of the area, available building materials, and the culture of the inhabitants. For example, buildings in cold climates needed thick walls, smaller windows, and fireplaces in the center of the house in order to conserve heat, while houses in hot climates required good ventilation and deep porches to preserve coolness. The Dutch built steep roofs and the Germans built with stone. Historian Jack Larkin has revisited early American vernacular architecture and its sustainable designs in his absorbing book, Where We Lived: Discovering the Places We Once Called Home Classic Cracker: Florida's Wood-Frame Vernacular Architecture 'Sustainable' - - a way of thinking Key elements of present day sustainable designs include using energy-efficient, non-toxic, biodegradable building materials and appliances, promoting water conservation, and landscaping with native plants. And, as always, it is a matter of degree. For instance, watering your lawn at night makes better use of water than watering it in the middle of the day because less water evaporates. But having a yard of hardy indigenous perennials requires very little watering. A big house made with renewable building materials, well-installed energy-efficient windows, and lo-VOC paints is quite sustainable, but a smaller home with the same elements is even more so.Architect, Sarah Susanka, has come up with her own intriguing architectural 'language'. Her highly-visual imagery includes, for example, a 'light to walk towards', such as a window at the end of a long hallway. 'Shelter around activity', another example, includes a cozy sitting area within a larger room. Her concept of 'the not so big house' is the essence of several delightful books full of beautiful designs. The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live is a treasure chest of architecture that is comfortable, inviting, and inspiring. Sometimes less IS more. For the brave of heart and creative ones, 3-D Home Architect offers an inexpensive, user-friendly software program that is very fun to play with! Design like a pro in no time! 3DHA Home and Landscape Design Suite makes it easier than ever to design the home of your dreams Sustainable is a way of thinking. But again, remember, no one can to do it all. Of the many books written about sustainable designs, Green Building & Remodeling For Dummies (For Dummies (Home & Garden)), hits the sweet spot between too-simple and overly-complicated books on the subject of sustainable building designs and methods. It is a great reference book full of information and choices. |
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. Filled with historical photographs, the book includes funny and informative journal entries from 200 years ago, opening an intriguing window to the past.
, written by award-winning architect and professor at the University of Florida, Ronald Haase, examines
the folk architecture of North Florida. This region, though generally temperate, has the challenges of heat, humidity, bugs, and short but freezing winters.The book is a fascinating exploration of life during earlier times, as well as clear descriptions of the vernacular architecture as it evolved. You might enjoy looking around where you live, to see the rhyme and reason of the architecture in your area.