Showing posts with label green terms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label green terms. Show all posts
Interior Decoration
The September 2008 Special Green Building Issue features an interview with NH Architect Jeremy Bonin on energy efficient home design, sustainability, and timber framing.Writer Peter Lobred asks Jeremy Bonin, a LEED accredited architect and the author of the timber frame book, TIMBER FRAMES: Designing Your Custom Home, pointed questions about building a timber frame home and incorporating sustainable design. After explaining some of the catch phrases in the green building industry, Jeremy answers questions such as “What are some basic considerations – or the most crucial elements – that consumers / architects can incorporate into their plans for sustainable design?” and “Does there seem to be a natural fit between timber frame homes and green considerations?”
Asked about the cost versus benefits of energy efficient home design and sustainable options, Jeremy reminds homeowners that the simplest solutions are not only the most cost effective and usually provide the largest return on investment. For example, designing the home for passive solar heating and daylighting adds no cost to the home and offers huge savings; using an energy-efficient insulation system such as Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) to keep heat in and cold air out and only designing as much house as you need means lower energy bills for years to come.
If you’re building a green home, whether it’s timber frame, post and beam, structural insulated panels, or another energy efficient building system, energy efficient home design starts with the site selection and site design. Jeremy suggests consulting with an architect in the earliest possible stage, even prior to purchasing your land, and discussing your ideas and green materials you want to incorporate.
Read the full article, Simply Green.
Jackie Lampiasi, Bonin Architects & Associatesinterior decoration
Interior Decoration
Green is all the rave – everywhere you look you can find information on green materials and building products. Most of the people we meet at home shows are looking to build the most energy efficient home they can afford, but, in their efforts to research energy efficient homes, have been besieged with green systems, green technologies, green materials, and green businesses and services who will install them.Our philosophy is that anything that can be done better and is financially feasible, should be done. In order to encourage and promote green building and sustainable construction practices, technologies, materials and energy conservation, we team with builders and renewable energy experts to host seminars on designing and building green homes.
Our seminars feature specific topics: Green Home Design, SIP panels (structural insulated panels), Timber Frame Homes, and Renewable Energy Systems. We emphasize the fact that a green home starts with a green home design, and so naturally the first topic discusses the aspects of green home design and what it means to be “sustainable”. This presentation includes passive and active design, guiding principles, and the phases of home design.
We recommend using SIP panels to clients, whether or not they are interested in building a timber frame home. SIP panels create a high performance, continuous thermal envelope which keeps the home warm in winter and cold in summer. Timber frames, a specialty green building system, are not only energy efficient but beautiful as well. Hybrid homes (utilizing two or more building systems, i.e. a home with a timber frame main section and SIP panel wings for bedrooms, bathroom, etc.) are very popular, as they create visual interest in specific areas of the home for generally less money.
What have our guests said about our seminars? Here are two comments we received:
“We have been attending home shows, seminars, and visiting log cabin / timber frame manufacturers for the past eight years and have not gotten half as much out of the time as we did from your seminar.”
“Thank you for preparing such a well-organized, informational day. We really enjoyed all of the speakers and learned so much.”
We also have guests tell us they were not going to use an architect for their home design, but the seminar showed them the benefits of working with a design professional:
“Jeremy's presentation was brilliant and made more sense than all the reading and on-line investigating I've been doing. I had not been considering working with an architect before, but am convinced now that I should."
For a list of our upcoming seminars on building a green home, visit our green events page. Together we can make a difference – one green home at a time.
Interior Decoration
Green homes enjoy significant savings over conventional homes – but what makes a home green? Typically, a green home is an energy efficient home that at minimum saves 30% in energy costs versus a conventional new home (and savings can be significantly higher), conserves water, protects the surrounding site environment, uses non-toxic paints and finishes, and thus creates a healthy living space for you and your family.
Most important in building a green home is to hire professionals who are experts in the field. Consider working with an architect who is a LEED accredited professional, even if you are not looking to have your new home LEED certified. A green home starts with a green home design, or "sustainable" design, which addresses the elements of geography, site, water efficiency, energy, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality, and a
A key benefit of working with an architect focused on the sustainable aspects of design & construction is that the home will be designed to maximize spatial requirements as well as energy and water consumption while limiting the negative impact of the building on the immediate environment. Also, a green architect will discuss with you various green technologies, renewable energy systems, green building products, and energy efficient building systems that will match your goals and budget.
Also, you will want to interview builders and visit homes, both completed and under construction. Ask what makes their show house green, as well as specific questions about the systems and materials in the home. An experienced green builder will be able to offer simple explanations and give recommendations as to best products to use.
Throughout the home building process, your architect and builder will educate you on the operation and maintenance of the green materials and systems you selected for your home. The benefits and savings will begin during the construction process and continue for the life of the home.
Interior Decoration
One of our frequently asked questions is the difference between sustainable, green, and energy efficient.“Energy efficient” may specifically refer to the home’s energy consumption. A home’s energy usage is primarily heating and cooling. Appliances tend to be the second largest draw now that incandescent lighting is giving way to compact fluorescents, LEDs and other lighting options. Energy efficient homes include one or more systems and/or materials, such as specifying EnergyStar® appliances, using CFL fixtures, instantaneous hot water heaters as well as more broad items such as a tight building envelope, high-quality windows, higher R-values in the walls and roof, and the design of the home maximizing passive solar design strategies, all of which reduce energy consumption from day one.
“Green”, “energy efficient” and “sustainable” all imply some decision to incorporate an effort in the home design and construction process to improve the negative impact construction and a building’s life have on the environment. “Green” and “sustainable” are blanket terms commonly used to address issues ranging from sensitive site design, materials selections from local sources, alternative energy efficient construction types, and alternative energy / heating and cooling options. All of the previously mentioned items, plus many more, address topics such as water usage, energy or power consumption, indoor air quality and rapidly renewable material and construction resources.
I find “sustainable” to be one of the most interesting terms to discuss. In its everyday usage, it most commonly means to design in an ecologically conscious manner. Yet “sustainable design” or “sustainable construction” is only a milestone in the design and construction process for our future - sustainable only means that we cease to damage our environment and that we may continue on our current path without negative effect. The ultimate goal is to restore damages that have been done, to bring a regenerative process into our building efforts.
Jeremy Bonin, AIA NCARB LEED AP
Bonin Architects & Associates, PLLCinterior decoration
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