Imagine building a dream home that conserves resources, reduces pollution and is extremely energy efficient. As more homeowners are growing more aware of the importance of an eco-friendly environment, utilizing green building in as many aspects of the home as possible is taking standard homes to a new level and reducing the demand on nature. Building Green is becoming a popular trend today as many people are incorporating these economically friendly features into the design of luxury home plans.

It is important to understand that it is difficult to “green” your entire home. Many factors such as your budget, your lot and the climate in your area can determine what is practical to include in your home. Any aspect of green building you can include in your home will improve nature so don’t be discouraged if you have to make substitutes and alterations. With all the green choices that are offered today, it can be difficult to decide which attributes of being “green” will work best for your home. By looking at five major characteristics of being “green,” homeowners can better determine what green concepts can best be used in their luxury house plans.

Ecological Footprint: An ecological footprint is the demand we each place on nature. By reducing consumption and utilizing low-impact, sustainable goods, we can bring nature and today’s society back in balance.
• Low VOC Products: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) evaporate readily at room temperature and contribute greatly to indoor air pollution. When purchasing paints, finishes, sealers and adhesives, look for low VOC options. The market has greatly expanded the color and brand options for low VOC paints in the past few years.
• Reclaimed & Engineered Lumber: Reclaimed lumber is wood salvaged from long standing unoccupied buildings. It is repurposed into construction materials, flooring, and other facets of interior décor. Many admire reclaimed wood for the unique combination of antique beauty and uncompromised durability. Engineered wood is comprised of wood “waste” such as strands, particles, and fibers from sawmills that are bound with adhesives and form man-made wood products. This composite wood is used in similar ways as solid wood products while reducing waste of natural resources.

Natural Materials: Respecting and utilizing natural materials in as many building aspects as possible will create a healthy and gentle living environment for everyone.
• Cork and Bamboo Flooring: Cork is taken from bark without the felling of trees and it regenerates within 10 years, making it a rapidly renewing resource. With high insulation values, sound-proofing and shock absorbing capabilities, cork is a durable family-friendly flooring alternative. Bamboo flooring is the environmentally friendly alternative to hardwood floors. It is ideal for those desiring the elegance of hard wood floors while reducing their environmental impact. Unlike, some traditional flooring materials, both are formaldehyde free, ensuring healthy indoor living environments.
• Green Roofing: Green roofing is a rooftop that is partially or entirely covered by vegetation and soil layered over a waterproof membrane. One of the advantages to green roofing is the direct decrease of heating and cooling loads – the vegetation utilizes the direct sunlight, warding off absorption by the building. Reduction of storm water runoff and filtering of pollutants are other positive environmental impacts.

Resource Conservation: Part of being “green” is making sure we use our resources wisely. It is important not to abuse what we have so future generations can access the same resources. Reducing consumption reduces the negative impact we have on nature.
• Solar and Geothermal Energy: Reducing the consumption of fossil fuels is an on going battle in Building and Living Green. Utilizing solar and geothermal energy helps this process immensely and creates healthier home environments along the way. Geothermal energy supply is practically unlimited, requires very little energy to remove, and produces no fossil fuel emissions. Solar energy is extremely flexible when it comes to mounting options – walls, windows, ceilings, and shingles are all points of collection. These multi-functional systems can be used to heat water, deliver heating and cooling throughout homes, and can even allow some homes to move entirely off-grid.
• Daylighting and CFLs: Daylighting is the practice of utilizing natural light indoors in the place of electric lights. Skylights, light tubes, and light reflectors are put in place to direct natural light into rooms in addition to basic windows. Daylighting can also be used in conjunction with passive solar energy. Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) are replacing incandescent light bulbs as they use approximately 1/5 the energy while lasting 8 to 15 times as long. The savings in energy consumption make up for the slight cost increase.

Recycled Goods: You may have heard the phrase “reduce, reuse, recycle” many times before, but have you tried to incorporate it into your lifestyle? Many people think recycling is simply one extra thing on the “To-Do” list, but by reducing your consumption, reusing what you already have, and recycling what you cannot put to use, you show respect for your environment while cutting costs. Tossing that soda can into a recycling bin is as easy as tossing it in the trash, but will not harm the environment. In some areas, you may even get money back for all those recycled goods!
• Construction Waste: While building your dream green home, discuss with your contractor what plans they have for eliminating construction waste. This does not refer to plans to haul it from the site, but what will become of it. Much construction waste can be repurposed rather than thrown out. Make sure your contractor will not trash what can be reused or recycled.
• Reusable Shopping Bags: An estimated 380 billion plastic bags, baggies, and wrap are consumed in the United States each year. These products are not biodegradable, but do photodegrade – reducing into small bits that contaminate ecosystems and food chains. By simply remembering to use reusable shopping bags on each grocery run, you can help break this destructive chain. Some countries around the world are even going so far as to phase-out and ban plastic bag distribution by retailers (Australia) and others are placing a plastic tax for every bag distributed (Ireland). If you do receive plastic bags, be sure to recycle them rather than tossing them – most retailers provide recycling bins on-site.
• Composting: More intensive than reusing shopping bags, composting can reduce your waste output dramatically. Using worm bins or other composting means for food and garden waste eliminates half of the average persons trash. This compost is perfect to use in your home’s landscaping, ensuring that you get the most use out of everything you have.

Handmade & Fair Trade: Handmade and fair trade products support fair wages, safe working conditions, and sustainable goods of high quality. By making use of these products, you support and respect societies all over the world who are working for long-lasting healthy environments.
• Furniture: The market for eco-friendly furniture is booming as artists and designers take on the challenge of repurposing unimaginable materials into your soon-to-be favorite chair, table, or love seat. From old seatbelts to twisted driftwood, eco-friendly furniture is changing the way we look at design.
• Fabrics and Fibers: Many conventional fibers that make up our clothing, knitting, and upholstery are doused in chemicals to stimulate growth while warding off pests. However, these chemicals seep into water and soil, infiltrating our lives and our bodies. By taking advantage of fibers such as hemp, cruelty-free silk, and organic cotton and wool, you support low-impact living and fair-trade in any aspect of your life that requires some textile.

It is important to remember that these examples are only a portion of the options that are available for Building and Living Green. By determining which environmental issues value most to you, you can decide what “green” features work best to incorporate into luxury home plans. It is recommended to take the time and research all your options and discuss them with your contractor. You may also look into getting your dream home “green” certified.

The U.S. Green Building Council is responsible for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program that developed a commercial construction rating system. This has since expanded into LEED for Homes allowing similar ratings to be performed on residential buildings. In either case, LEED certification requires a third party to evaluate the building to earmark what credits have been earned. For home building, levels of Certified, Silver, Gold or Platinum are available to be reached at various stages of construction. The National Association of Home Builders also offers a certification program through its own Green Home Building Guidelines.

These certifications are important in ensuring that your Building Green is indeed green. Any reputable green contractor will be able to discuss either a certification program with you and how it can apply to your green home. Be sure and discuss thoroughly what you are hoping to accomplish to ensure you receive the green home you desire.

Once you have made your dream home “green” you will be reducing your demand on nature. However, remember that Building Green includes Living Green. Reducing, reusing and recycling will guarantee that you are sustaining the environment while taking pleasure in your “green” luxury home plan inside and out.