Living green is the trend in today's society. Buying smaller cars,
recycling, and planting trees makes everyone feel as though they are doing their part in sustaining the environment but what about our homes? The direction in which the public is being led could be compared to digging a hole for a twenty-acre lake by hand. Does the task merit the results? In other words, our small contribution to sustaining a greener life through new products for buildings falls pitifully short of what we hope to achieve.
Perhaps it is time to stop following the crowd and really look at nature and what it has to say. The earth was created long before mammals but when they did arrive, the atmosphere was set up to sustain them with everything available from the earth. Look at the Romans and how they were able to build beautiful structures without the use of earthmovers and technology. Yet today when there is a power failure, our entire world stops.
When you stop and take a good hard look at the portfolios of green architects of today, are the projects of astounding buildings and homes really sustainable? Solar energy of today is nothing like solar power that was used 200 years ago. Technology has made it so complex, full of embodied energy and expensive components that it takes 50 years just to break even in reaching for energy sustainability. By then, the technology will be out of date and your home will be a dinosaur of outdated equipment that you are still paying for.
We All Need Air
Creating an airtight environment that shut out pollutants and kept our heating and cooling systems performing more efficiently 40 years ago seemed a grand idea. While in fact, we were shutting in the toxins that linger in almost everything we use. From the paint on the walls to the PVC shower curtain hanging in the bathtub, every home is filled with heavy metals, formaldehyde, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and many other harmful toxins. We have become so accustomed to these odors that we relate them to a 'new' product smell.
The concept of holding everything inside a house as tightly as possible by using technology from petroleum-based products and electricity (also petroleum-based) has only been in existence for 150 years. Before then, the world lived in a more functional way by letting nature help. How many of the structures built 150 years ago are still in existence compared to those of 5000 years ago? This proves that today's building materials and methods are nowhere close to being sustainable.
Illness has increased ten-fold by breathing in toxins. We blame it on pollution, second hand cigarette smoke and international traffic but studies have proven otherwise. Sick Building Syndrome is a new term that has been placed on individuals suffering from asthma, allergies, dizziness, fatigue, chills and a host of other symptoms that seem to have no medical explanation. It is believed that over 30% of all new construction and remodeled buildings have some type of SBS attributing to health issues. So we make more filters, disinfectants and air cleaners to battle the problem but aren't we still just digging a hole to nowhere?
Symmetry
Real Green Architecture can be sustainable and healthy without being unattractive. It is the attitude of wanting what everyone else has that fog the brains of many intelligent masters of design. Stop and consider exactly what it is about a concrete building with long glass panels that you find so stimulating. The answer is simple, symmetry, which leads us back to nature. Everything in nature is symmetrical. Notice a tree line against the sky and how evenly the tops seem to flow with one another. Plants, rocks, birds, caves, mountains and even a grain of sand all share this amazing trait. As long as symmetry is followed in a concrete building or a adobe made of clay, the results will be pleasing to the human eye.
Look at What Works
Archeologists have seen the answer to many of our modern day living problems by visiting sites where great architecture still stands. Architects that study new green methods are finding that by mixing the old sustainable methods of building and what we know today can bring a whole new generation of sustainable green architecture. Pit houses, earth homes, courtyard homes and adobes utilize the assets of the earth and eliminate the need for buying and buying more new unnecessary products that do not work. While looking at some of these types of structures from centuries past may not make a huge impression, think of the opportunity! With the talent of today, modern ideas and most importantly, never forgetting that we need help from nature, we can create some of the most awesome designs in the world.
What is a Pit House or Earth House?
An earth house is an unconditional type of structure that uses the terrain of the land to insulate a home. This is nothing like living in a basement that has concrete lined walls and is airtight. An earth house or pit house works with the land to provide insulation, energy and much needed CO2. There are several advantages to building an earth home like there is never any damage from the weather, security issues are nonexistant and health issues are diminished. There is also no worry of fires, natural light can be streamed in from above and there is plenty of land for planting or landscaping on the roof.
What is a Courtyard Home?
Courtyard homes have been used for thousands of years in many areas of the world. Starting out as a way to keep public buildings together with a central meeting square, residential homes soon found that the benefits of having a square from wind and inclement weather could be enjoyed. By using the interior courtyard as a haven for trees and plants, the air is fresher, less energy is needed and nature is easily spread throughout the home. This can be a perfect way to begin a green architectural project with an existing small home by beginning to expanding wings to encircle your property.
Adobe Homes
Adobe homes are making a comeback in the southwestern part of the country. For hundreds of years, Indians have used a mixture of earth and clay to build these beautiful rounded structures that are energy efficient and provide a natural environment of CO2. Totally waterproof, they have been proven to stand the test of time and are very inexpensive to build with materials readily available.
Not everyone has the luxury of being able to build a new home or to remodel and expand an existing house but there are several other ways that you can use nature to provide a better atmosphere where you live. Plants and trees are nature's way of providing fresh air to everyone. Vertical green walls are becoming popular for aesthetic reasons as well as using as an alternative to air cleaners. They can be used indoors or out and provide an excellent way of cleansing the air around you. Fruit trees can provide a two-fold asset when planted five to ten feet from your home on the south or west side. The shade will cut your energy costs, provide a more pleasing temperature and provide fruit that is sweet and healthy.
Overall, we need to change our way of thinking about what is good for us, our family and our future by looking at our ancestors of the past. By combining what we have learned from mistakes in architecture, what we know about nature and then blending the two, it is possible to create a future with sustainable green architecture without relying on complex expensive technology.
Additional Resources
This article was written by
Simon Marshall, CEO of
Buildingsguide.com, a leading online resource for steel and metal building information, buying guides, and in-depth research.
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