The Eco Home Design Guide

The key principles of designing a pleasant, comfortable and healthy eco-home, with a foreword written by HRH The Prince of Wales, now King Charles III. Designing an eco-home is much more about working with your house's location and situation than relying on intrusive technology and hi-tech materials. With the soaring energy bills and the climate crisis, it is now more important than ever to invest in a home that is considerate of keeping heat in. In this handbook, architect Christopher Day draws on his extensive experience to explain the key principles of eco-home design, using common-sense methods. Packed full of practical information, it includes several case studies of eco-homes, reviewing (with hindsight) what worked well and what could have been better. There is also guidance on how to generate energy, upgrading old buildings, and site planning. With beautifully hand-drawn illustrations, Christopher explores how to use local topography, combined with landscaping, to improve your home's microclimate and keep your house dry and warm in the winter, and cool in the summer. There are also handy tips on how to minimise hidden environmental impacts, and ideas on ways to make your home a safe and healthy place, both emotionally and physically. The Eco-Home Design Guide is essential for anyone who wants to create a attractive, environmentally friendly home that is in harmony with its location.

Whether you want a turf roof, solar-powered hot water, or a superinsulated (and cost-efficient) house, you need to know the essential elements of the self-build process, and in "The Green Self-Build Book," Jon Broome gives an overview of the different methods of sustainable and eco-friendly construction techniques. The book includes case studies of green building techniques such as earth and straw bale buildings and is intended for anyone who is planning a self-build project, housing professionals, students, and teachers. "The Green Self-Build Book" gives inspiration and information to guide you through the green self-build process.

Design your own sustainable home Many people dream of building a beautiful, environmentally friendly home. But until now there has been no systematic guide to help potential builders work through the complete process of imagining, planning, designing, and building their ideal, sustainable home. Essential Sustainable Home Design walks potential homebuilders through the process starting with key concepts, principles, and a project vision that will guide the house to completion. Coverage includes: How to clarify your ideas and create a practical pathway to achieving your dream A criteria matrix to guide design, material, and systems decisions Creating a strong, integrated design team and working with professionals and code officials to keep the project on track from start to finish. Key building science concepts that make for a high-performance, durable building Primer on building logistics, material sourcing, and protocols to ensure that the initial vision for the project comes to fruition. One-page summaries and ratings of popular sustainable building materials and system options. Ideal for owner-builders and sustainable building contractors working with clients aiming to design and build a sustainable home. Chris Magwood has designed and built some of the most innovative, sustainable buildings in North America, including the first off-grid, straw bale home in Ontario. He is co-founder and director the Endeavour Centre for Innovative Building and Living and co-editor of the Sustainable Building Essentials series. Chris is the author of Essential Prefab Straw Bale Construction, Essential Hempcrete Construction, Straw Bale Details, More Straw Bale Building , and Making Better Buildings .

Have all the knowledge at your fingertips, with this 'how-to' guide to ecohouse design. Learn about the building materials and technology that you need to use to make your house 'green'. Case studies from around the world illustrate the best examples of eco design and inspire your own eco-designs.

Laid out in an easy-to-follow format with step-by-step instructions, special tips, and material guides, this reference makes it easier than ever to remodel, renovate, or decorate a home without hurting the planet.

A new edition of the bestselling book that makes sustainable design a reality.

Written for students and practitioners in the fields of architecture and interior design, our new Architecture Brief Sustainable Design provides a concise overview of all the techniques available for reducing the energy footprint of structures and spaces. With clear, simple language and a practical "can-do" approach, author David Bergman covers everything from the profession's ethical responsibility, to design structures and spaces that sustain our natural resources, to specific considerations such as rainwater harvesting, graywater recycling, passive heating techniques, solar orientation, green roofs, wind energy, daylighting, indoor air quality, material evaluation and specification, and how to work with green building certification programs.

"An essential introduction to sustainable domestic design." —Dwell magazine How to Achieve Style and Sustainability Green Interior Design is the most comprehensive guide to sustainable building, designing, and decorating on the market. This beautifully illustrated guide covers every detail of your home—from the drywall to the finial on the curtain rod—and how to find the most environmentally friendly versions of products and décor. This second edition of Green Interior Design is meant as much for the budget DIYer as it is for the luxury homebuilders looking to dip their toes into sustainability. Sprinkled among the chapters, readers will find: Digestible how-tos for quick updates Fun DIY projects Quick tips on repurposing and upcycling Helpful resources and buying guides Inspiring home tours Unconventional advice from designers (e.g., “Don’t buy anything!”) We hope readers carry this reference guide with them as they decorate apartments, furnish their first properties, and build their dream homes from the ground up. The second edition’s interactive structure allows you, the reader, to choose your own adventure: go into the weeds and get granular with purchasing decisions for your home, or take a more generalized approach to your green design project. Whichever path you choose, know that it’s more important than ever before to act sustainably. “Going green” is more than just a trend: It’s a global economic and social necessity.