the Importance of Sustainability.
With Climate Change rapidly changing how we live and do business it has become even more important that we adapt to these changes while also working to mitigate the damage to the world around us. One of the many ways that we can help mitigate this damage is to change the way that we live, or rather the spaces that we live in. Creating homes that are more sustainable or retrofitting our existing homes not only benefits the planet, but it also benefits us by creating healthier, cleaner spaces.
There exists a multitude of both passive and active design solutions to help make a space more sustainable. From better natural ventilation and passive solar heating to using low-emission materials and high-efficiency appliances, the possibilities to create a better, more sustainable home are more accessible than ever, and will continue to become even more accessible as we walk down this path to a sustainable future for everyone.
What is Sustainability?
Over the past decade, through my professional career and my studies I have found that this question can be difficult to answer and changes wildly from person to person. My answer has of course also changed as I have spent countless hours thinking about what this answer is and so I would like to share with you what I believe “Sustainability” is at a core level. To me Sustainability incorporates three principle elements: Planet, People, and Prosperity.
The first thing that people tend to think of when someone mentions sustainability is the environment, and rightly so. Most reports and studies done on sustainability refer directly to our impact on the planet and how we can mitigate any further damage done. By reducing how much energy is used by a building through its operation we can drastically reduce the amount of energy we use.
The second aspect of sustainability is people, or rather society. This aspect makes up those of us that use spaces and buildings, which are predominantly humans. Simply put if we don’t find a space welcoming or comfortable why would we live there? The next step is to elevate that feeling so that the space enriches our lives by helping create a healthy environment to live in.
Lastly is the financial portion of sustainability. Again, put simply if sustainability is not affordable then it is not achievable. There are plenty of high-cost solutions to make a home more sustainable but there are just as many low-cost solutions to make your home more sustainable. It is my goal to make sure that you can create a sustainable home that is still within your budget.
How we Can Achieve Sustainability.
There are two main categories of strategies to achieve sustainable design, Passive and Active Design. Passive design incorporates what nature provides for free into the building such as heating, cooling, water, and fresh air. Through design we can work with nature to greatly offset, or in some cases eliminate, conventional energy use.
Active design uses purchased energy such as electricity and natural gas to keep a building comfortable. These design strategies include mechanical systems and components such as air-conditioning, heat pumps, radiant heating, and electric lighting and other appliances. They do also include purchased systems that can generate their own electricity such as solar panels, wind turbines, and geothermal systems.