Building a Sustainable Home

Being aware of the environment and the climate crisis that the world is facing is something that everyone needs to consider in daily life. From reducing how much you drive to thinking about where you are getting your food from, there are many ways that we can all cut our carbon footprint.

If you have a dream of building your own home, this is also something to think about – making it something that has as little detrimental impact on the environment is something that is going to be more and more important over the coming years, as the effects of climate change become more apparent.

When you are planning your own self build project, the first thing to do is to find an architect that is knowledgeable about building sustainable homes, like this sustainable architect www.quattrodesign.co.uk/architectural-services/sustainable-design/ They will be able to work with you to create your dream home, whilst also working out how it can be made more environmentally friendly.

Here are some of the things that help make a home more sustainable:

Insulating your home properly

Good Insulation – Making sure that the property is well insulated means that it doesn’t need to use as much energy to heat it. As well as being good for the environment this also saves you money.

Choosing natural, sustainable materials

Using Natural Materials – Using more natural, sustainably sourced materials such as timber is a great way to make your home more environmentally friendly, as well as being better for your health.

Powering your home with renewables

Using Natural Resources to Power it – A home that is powered by sources like solar panels and air source heat pumps is much better for the environment.

Summary

Looks at how to build a more sustainable home, starting with finding an architect experienced in sustainable design, and covering good insulation to cut energy use and costs, choosing natural materials such as timber that are better for both the environment and your health, and powering the home with renewable sources like solar panels and heat pumps.

Questions this article raises

• How much more does a sustainable self-build typically cost than a standard one?
• Which natural building materials perform best for insulation?
• How quickly do air source heat pumps pay for themselves in energy savings?