How To Build A Green/Sustainable Home: The Things To Consider First - The US Vs Mexico
If you have the opportunity to build your own home, you also have the opportunity to add features which will benefit both yourself as a home owner, and the environment.
There are numerous factors to consider when building a sustainable or green home.
Many of these have to do with commitment to sustainable living and personal preferences.
Others have to do with location.
Some are dependent on the laws that govern the location.
There are a variety of sustainable alternatives in building.
Above all, for you as the potential builder, is having a home that provides both security and a measure of comfort.
After you have imagined what you "need" to be safe and happy, you can begin considering options on how you house will be built.
The location of and topography of the property are important pieces of information, when beginning to design a home.
The ideal location for a green home has a gentle, south-facing slope upon which to orient the house for maximum use of solar usage, both for the interior of the house itself, and consideration of solar panels.
If the piece of property is not south-facing, then adjustments continue to be made in terms of design and location on the land.
Applicable laws governing the area in which the property is located will also determine design, allowable construction techniques and allowable sustainable practices.
These, in turn, will effect cost and time (which is also a cost), and practicability.
We have built two sustainable living houses in Mexico, just outside the World Heritage Center City of San Miguel de Allende (SMA).
Although SMA itself has stringent rules which are applied to all construction within the town center, these rules are relaxed out in the countryside, allowing for flexibility and more creativity.
Before beginning construction on the first house, which was built on a south- facing slope, we decided upon which green factors we wanted in our design.
These included using Adobe blocks for good thermal insulation, facing the house just east of south for maxim solar gain in the winter and less direct sun in the summer, setting up a system for capturing rainwater, directing gray-water (from our shower and dishwater) to use on plants, an indoor composting toilet to eliminate high usage of "black-water" (i.
e.
, the water from toilets), which would require a septic system.
All of these are allowable in the countryside outside of SMA.
And that is how we built, incorporating all of these systems.
All of the systems have been in place for 5 years and have operated well, with minimum adjustments and maintenance.
Many of the laws are not as relaxed in the cities of Mexico or in many (or most) parts of the United States.
Green builders in the US face more restrictive-though not necessarily healthier-sanitary laws and other building codes.
Still, many green principles can be applied.
Gray-water, once strongly resisted, is now more popular as communities grow and water sources shrink.
Capturing rainwater in a storage unit also has become a more viable legal option to slow consumption of the communities' shrinking sources.
Higher rated insulation, whether from natural products such as adobe or straw bales, or higher grade synthetics, help to prevent heat loss in the colder months and the need for artificial cooling in the warm months.
This slows the consumption of fuel needed to mitigate temperature extremes.
Human waste is an issue which has yet to be addressed in a way that will allow more sustainable means of disposal.
Composting toilets are still heavily regulated, such that only the most costly are being allowed for home usage.
Once there are more designs which efficiently eliminate human waste in a manner which regulators deem "safe," there will be more inexpensive alternatives to the human waste process.
As you consider building your own green home, the factors of safety, comfort, land location and topography, and local laws all are important to consider.
These factors are the framework and canvas upon which to start your project.
From there, let your imagination (and your budget) guide your creation.
Make what you do good for yourself and good for the planet.
For more information on Green Construction (especially in Mexico) or to take a look at the homes we built and are selling, check out our website: https://sites.
google.
com/site/casitadosarbolitos/
There are numerous factors to consider when building a sustainable or green home.
Many of these have to do with commitment to sustainable living and personal preferences.
Others have to do with location.
Some are dependent on the laws that govern the location.
There are a variety of sustainable alternatives in building.
Above all, for you as the potential builder, is having a home that provides both security and a measure of comfort.
After you have imagined what you "need" to be safe and happy, you can begin considering options on how you house will be built.
The location of and topography of the property are important pieces of information, when beginning to design a home.
The ideal location for a green home has a gentle, south-facing slope upon which to orient the house for maximum use of solar usage, both for the interior of the house itself, and consideration of solar panels.
If the piece of property is not south-facing, then adjustments continue to be made in terms of design and location on the land.
Applicable laws governing the area in which the property is located will also determine design, allowable construction techniques and allowable sustainable practices.
These, in turn, will effect cost and time (which is also a cost), and practicability.
We have built two sustainable living houses in Mexico, just outside the World Heritage Center City of San Miguel de Allende (SMA).
Although SMA itself has stringent rules which are applied to all construction within the town center, these rules are relaxed out in the countryside, allowing for flexibility and more creativity.
Before beginning construction on the first house, which was built on a south- facing slope, we decided upon which green factors we wanted in our design.
These included using Adobe blocks for good thermal insulation, facing the house just east of south for maxim solar gain in the winter and less direct sun in the summer, setting up a system for capturing rainwater, directing gray-water (from our shower and dishwater) to use on plants, an indoor composting toilet to eliminate high usage of "black-water" (i.
e.
, the water from toilets), which would require a septic system.
All of these are allowable in the countryside outside of SMA.
And that is how we built, incorporating all of these systems.
All of the systems have been in place for 5 years and have operated well, with minimum adjustments and maintenance.
Many of the laws are not as relaxed in the cities of Mexico or in many (or most) parts of the United States.
Green builders in the US face more restrictive-though not necessarily healthier-sanitary laws and other building codes.
Still, many green principles can be applied.
Gray-water, once strongly resisted, is now more popular as communities grow and water sources shrink.
Capturing rainwater in a storage unit also has become a more viable legal option to slow consumption of the communities' shrinking sources.
Higher rated insulation, whether from natural products such as adobe or straw bales, or higher grade synthetics, help to prevent heat loss in the colder months and the need for artificial cooling in the warm months.
This slows the consumption of fuel needed to mitigate temperature extremes.
Human waste is an issue which has yet to be addressed in a way that will allow more sustainable means of disposal.
Composting toilets are still heavily regulated, such that only the most costly are being allowed for home usage.
Once there are more designs which efficiently eliminate human waste in a manner which regulators deem "safe," there will be more inexpensive alternatives to the human waste process.
As you consider building your own green home, the factors of safety, comfort, land location and topography, and local laws all are important to consider.
These factors are the framework and canvas upon which to start your project.
From there, let your imagination (and your budget) guide your creation.
Make what you do good for yourself and good for the planet.
For more information on Green Construction (especially in Mexico) or to take a look at the homes we built and are selling, check out our website: https://sites.
google.
com/site/casitadosarbolitos/
