The shift to sustainable housing has become all the more relevant over the past year. Alongside the outbreak of the global pandemic, the threats of the worsening climate crisis have also been apparent. This is evidenced by the increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters and the substantially rising greenhouse emissions present in the atmosphere, to name a few.
In this light, more and more people have also grown to be more aware of their environmental impacts. More particularly, how they can reduce these impacts through their homes, whether new or old. There is undoubtedly an urgency to do so, which is understandable. If you're the same, maybe you could also find some inspiration along the way.
A Certain Shade of Green
This year, health and wellness are set to take center stage in the wake of the pandemic but sustainability is surely a close second in terms of people's priorities. While sustainable homes have been present for years now, the resurgence for their demand is simply borne out of necessity. Green living is no longer just a fad as it was years ago, it's now a must.
Moreover, equipping a home to become greener and more sustainable can now come in various forms. This can be achieved through the smallest and most intricate of details like recycling used furniture to much grander scales like consciously considering how to embed sustainability within your infrastructure. Here are some of the most prominent sustainable home design trends accompanied by a few lifestyle tips for you to consider.
Powered Up
Among the most popular avenues of turning your home to be more sustainable is simply by shifting to power it through renewable sources of energy. The most common choice to do this is by connecting your home to solar power. It's important to note, however, that you should consult and hire the services of trusted solar-energy companies when shifting into this form of residential power to fuel your home.
To supplement this shift, you could also consider replacing old and outdated appliances with energy-efficient alternatives. Investing in energy-efficient appliances will effectively help you to reduce your home's consumption. Not only that, but it will also substantially cut your utility bills helping you to save more in the long run as well.
Less Is More
On your shift to sustainable housing, you could also consider downsizing the size of your home in order to lessen its environmental impact. Naturally, building a smaller home will require fewer materials for construction which also means less energy to be used. Likewise, one of the main problems with bigger houses lies in heating and cooling. Again, this can lead to more energy consumption and pricier bills.
When it comes to smaller homes, you don't necessarily have to live in a tiny home per se. However, that has been one of the most typical avenues to achieve this. In line with this growing trend of downsizing, minimalist living has also found its way into the mainstream. Through the eyes of most people, in fact, tiny houses have become synonymous with sustainable housing.
The Perfect Spot
Prior to the building and designing processes, the planning stage is just as important for making a home more sustainable. In this regard, it's important to note that there is an ideal sustainable location where you could construct your home.
Here, you will also have to take into consideration how your home's surrounding infrastructure will be less impactful on the environment. Additionally, you could also take a look at how easily your house can be accessed through more sustainable modes of transportation like walking or biking instead of driving a car. These are just some factors that are sure to lessen your home's environmental footprint.
Blend In
Alongside sustainable locations, the idea of passive housing has also become more prominent in recent years. This is simply a means of greatly reducing your home's energy usage by incorporating ways to naturally heat and light your home throughout the year. To achieve this, how you plan to orient your home will be crucial.
Your home's direction, coupled with its overall design, will essentially influence how much sunlight you would want to allow into your home to effectively regulate indoor temperatures throughout the day. However, you will also have to factor in the changing seasons. For instance, planting trees to create foliage and shading your home will help to cool your home during the warmer summer months.
Hold Your Ground
Aside from these design trends and lifestyle shifts, there are a lot more ways you could choose to incorporate to make your home more sustainable. Nonetheless, the importance of sustainable housing will continue to skyrocket in the months and years to come. After all, fighting the climate crisis will often start at home.
