Learning from the Past: Adaption & Simplicity
Let’s take a look at another vernacular house design and think about ways it relates to green home building for Bryan-College Station. Today’s building style under examination is the shotgun house.
Learning from the Past: Breezeways
What other building types and techniques from the past can direct our development of green building? Let’s take a look at the “dog run” or “dogtrot” house. This type of building contained two separate rooms or structures that were connected by a single large roof. The connection created a breezeway or “dogtrot” between the structures that pulled cooler air through the space and created a pleasant, covered outdoor area.
Learning from the Past: Thermal Mass Walls
It is often said that learning from the past helps us avoid future mistakes. Could it be possible that techniques and constructions methods for homes 100 years ago could help shape and guide our green building ideas of today?
Transforming Single-Family Homes: Connection
There was a recent article in the opinion section of the New York Times that very poignantly identified the need for changes in the housing industry, especially the rising need for thinking-outside-of-the-box in regard to single-family homes. What are some changes in designing that should take place? And how can these changes be beneficial to you, your community, and the environment?
Stopping Air Leakage: Spot Sealing and Unvented Attics
Sealed attic, part of a home remodel in Bryan / College Station by Stearns design build. If your utility bill seems absurdly high, your home’s heating/cooling system and lack of adequate amounts of insulation are two possible culprits. Cracks and openings in your house allow outside air in and let inside air out.
“Green” Your Home: Remodels and Repairs
Remodeling is a great opportunity to “green” your home. It’s just another reminder that you don’t have to build a completely new home to make it environmentally conscious and efficient. Take for example an article in the Journal of Light Construction yesterday. It discussed how the decision to replace siding on a 120-year-old home in Massachusetts turned into an opportunity to add insulation to the home and make it more thermally (and there for energy) efficient.
Cutting Useless Energy Use
Practically anything you leave plugged in uses energy even when it isn’t on. Some devices that bring up digital displays when they’re turned off draw in more energy than when they are on! So, how can you stop this useless use of energy that gets added to your utility bill without breaking your back by unplugging every single plug?
Creating a Healthy, Happy Home Environment (Part 7)
One person can produce up to 5 lbs of trash per day - -meaning a potential 1,900 lbs per year! Just imagine if all of this accumulated inside your home at one time! As much as you don’t like taking the garbage out, it seems preferable to the alternative. Keeping your trash bags in a closeable garbage can is an easy way to prevent vermin and stray animals from tearing into the bags. Scattered trash will not only invite more vermin to snoop around, but will also most likely end up in storm drains and sewers which will eventually litter local bodies of water.
Creating a Healthy, Happy Home Environment (Part 6)
During the blistering summers, we thank our lucky stars that air conditioning has become a staple in our homes. However, as air circulates through a home it can bring along unwanted passengers – namely infectious respiratory diseases, dust, and fungi. But you can take measures to reduce and even prevent the spread of bacteria and small particles through your A/C system.
Creating a Healthy, Happy Home Environment (Part 5)
Our earth contains a lot of water, but only a small percentage of it is freshwater used for drinking, cooking, and cleaning. By being aware of how you can keep this water free of pollutants, you can take steps to improve your family’s health and the health of everyone and everything in your community.
