When it comes to building a custom home, going green is a trend you’ll definitely want to follow. Unlike most fads, choosing to build a sustainable custom home has many benefits and will serve your needs for decades to come. If you’re looking to build an environmentally friendly custom home, consider these four actions to ensure your new custom home is as green as possible.
Use Sustainable Materials
From insulated concrete forms to shipping containers and beyond, there are plenty of sustainable building materials to choose from for your new custom home. Sustainable materials are often natural and replenishable, recycled or reused, or produce less emissions and waste during manufacturing.
For example, bamboo homes are eco-friendly because bamboo has a quick growing cycle and it produces 30% more oxygen as it’s growing than regular wood. SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels) use less wood and are custom designed and cut as pre-manufactured panels to reduce construction waste.
The key to designing a custom home plan with sustainable materials is to hire a structural engineer who is familiar with the differences and subtleties of building with less-conventional materials. PSE is a structural engineering company with a strong background in many sustainable building materials for custom homes.
Use Green Building Methods
In addition to using sustainable materials, you can also go green with your custom home by choosing green building methods. Traditional construction creates massive waste and the heavy machinery needed can negatively impact the surrounding environment.
Many sustainable home materials will naturally employ green building methods because they need fewer workers, less machinery, and result in less waste. In fact, structures of natural materials such as rammed earth, straw bales, and earthbags can even be erected by homeowners with the help of friends and family.
Using sustainable building methods may also be a necessity depending on the site of your new custom home. Remote locations with surrounding nature that needs to be preserved will require specialized and smaller equipment. This is where a sustainable option such as a modular home can really benefit your custom home design.
Use Sustainable Design
Even if you don’t want sustainable materials or building methods, you can still incorporate elements of sustainable design into your custom home. Even a traditional stick-frame home can employ sustainable design to improve function and efficiency while reducing your home’s carbon footprint.
Round homes such as domes will have better energy efficiency because there is less surface area to the walls where heat exchange can take place. You can also use sustainable design elements such as the angle of the house in relation to the sun or the overhang of the roof to keep heat from entering the home. The possibilities are endless.
An experienced sustainable structural engineer will be able to help determine how best to marry the sustainable design with the safety and practicality of building your custom home. Even small design elements like adding solar panels can make a big difference to the sustainability of your home.
Use PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc.
The best way to create a sustainable custom home plan is to start by calling PSE Consulting Engineers, Inc.. While an architect and home designer will be involved in the creation of your custom home, starting with a structural engineer can provide many benefits and ensure you have a vision that will come to life exactly as you imagine.
Whether it’s a modern-industrial shipping container home, a traditional log cabin, or anything in between, PSE has the knowledge and experience to create your dream custom home. Explore our custom home design services and all the wonderful resources we have for anyone looking to become a homeowner of a custom house. Call us today!