Nowadays, it seems like going green is no longer a choice but a necessity. As a result, green homes built with efficiencies in mind are becoming more and more mainstream. This eco-friendliness craze now includes advanced new home construction strategies and the incorporation of eco-friendly designs into new houses.
The rise in popularity of green building means that some notable trends are emerging. Here are six trends you can use to make your new home eco-friendlier.
- Smart Homes
Most homes already have a certain amount of “smartness.” A smart home refers to a convenient home setup where internet-connected devices enable the remote monitoring and management of the house. Any electrical appliance in your home can be connected to your home network. Some are built into the home structure itself, and some are added later.
When devices can “talk” to one another in your home, it simplifies complex tasks or automates them completely. Remote-controlled appliances mean your house can be monitored from anywhere. For instance, you can check if your Keto protein powder is stored properly. However, all this automated attentiveness will come with a high price tag.
- Living Walls and Roofs
‘Living’ roofs and walls, also known as green walls, are emerging as important additions to ecologically responsible buildings’ design techniques. The term green walls encompass all forms of vegetated wall surfaces.
Green roofs and living walls cover the impermeable areas that densely populate our urban areas. For instance, a living roof or wall can be a small container bed supporting trees and shrubs. Alternatively, it can be as simple as a few inches of ground-cover or a complete park-like setting with plants. If well-designed, living walls and roofs can offer people the psychological benefits of nature.
- Bamboo Hardwood Flooring
Bamboo flooring has been touted as an environmentally-friendly choice. Its eco-friendliness is because bamboo is grass and not hardwood. Bamboo flooring has a chic, exotic look but is still relatively inexpensive.
Unlike some species of hardwood, bamboo is a renewable resource. That means it is a natural product with the added benefit of sustainability and durability. That makes it suitable for contemporary and modern design schemes.
- Prefabricated Homes
Prefabricated homes are nothing more than houses that are pre-built in a factory. This means prefabricated homes are built off-site and then transported to and assembled at a final destination. Not only do they provide home buyers with an energy-efficient building solution, they also save on labor costs by moving the majority of the building process into a factory.
The assembly of a prefabricated home is based on the same concept as that of a car. This makes them cheaper, more sustainable, and quicker to build than traditional homes. Nevertheless, prefabricated dwellings must be built to conform to all applicable state, local, and regional building codes.
- Tiny Homes
Tiny houses have been heralded as a radical and creative way to shrink our carbon footprint. Originating in the US, tiny homes have also been popping up across Canada and the United Kingdom. To be considered a “tiny home”, the square footage can be no higher than 400. Tiny homes, however, usually have aesthetic similarities to a traditional home.
Tiny houses have their perks — they’re both environmentally and budget-friendly. Most tiny homes are often designed to meet function first. Some tiny houses are designed by the owner while others are made in factories by firms that specialize in manufacturing tiny homes.
- Cargotecture
As the push for eco-friendly homes grows, there is one trend that is pushing the limits of design — cargotecture. The term Cargotecture was coined at the HyBrid Architecture of Seattle in 2003. This form of shipping-container architecture involves the conversion of intermodal containers into habitable houses.
The eco-friendly containers are presented anew, complete with smart walls and rainwater collection. Repurposing containers into buildings has proven to be 30% more cost-effective than traditional construction techniques.
These impressive homes and offices are sustainable and durable enough to last several generations. Besides, a wide range of projects can be built, from tiny homes to multi-family dwellings.
Final Takeaway
There are always new green building products coming out. These six trends will inspire you to create a home that is stylish, comfortable to live in, and costs less to run.
