Sustainable homes have become more and more popular over time, but their appeal cannot be understood without answering two simple but not so straightforward questions. What is sustainability and why has it become so important?

Source: Trilogy Builds

Sustainability is sometimes said to be about maintaining a balance between human interests and the well-being of the planet. However, this is too simplistic, not least because human interests are reliant on the continuing well-being of our planet. Instead, it is more accurate to describe sustainability as using natural resources to meet human needs in a manner ensuring that said resources can continue to be used for said purpose in the future.

In short, sustainable practices consider the interests of a much-expanded number of stakeholders. For example, being sustainable when it comes to building a home means considering the interests of both the homeowner and the home-builders in addition to the people whose lives will be impacted as an indirect consequence of their economic choices. That said, it is important to note that sustainable practices do not provide less value to their practitioners. In fact, such practices provide more.

If you are interested in learning more about sustainable homes, please contact us at Trilogy Builds.

Green building is something that more and more homeowners and home builders are looking to employ, and for good reason. Not only are more people aware of the need for sustainable living than ever before, but implementing green building practices will end up saving you money! Green building techniques are improving every day as well – just check out the innovation of self-repairing concrete.

Source: Trilogy Partners

According to the EPA, the use of bricks and insulation uses up a lot of resources. In fact, both residential and commercial building contributes upwards of 40 percent of landfill wastes, with roughly 40 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions being linked to the construction industry.

Thankfully, new technology such as self-repairing concrete could help cut down on those numbers. Self-repairing concrete is created with an engineered bacterial that releases a calcium carbonate when mixed into the concrete as part of its waste process. This material will then fill in cracks and holes within the concrete.

Self-repairing concrete is just one of many green building innovations. For more information about green building and how you can implement it into your home design, be sure to contact us at Trilogy Builds today.

Green homes are becoming more and more popular because of the benefits brought to the homeowners. In both cost and appearance, green homes are in no sense inferior to their counterparts. In fact, green homes cost less to live in, making them the smart choice in the post-recession economy.

Source: Trilogy Partners’ Portfolio

Here are some sustainable design ideas for your home:

• The R-House is designed from the ground up for optimal insulation so as to reduce heating and cooling bills. It features a super-insulated exterior, matched to minimized windows and a mechanical unit that circulates air throughout the home.

• Designed based on the same principles as the R-House, the TED House uses components and materials such as cellulose, EPS insulation, R-10 windows, and an air barrier to insulate it against its surroundings. However, it also uses design tricks such as an extended space above the kitchen to improve comfort, while allowing a degree of customization for interested consumers.

• Resembling nothing so much as a commercial building in an urban landscape, Live/Work/Home is nonetheless based on longhouses. Its central space stretches from front to back, while sliding panels and solar tubes let in as much light as needed.

For more sustainable home designs, please contact us at Trilogy Partners.

By Kelly Minner — Filed under: Featured ,News , LEED, USGBC – Where does your State rank among the USGBC’s Top 10? Comparing LEED-certified commercial and institutional green buildings per capita within the United States the District of Columbia turned in the highest per capita/per person ratio of 25.15 square feet.   Commercial office type and for-profit organization owner type where the most common, as was Chicago and Washington DC for the most represented cities on the list.

Following are the top ten LEED states per capita: