SYNOPSIS
As the
costs for energy and building materials soar, sustainable homes are moving
into the mainstream.
What makes a sustainable house a sustainable home?
NEW SUSTAINABLE HOMES will address that question by presenting a wide range
of projects where the architect and client have made a conscientious effort
to incorporate sustainability into the design of the home and construction
materials used in its execution. The result is a home that is less toxic to
live in, is cheaper to operate, and often gives back to the environment
rather than taking away. Also, and this is the most important consideration
for many, it is a great looking, highly livable home that not only retains
its value but has been shown to increase in value more quickly than more
conventionally conceived houses because of cheaper operating expenses. These
designers and their clients are not on the fringe.
NEW SUSTAINABLE HOMES will show readers will learn about the many materials
and techniques that make up today’s sustainable house, including:
1) the use of pervious concrete on driveways that allows water to seep
through to the water table below.
2) using bio-fiber panels in lieu of plywood for interior finishing
3) using organic, green roofs that improve insulation, absorb sound and
manage storm-water runoff
4) solar water heating systems
5) use of high thermal performance windows
6) photovoltaic electrical systems
Homes from around the country including California, Texas, Vermont, Michigan
and Florida as well as internationally (particularly Australia where there
is a particularly strong interest in sustainable housing) will be presented
in the book by such nationally and internationally recognized architects as
Pugh+Scarpa Architecture, E. Cobb Architects, James Grose, and Steven Erlich.
Approximately 15 projects will be included complete with professional
photography and floor plans and detailed drawings that illustrate certain
sustainable features.
NEW SUSTAINABLE HOMES puts to rest the stigma that “green architecture” is
unattractive and unsuitable for residential architecture. The houses shown
in this volume represent design equal to or superior to most conventional
houses and reveal how much the parameters of ecological design have expanded
in just a few short years.